Is the Android phone responding more and more slowly? Then it’s time for a thorough cleaning. Remove unnecessary apps, failed photos and downloads.
Storage space smartphone
Smartphones have quite a bit of storage space, but they can still fill up. Apps, photos, text messages, WhatsApp messages, music, files, temporary web pages and the operating system all have to be placed on the device. How do you keep enough space on an Android phone?
Phone and System
This article is written based on a Samsung Galaxy A41 (Android 10) and Samsung Galaxy A11 (Android 11). On other phones running the same versions of Android, the menus and options may be organized a little differently. The operation is similar.
Check available space
Please check the available memory space first. This way you can see if the phone still has enough storage space. You can also see what takes up the most space.
- Open the overview with all apps by swiping from bottom to top on the screen.
- Tap on Institutions (the app with the gear).
- Tap on Device maintenance (Android 9 and 10) or Battery and Device Care (Android 11).
- An overview of the total space on the smartphone opens. Optionally, tap an item for more details.
Clear cachegeheugen
The cache is a place where temporary files are stored. This memory can fill up nicely and with it the phone. Emptying goes like this:
- Open the overview with all apps by swiping from bottom to top on the screen.
- Tap on Institutions.
- Tap on Device maintenance (Android 10) or Battery and Device Care (Android 11).
- Tap on Memory
- Tap on clean up.
Free up apps storage space
Apps store all kinds of data. That is unnecessary for less used apps. You can determine per app whether you want to delete the data. The apps at the top of the list take up the most space. Attention: know what you are doing! Saved login names are also deleted in this way, for example. You must then enter this again the next time you use the app. With the Health app, for example, your entire step history and heart rate readings disappear.
- Open the overview with all apps by swiping from bottom to top on the screen.
- Tap on Institutions.
- Tap on Device maintenance (Android10) or Battery and Device Care (Android 11).
- Tap on Storage.
- Tap on Advanced. With Android 11, first tap the three dots at the top right.
- Tap on Other apps.
- Tap an app.
- Tap on Clear cache.
Delete apps
Do you no longer use an app at all? Downloaded apps can be removed from the device in several ways. For example via the Play Store, the store where you also download apps.
- Tap the app Play Store.
- Tap the circle with your initial or profile picture at the top right.
- Tap on Manage apps and device.
- Tap on To manage.
- A list of apps on the device opens. Tap the box next to the app(s) you want to remove.
- Tap the trash can icon in the top right.
- Tap on remove.
The app has been removed. Apps that are standard on a device cannot be removed.
Save photos somewhere else
A photo with a smartphone is quickly taken. This can cause the storage space to fill up with photos. Then it is useful to keep them somewhere else. This can be done by transferring photos to the computer. They can also be stored in the cloud. Then they are stored online.
Delete photos
Another solution for photos is to delete failed or redundant photos. Here’s how it works in the Google Photos app:
- Tap the folder google.
- Tap on photos.
- Tap the tab photos.
- Tap a photo.
- Tap on remove.
- Tap on Throw away (Android 10) or To allow (Android 11).
On Samsung phone, photos also have Gallery app. In it, deleting photos works like this:
- Tap on Gallery.
- Tap the photo you want to delete.
- Tap the trash can icon.
- Tap on Move to Trash.
The photos will be deleted from your Android phone.
Delete downloads
One last step that can free up space is to delete saved files such as PDFs and text files. On a Samsung phone, the downloads are in the My Files folder. Deleting downloads works on such a device as follows:
- Open the overview with all apps by swiping from bottom to top on the screen.
- Tap the folder Samsung or Tools.
- Tap on My files.
- Tap on Downloads.
- An overview of all downloaded files opens. Tap a file you want to delete and hold your finger on the file until a checkmark appears.
- Delete more files? Then tap on other files as well.
- Tap on To clear (Android 10) or all refer (Android 11).
- Tap . to confirm move to Trash.
The files have been deleted.