Android other takes up a lot of space: how to reduce and clear

You go into the storage settings of your smartphone and see a frightening picture: the memory is full to capacity, and the lion’s share of the volume is occupied by the mysterious “Other” category. This is one of the most common user problems Android, which causes confusion and irritation. The system cannot accurately classify these files, so it lumps them into one pile, hiding the real culprit behind the lack of gigabytes.

Usually this term hides application caches, remnants of uninstalled apps, temporary update files and messenger data that the system did not recognize as media or documents. This problem cannot be ignored, since full memory leads to a critical slowdown of the device, interface freezes, and the inability to install new security updates.

In this article, we will analyze in detail what this partition actually consists of, and we will offer a step-by-step algorithm for cleaning it safely. You will learn how to find hidden folders, which applications most often “eat up” space, and whether you should trust built-in cleaners.

What is hidden behind the “Other” label in the storage

The "Other" partition (sometimes called “System Files”) is a kind of digital attic where the operating system dumps anything that doesn’t fit neatly into categories like “Photos,” “Videos,” or “Apps.” Most often cache running apps accumulate here. This is temporary data that speeds up the launch of applications, but over time can grow to gigantic proportions.

Messengers such as Telegram or WhatsApp. They automatically save received photos, videos and voice messages into hidden cached folders, which the file manager does not always correctly display as media files. In addition, residual files after uninstalling games or heavy apps, as well as error logs and temporary update archives can be stored here.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to delete files from system folders manually through the file manager if you are not 100% sure of their purpose. Removing critical system libraries can cause the phone to stop booting.

Another source of “garbage” is offline maps of navigators and downloaded songs in streaming services like Spotify or Yandex.Music. This data is often encrypted or saved in specific formats, which is why the system categorizes it as “Other,” although in essence it is your personal media content.

Analysis of occupied space using built-in tools

Before you start cleaning, you need to diagnose and understand which application is the main consumer of resources. In modern shells Android (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS), the built-in analyzer has become a pretty smart tool. Go to Settings → Memory (or Storage) and wait until the analysis is completed.

Click on “Other” or “System files”. In most cases, the system will offer to break this category into sub-items, showing how much space the files of specific applications take up. Pay special attention to social networks and browsers. They are the ones who often accumulate gigabytes of temporary data that can be deleted without harming the operation of the phone.

If the built-in analyzer does not provide detailed decryption, use third-party utilities for memory visualization, such as Files by Google or DiskUsage. They build a visual map of the folder, where the squares show the size of each folder. This allows you to instantly identify “parasites” that are hiding in the depths of directories.

Manually clearing the cache and application data

The most effective and safe way to reduce the size of the “Other” section is to specifically clear the cache of problematic applications. You don't need to clean everything; focus on the apps you use most often. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.

Select the leading application in memory consumption (often a browser, YouTube or messenger). Click on item "Storage" or "Memory". Here you will see two buttons: “Clear cache” and “Clear data”. The first deletes temporary files, the second resets the application to factory settings (deletes logins, correspondence and settings).

For messengers like Telegram it is better to use the built-in cleaning tools, as they are more flexible. In the settings of Telegram itself there is a section Data and memory → Memory usage. There you can set up an automatic cache deletion timer, for example, delete files older than 3 days or 1 week.

⚠️ Attention: The “Clear data” button will completely delete your authorization and settings within the application. Use it only if you are ready to re-enter your login and password.

Regular maintenance helps keep the volume of the “Other” section within reasonable limits. It is enough to check the top 5 heaviest applications once a month and reset their cache. This will not delete your personal photos or contacts, but will free up valuable space for new tasks.

Deleting hidden folders and residual files

Many applications create their own folders in the root of the internal memory, which are not automatically deleted when you uninstall the app. To get to them, you will need a file manager with access to all files, for example Total Commander or Solid Explorer.

Pay attention to the folder Android/data and Android/obb. In new versions Android (11 and higher), access to them is limited, but file managers may request special permission. Inside you will find folders with application package names (for example, com.instagram.android). If you have already deleted the application, but the folder remains, feel free to delete it.

Folder type	Location	Can I delete?	Risk
Application cache	Android/data/[application_name]/cache	Yes	Low (the application will download the data again)
Game files (OBB)	Android/obb/[game_name]	Only if the game is deleted	High (the game will stop starting)
Downloads	Download	Selective	Medium (you can delete an important document)
System cache	Cache (at the root)	Yes	Low

Also check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails. Thumbnails of your photos are stored here. Over time, this file can weigh several gigabytes. It is safe to delete it, the system will recreate it the next time you open the gallery, but this will take time and CPU resources.

Why does the .thumbnails folder appear again?

The Android system automatically generates thumbnails to quickly display photos in the gallery. Deleting a file frees up space temporarily, but when viewing a large number of photos, it will begin to grow again. It is recommended not to remove it completely, but to clean it only if it takes up an abnormally large amount of space (more than 1 GB).

Using Developer Mode and ADB

For advanced users who want to clean out “Other” as deeply as possible, there is the possibility of using USB debugging and commands ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This method allows you to delete the system application cache, which is not accessible through the normal settings interface.

You must first activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item "Build number". Then in the “For Developers” menu that appears, enable USB debugging. Connect the phone to the computer and run the command to clear the cache:

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999

This command tells the system to trim the cache of all applications, trying to free up the specified amount byte (in this case - almost everything possible). This is a powerful tool, but it requires caution. Make sure your phone is not running any important download or update processes.

⚠️ Warning: Using ADB commands carries risks. Incorrect input may lead to the deletion of necessary data or unstable system operation. Make a backup copy before starting work.

You can also remove pre-installed system applications (bloatware) through ADB, which often take up space in the “System” and “Other” sections. However, this requires knowing the exact names of the packages of apps to be removed.

Dramatic measures: Reset to factory settings

If none of the above methods helped to significantly reduce the size of the “Other” partition, errors or damaged indexes may have accumulated in the file system. In this case, the most effective solution would be to completely reset the device to factory settings.

This procedure will completely delete all data from the phone, including contacts, photos, applications and settings, returning it to the “as from the store” state. After this, the “Other” section will occupy the minimum possible volume required for system operation. Be sure to back up your important data to the cloud or to your computer before starting.

The reset process is launched through the menu Settings → System → Reset settings → Delete all data. After the reboot, you will have to set up your phone and install apps again. This takes time, but guarantees complete disposal of software garbage and hidden file system errors.

Prevention and automation of cleaning

To prevent the problem of memory overflow from returning, it is important to implement the habit of regular hygiene of the digital space. Modern smartphones allow you to set up automatic cleaning. In the application Files by Google you can activate the function of deleting duplicates and old screenshots.

Configure instant messengers so that they do not save media files to the device’s memory automatically. There are settings that prohibit auto-downloading of photos and videos when using a mobile network or even Wi-Fi. This will prevent the accumulation of thousands of unnecessary pictures in hidden folders. WhatsApp And Viber There are settings that prevent auto-uploading of photos and videos when using a mobile network or even Wi-Fi. This will prevent thousands of unnecessary pictures from accumulating in hidden folders.

It is also recommended that once every couple of months you check the list of installed applications and delete those that you have not used for more than six months. Often it is forgotten games and services that are the source of the hidden cache, which inflates the “Other” category without the owner’s knowledge.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why, after deleting applications, does the “Other” section not decrease?

This happens because when you delete an application, its cache and some configuration files often remain in memory. In addition, the system may not immediately recalculate the amount of occupied space. Try restarting the device or clearing the cache through the storage settings.

Is it possible to move the “Other” section to an SD memory card?

No, the “Other” section refers to the system storage and internal application data, which for security and speed reasons should be located on the built-in memory. Transferring this data to an SD card is impossible without obtaining root access and deep modification of the system.

Is it safe to delete the Android/obb folder?

You cannot delete the entire folder - this will break all installed games. However, you can go inside and delete the folders of those games that you have already deleted from your phone. Files in OBB are “heavy” game data (textures, sounds), which weigh a lot.

Why does the “Other” section take up more space on new Android 12/13/14?

In new versions of the system, the memory counting algorithm has changed. Some files that were previously shown as "Applications" or "Images" are now classified more strictly and end up in "Other" unless they have a clear tag. This is a feature of the file manager, and not the real growth of garbage.