Smartphone owners Samsung Galaxy often face a mysterious situation: the internal memory is full, but upon a detailed analysis of the storage, the lion's share is occupied by a section called “Other” or “System”. This category can grow to tens of gigabytes, hiding temporary data, application caches and system logs that are not deleted by standard methods.
Users are wondering how to find these files on Samsung Android in order to regain precious space for photos and videos. In fact, the “Other” folder is not one specific storage, but a collection of disparate data that the system cannot classify as media, documents or installation files. Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to effectively cleaning the device without losing important information.
In this article we will analyze the mechanisms of system garbage formation, show the paths to hidden directories through file managers and offer safe methods for optimizing memory. You will learn to distinguish critical system files from a harmless cache that can be safely deleted.
The nature of the “Other” section in Samsung storage
The section "Other" in the smartphone memory settings Samsung is a hodgepodge of various types of data. This includes a cache of system services, temporary update files, error logs and application data that do not have a clear link to standard categories. Often, the volume of this folder increases after major firmware updates One UI or intensive use of instant messengers.
The Android system automatically places files here that do not fall under the definitions of “Images”, “Video” or “Audio”. This could be a contact database, game settings, downloaded maps in a navigator, or offline content from streaming services. It is impossible to find a specific file in this category through the standard settings menu, since the user interface hides the technical structure of the file system.
It is important to understand that not all the contents of this folder are garbage. Some of the data is necessary for the correct operation of operating system and installed apps. Blindly deleting system files can lead to unstable operation of the device or even bricking of the smartphone. Therefore, the approach to cleaning should be conscious and step-by-step.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to delete files from system partitions through third-party apps with superuser rights if you are not sure of the purpose of each file. This may disrupt the operation of the bootloader.
Using the built-in Device and Care tool
The safest way to start fighting for free space is to use standard optimization tools from Samsung. The built-in service "Device and care" can analyze the storage and suggest deleting the most voluminous and unnecessary files, which are often hidden in the "Other" category.
To access the cleaning function, go to Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. The system will scan and show a detailed breakdown by category. Clicking on the “Clean up now” button will remove temporary files, unused applications and duplicates that could unnoticed take up space in the system partition.
However, the standard optimizer does not always see the deep cache of some applications. For more detailed work, you need to go into the settings of a specific application that consumes a lot of resources. Often it is messengers like Telegram or Viber that create huge amounts of data in the “Other” section due to downloaded media files.
Before completely clearing the cache of all applications, make a backup copy of important chats in instant messengers, since clearing data can delete the correspondence history.
- 📱 Check the storage settings in the "Device Maintenance" section for quick optimization.
- 🗑️ Use the "Storage Cleanup" function to delete temporary system files.
- 📊 Analyze the memory consumption of each application separately in the settings.
- 🔄 Regularly reboot your smartphone so that the system resets temporary logs.
Searching for files through the My Files application
Standard file manager "My Files" on smartphones Samsung provides deeper access to the data structure than a simple settings menu. Although it does not show the "Other" section as a separate folder, it can be used to find hidden directories that are taking up space.
Open the application and go to the Internal storagesection. Here, pay attention to folders with application names or system directories, such as Android, DCIM or Download. Often, users do not notice that gigabytes of cache from games and social networks accumulate in the folder. Android/data Gigabytes of cache accumulate from games and social networks.
To search for large files, use the sorting function by size. In the application menu, select Sort → By size. This will allow you to instantly identify the largest files that may be hidden in unobvious places. Removing such giant files often gives better results than cleaning up small garbage.
Where to look for system logs?
System logs are often located in hidden folders with the prefix “log” or “tmp”. They can be found by searching the internal storage by entering the word “log” into the search bar. However, you should only delete them if you are sure that they are not needed to debug current problems.
Be careful when working with the folder Android. It contains important application data. Deleting the contents of the folder Android/obb will lead to the loss of the game cache, and they will have to be downloaded again. Deleting files from Android/data will reset application settings.
Clearing the cache through Recovery mode
If software methods do not help reduce the size of the “Other” partition, you should try clearing partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition). This procedure is safe for user data (photos, contacts, applications are not deleted), but deletes temporary system files that may have accumulated after updates.
To enter recovery mode, you must turn off the smartphone. On modern models Samsung with Android 11 and higher, you may need to connect the device with a USB cable to the computer. Then you need to hold down a combination of buttons: usually this Volume up + Power button (on models with a Home button - Volume up + Home + Power).
In the menu that appears, navigation is carried out using the volume buttons, and selection is made using the button power. Select the item Wipe cache partition and confirm the action. After completing the procedure, select Reboot system now. The smartphone will reboot and the system will recalculate the amount of used memory.
☑️ Preparing for Recovery mode
| Cleaning method | Data security | Efficiency | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and care | High | Medium | Low |
| Manual file deletion | Medium | High | Medium |
| Wipe Cache Partition | High | High | High |
| Factory reset | Low (delete everything) | Maximum | Medium |
Storage analysis with third-party utilities
When built-in tools are powerless, specialized applications for analyzing disk space come to the rescue. apps like DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer visualize the file system in the form of a map of blocks, allowing you to clearly see what exactly is taking up space in the partition. “Other.”
These utilities scan the internal memory and build a file tree, where the size of each square is proportional to the file size. This way you can detect forgotten archives, logs from deleted applications, or erroneously saved video files in system folders that the standard Explorer does not show in general statistics.
When using third-party software, it is important to provide only necessary permissions. Avoid applications. which require full superuser rights (Root) without good reason, as this may reduce the security of the device. Sufficient access rights to the storage to analyze and delete user files.
⚠️ Attention: Application interfaces and menu layout may vary depending on the version of the One UI shell and your smartphone model. Always check the manufacturer's current reference materials.
Visualizing storage through third-party applications is the most effective way to find hidden parasitic files that bloat the "Other" section.
Radical measures: resetting to factory settings
If none of the methods significantly reduced the amount of memory occupied, and the “Other” section continues to grow, perhaps errors have occurred in the file system or a critical amount of broken data has accumulated. In this case, the only solution is a full factory reset factory reset.
This procedure completely deletes all data from the device, returning it to its “out of the box” state. Before performing a reset, it is critical to create a complete backup of all contacts, photos and documents in the cloud storage Samsung Cloud or on your computer.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → General settings → Reset → Data reset. Confirm the action and wait for the process to complete. After the initial setup of the smartphone, it is recommended not to restore the backup copy of applications immediately, but to install them one by one in order to identify the culprit of memory bloat.
Why does the memory fill up immediately after the reset?
If after the reset and After a clean installation, the “Other” section quickly fills up; the problem may be a hardware malfunction of the flash memory or a virus that penetrates the system the first time you connect to the network. In this case, diagnostics are required at a service center.
Preventing system memory from filling
To prevent the problem with the “Other” section from returning, you must maintain digital hygiene. Regularly clear your messenger cache, delete unused applications, and do not store files on your device that are already in the cloud. Modern smartphones require periodic maintenance.
Set up automatic cleaning in applications that support this function. For example, in Telegram you can set the media file cache to be automatically deleted after a certain period of time. This will prevent uncontrolled memory growth in the background.
Keep an eye on system updates. Engineers Samsung regularly release patches that correct memory management errors and resource leaks in system processes. The current version of the firmware is the key to stable operation of the file system.
- 🛡️ Enable automatic cache clearing in the messenger settings.
- 📅 Once a month, audit the downloaded files in the Download folder.
- 🚫 Avoid installing applications from unverified sources.
- ☁️ Use cloud storage to archive old photos and videos.
Why does the “Other” section take up so much space after updating Android?
After a major system update, old firmware files may be temporarily stored in the recovery partition or as backup copies of system libraries. They are usually removed automatically after a few days, but sometimes the process gets stuck. Clearing the cache partition via Recovery helps solve this problem.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you cannot delete the entire Android folder, since it stores data from all installed applications. Deleting will reset all apps and lose progress in games. You can clear only the contents of cache subfolders inside specific application directories.
Does the overflow of the “Other” section affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, critical filling of the internal memory slows down the operation of the storage controller. The smartphone begins to slow down when opening applications, and the system may forcefully close background processes. Free space is necessary for the correct operation of the recording algorithms.
How to distinguish system files from garbage in the file manager?
System files usually have a hidden attribute (starting with a dot) or are located in protected directories. Garbage is often files with the extension .log, .tmp or cache files without an extension in folders with application names. If you do not know the purpose of the file, it is better not to delete it manually.