Zapcached app files in a single tap, clear the Downloads folder, delete unneededoffline maps, take charge of music downloads, and more.
Few things in life are as annoying as finding that your Androidhandset refuses to install any more app updates because it’s run out ofstorage. Unlike many of life’s little annoyances, though, this one’s easy to
fix. You can quickly clear out hundreds of megabytes or even a gig or two
by sweeping up stale downloads, rooting out offline maps and documents,
clearing caches, and wiping unneeded music and video files. And if these
tips don’t do the trick, check out our picks for the best Androidphones for every need and budget.
1.
Clear out all cached app data
Ifyou dig into the Apps storage setting screen and tap on an individual app,
you’ll notice that each app has its own stash of “cached” data—anywhere from a
few kilobytes to hundreds of megs, or even more.
you’ll notice that each app has its own stash of “cached” data—anywhere from a
few kilobytes to hundreds of megs, or even more.
These caches of data are essentially just junk
files, and they can be safely deleted to free up storage space. Tap the Clear Cache button to
take out the trash.
files, and they can be safely deleted to free up storage space. Tap the Clear Cache button to
take out the trash.
If poking through each and every app looking for cached data to
clear sounds like a chore, there’s an easy way to clear all cached app data in
one fell swoop. Tap Settings > Storage > Cached data,
then tap OK in
the confirmation window.
clear sounds like a chore, there’s an easy way to clear all cached app data in
one fell swoop. Tap Settings > Storage > Cached data,
then tap OK in
the confirmation window.
2.
Clean up the Downloads folder
Justlike on a PC or a Mac, your Android device has a Downloads folder (or Files onPixel and some Oreo phones). It’s a favorite hideout for miscellaneous junk
files downloaded from the Web or by your various apps.
files downloaded from the Web or by your various apps.
Tap and hold a file in the Downloads folder and
then tap the Trash button to delete it.
then tap the Trash button to delete it.
Open the app drawer and tap Downloads or Files to
see what’s lurking inside. Tap the three-line menu icon in the top corner of
the screen and sort the list
of downloads by size, then take a look at what’s hogging the most storage
space. If you see anything you don’t need, tap and hold the file to select it,
then tap the Trash button.
see what’s lurking inside. Tap the three-line menu icon in the top corner of
the screen and sort the list
of downloads by size, then take a look at what’s hogging the most storage
space. If you see anything you don’t need, tap and hold the file to select it,
then tap the Trash button.
3.
Dump photos that are already backed up
Oneof the best features of Google’s Photos app is its ability to back up your entirephoto library to your online Google account. Once your snapshots are safely
backed up, Photos can zap any locally stored images to free up more space.
backed up, Photos can zap any locally stored images to free up more space.
Google Photos will quickly delete any pictures
on your device that have already been backed up to your Google account.
on your device that have already been backed up to your Google account.
Open the Photos app, tap the three-line menu button in the top
left corner of the screen, then tap Free up device storage.
The Photos app will let you know how many pictures it can delete from local
storage; tap OK to pull the trigger.
left corner of the screen, then tap Free up device storage.
The Photos app will let you know how many pictures it can delete from local
storage; tap OK to pull the trigger.
Note: If you’re using
the “High quality” setting for unlimited but lower-resolution cloud storage of
your backed up photos, keep in mind that the “Free up device storage” feature
will delete your full-resolution originals. Make sure you’ve stored them elsewhere
before you tap the OK button.
the “High quality” setting for unlimited but lower-resolution cloud storage of
your backed up photos, keep in mind that the “Free up device storage” feature
will delete your full-resolution originals. Make sure you’ve stored them elsewhere
before you tap the OK button.
4.
Manage downloaded music and podcasts
Google’sPlay Music app gives you two options when it comes to storing tunes on yourdevice: You can manually pick which purchased or uploaded Google Play songs andalbums get downloaded, or you can let the app make those decisions for you.
Either way, music lovers may end up with a significant amount of their device
storage gobbled up by their favorite artists.
Either way, music lovers may end up with a significant amount of their device
storage gobbled up by their favorite artists.
Downloaded
tunes and podcasts in the Play Music app can gobble up an impressive amount of
storage.
tunes and podcasts in the Play Music app can gobble up an impressive amount of
storage.
Same
goes with podcasts, with Play Music’s default setting geared to auto-download
the three most recent episodes of each subscription. If you subscribe to more
than a few podcasts, those episodes—and the space required to store them on
your handset—can add up quickly.
goes with podcasts, with Play Music’s default setting geared to auto-download
the three most recent episodes of each subscription. If you subscribe to more
than a few podcasts, those episodes—and the space required to store them on
your handset—can add up quickly.
Tocheck exactly how many megabytes or even gigabytes of storage Play Music hasreserved for tunes and podcasts, tap the three-line menu button in the top left
corner of the screen, then tap Settings > Manage downloads.
To wipe a song download or a podcast from local storage, tap the orange Downloaded button
to the right of its name. You can do the same thing with Spotify, YouTube
Music, or Apple Music, depending on your streaming app of choice. The process
is slightly different, but each app allows you to find and delete anything
you’ve downloaded.
corner of the screen, then tap Settings > Manage downloads.
To wipe a song download or a podcast from local storage, tap the orange Downloaded button
to the right of its name. You can do the same thing with Spotify, YouTube
Music, or Apple Music, depending on your streaming app of choice. The process
is slightly different, but each app allows you to find and delete anything
you’ve downloaded.
5. Erase offline areas in Google Maps
Downloadinga map in the latest version of the Google Maps app is a great way to navigatewhen your device is offline, especially now that both searching and driving
directions are supported.
directions are supported.
Just
tap one of your offline maps in the Google Maps app to update it or—if you’re
running low on storage space—delete it.
tap one of your offline maps in the Google Maps app to update it or—if you’re
running low on storage space—delete it.
But
those searchable offline “areas” come at a cost: storage space, and potentially
lots of it. Indeed, a single offline map can consume more than a gigabyte of
storage depending on the size of the area.
those searchable offline “areas” come at a cost: storage space, and potentially
lots of it. Indeed, a single offline map can consume more than a gigabyte of
storage depending on the size of the area.
You
can check how much space your offline maps have staked out by tapping the
three-line menu button in the top left corner of the main Google Maps
interface, then tapping Offline. The storage used
by each offline map is displayed below its name. Tap the map and tap Delete to
reclaim its storage space.
can check how much space your offline maps have staked out by tapping the
three-line menu button in the top left corner of the main Google Maps
interface, then tapping Offline. The storage used
by each offline map is displayed below its name. Tap the map and tap Delete to
reclaim its storage space.
6.
Unload your least-used apps
Ilove the fact that I can download and install Android apps to my devicesremotely from a desktop web browser. The downside? My Android handsets tend to
be overstuffed with too many apps, many of them used only once (or even never).
be overstuffed with too many apps, many of them used only once (or even never).
You
can find out which apps you use the least with help from the Play Store app.
can find out which apps you use the least with help from the Play Store app.
The
solution, of course, is to delete some of those apps—ideally, the ones you use
the least. There are also several apps that can track your app usage and
tell you which apps you’re using the least, among them: App Usage, App Tracker,
and QualityTime.
But the best judge of the apps you don’t want is you. You can either browse
your app drawer to find any apps you don’t need anymore, or check out your
library in the Play Store.
solution, of course, is to delete some of those apps—ideally, the ones you use
the least. There are also several apps that can track your app usage and
tell you which apps you’re using the least, among them: App Usage, App Tracker,
and QualityTime.
But the best judge of the apps you don’t want is you. You can either browse
your app drawer to find any apps you don’t need anymore, or check out your
library in the Play Store.
Tofind a list of everything on your phone, open the Play Store app, tap the
three-line menu button in the top right corner of the screen, tap My
apps & games, then tap the Installed tab. Next,
tap the Sort button
near the top-right corner of the screen, then pick an option, such as Size or—better
yet—Last
Used. If you sort your apps according to Last Used, scroll to the
very bottom of the list to see which apps you use the least. See a seldom-used
app you could do without? Tap it, then tap Uninstall.
three-line menu button in the top right corner of the screen, tap My
apps & games, then tap the Installed tab. Next,
tap the Sort button
near the top-right corner of the screen, then pick an option, such as Size or—better
yet—Last
Used. If you sort your apps according to Last Used, scroll to the
very bottom of the list to see which apps you use the least. See a seldom-used
app you could do without? Tap it, then tap Uninstall.
7.
Use Oreo’s storage tools
If you’re lucky enough to have a phone that’s been updated to Oreo,Google has built in some great tools for tracking and managing your storagelimits. Head over to the Setting app and tap the Storage tab. Inside
you’ll find a handy rundown of everything that’s taking up space on your phone,
just like on Nougat. But in Oreo, you have more control over your files. Tap on
any of the sections and you’ll see a list of related apps and how much space
they’re using. Tap again, and you’ll be able to clear anything inside by
selecting the “Free Storage button. Just keep in mind
that this will clear any files being help inside the app.
The
storage manager in Android Oreo will help you see exactly what’s eating your
phone’s free space.
storage manager in Android Oreo will help you see exactly what’s eating your
phone’s free space.
You’ll
also find a new “Free up space” button at the top of Oreo’s storage manager.
Tap it and you’ll see a list of your downloads and infrequently used apps, as
well as an option to clear any photos and videos that have already been backed
up to the cloud. It’s essentially a shortcut, but it’s a handy one.
also find a new “Free up space” button at the top of Oreo’s storage manager.
Tap it and you’ll see a list of your downloads and infrequently used apps, as
well as an option to clear any photos and videos that have already been backed
up to the cloud. It’s essentially a shortcut, but it’s a handy one.
8.
Turn on smart storage
Oreoincludes a new toggle called Smart Storage that can work wonders withoutneeding to do a thing. Flip it on, and your phone will automatically clear out
the biggest space-stealing culprit: photos and videos.
the biggest space-stealing culprit: photos and videos.
Android
Oreo’s Smart Storage can free up space without your needing to lift a finger.
Oreo’s Smart Storage can free up space without your needing to lift a finger.
Since
we all forget to clear out our photo libraries regularly, you can choose to
automatically remove backed-up photos and videos after 30, 60, or 90 days,
making sure you phone isn’t stuffed with duplicate photos.
we all forget to clear out our photo libraries regularly, you can choose to
automatically remove backed-up photos and videos after 30, 60, or 90 days,
making sure you phone isn’t stuffed with duplicate photos.
9.
Get an SD card
Nearlyevery Android phone you can buy in 2018 has a slot for expandable storage, soyou’ll be able to double, triple, and quadruple the space on your phone forjust a few bucks. You’ll want to get a micro SD card from Samsung or SanDisk in
at least 32GB capacity. Prices per gigabyte decrease substantially as the
capacity increases, so you should buy the biggest card that you can afford. As
a very general rule, around $0.40 per gigabyte is a good price.
at least 32GB capacity. Prices per gigabyte decrease substantially as the
capacity increases, so you should buy the biggest card that you can afford. As
a very general rule, around $0.40 per gigabyte is a good price.
The
best way to free up space on your Android phone is to add more of it.
best way to free up space on your Android phone is to add more of it.
Once
you select the size you want, installing it is a snap. There’s no formatting to
worry about, just pop open your SIM card slot and slide in the SD card. Then,
you’ll be able to shift files and apps onto the card as needed to free up
precious internal space.
you select the size you want, installing it is a snap. There’s no formatting to
worry about, just pop open your SIM card slot and slide in the SD card. Then,
you’ll be able to shift files and apps onto the card as needed to free up
precious internal space.
10.
Take advantage of Google Drive
Googlegives 15 gigs of free cloud storage with every account, so you might as welluse it. Anything inside your Downloads or Files app can be jettisoned to your
Google Drive by tapping the menu button in the top right corner and choosing
“Send to…” This will open the share sheet, where you can select select Save
to Drive to choose which folder to add it to. Then you can
delete it from your phone without losing it forever.
Google Drive by tapping the menu button in the top right corner and choosing
“Send to…” This will open the share sheet, where you can select select Save
to Drive to choose which folder to add it to. Then you can
delete it from your phone without losing it forever.
