Every smartphone owner Samsung Galaxy sooner or later encounters a frightening inscription in the memory section: the “Other” category takes up tens of gigabytes. This is space that the system cannot attribute to photos, videos, or installed applications. System garbage accumulates gradually, slowing down the device and blocking the installation of new updates.
Why is this section growing? Most often these are temporary files, remnants of deleted apps, error logs and cache of streaming services. Owners of flagships Galaxy S23 or older models Galaxy A52 notice this problem equally often. Let's take a look at how to safely return these gigabytes to your disposal.
There are several proven cleaning methods, from standard settings to advanced actions through a computer. It's important to act consistently to avoid deleting important data. Storage optimization Requires attention to detail, but the results are worth it.
The nature of the Other section in One UI
Interface One UI Samsung groups files by type, but some data remains uncategorized. The “Other” category includes archives, files of unknown formats, and system logs. Also, offline map data and downloaded podcast episodes are recorded here, which the system does not always correctly identify as media.
Particular attention should be paid to instant messengers. Telegram cache or WhatsApp often takes up the lion's share of this section. Even if you delete a photo from a chat, its thumbnail or temporary file may remain deep in the file system. This creates the illusion of full memory, although the physical space is occupied by unnecessary digital junk.
Sometimes files remaining after an unsuccessful system update or a failure when installing an application end up in this section. Files with a .tmp or .log extension can weigh several gigabytesif they are not cleaned for months. Understanding the structure of this data is the first step to a successful cleanup.
⚠️ Attention: Before you begin a deep clean, make sure you have a backup copy of your important contacts and documents. System files cannot be deleted; this may lead to the phone not working.
Use the built-in “My Files” application for preliminary analysis: go to “Storage Analysis” to see a visual map of the occupied space.
Standard cleaning through the device settings
The safest way to start fighting for free space - use built-in Samsung tools. The company has provided special algorithms for searching temporary files. You do not need to download third-party software that may contain advertising.
Go to menu Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. Here the system will prompt you to click the “Clear Now” button. This algorithm removes ad files, unused shortcuts, and temporary data. The process takes a couple of minutes and does not require user intervention.
If automatic cleaning has freed up little space, you should check the cache of specific applications manually. Go to Settings → Applications, select a heavy application (for example, YouTube or Instagram) and click “Storage”. The “Clear cache” button will delete temporary data, but will save your logins and settings.
- 🧹 Delete the cache of only those applications that you use frequently, since the next time you launch them they will download the data again.
- 📱 Do not press “Clear data” if you don’t want to reset the application to factory settings and lose your chat history.
- 🔄 Regularly check the “Unused applications” section in the maintenance menu and delete what you haven’t used for more than a month.
Manual deletion of files through the manager
For deeper cleaning, you will need a built-in file manager My Files. It allows you to look into hidden folders where the remains of deleted apps are often hidden. Be careful: there is no insurance against accidentally deleting important documents.
Open the application and go to the “Internal Storage” section. Look for folders with the names of deleted games or apps. Often developers leave behind folders with logs or settings. Also check the folder Download —installation files often accumulate there APKthat are no longer needed after installation.
Pay special attention to the folder Android/data. In older versions of Android you could access this freely, but in new versions access is limited. However, you can still see a list of folders. If you see an application directory that has been deleted for a long time, you can try to delete it, if the system allows it.
Path to check: Internal storage → Android → dataDon't forget to check the trash. On Samsung, files deleted from the gallery or file manager go to the trash and are stored there for 30 days. They continue to take up space in the “Other” or “Images” section until you completely empty the trash.
☑️ Manual storage check
Cleaning messengers and social networks
Messengers are the main culprits in the bloat of the “Other” section. They store every photo, video and voice message received in a local cache. Even if you looked at the photo once, a copy of it remains in the phone's memory.
In Telegram setting up auto-delete cache works best. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage. Set the Keep Media option to 1 week or 3 days. This will automatically remove old files from the “Other” section, leaving them available in the cloud if necessary.
In WhatsApp the situation is more complicated. Files are stored in database and media folders. Use the built-in storage management feature inside the application itself: Settings → Data and storage → Storage management. Here you can bulk delete files larger than 5 MB or files from specific chats.
| Application | Cache location | Recommended action | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Inside the application | Set up auto-cleaning | Low (files in the cloud) |
| Media folder | Delete large files | Medium (without cloud) | |
| Viber | Viber folder | Clear cache in settings | Low |
| System cache | Clear application cache | Low |
Remember that clearing the messenger cache does not delete your chat history, but it may remove downloaded media files from quick access. You will have to download them again when you open the chat, which will require Internet traffic.
Why is the messenger cache growing so quickly?
Messengers save thumbnails and previews for each message to ensure fast scrolling of the feed. Over time, the preview database can weigh more than the original photos themselves.
Using developer mode and ADB
For advanced users, there is a way to clear system logs and temporary files that are not visible in normal mode. This requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and using the utility ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
First you need to activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone → Software information and quickly click 7 times on “Build number”. After this, a new item “Developer Options” will appear in the main settings menu.
Connect the phone to the PC via USB, select the “File Transfer” mode and enable USB debugging on the smartphone screen. On your computer, you can enter a command at the command line to clear the cache of all applications at once. This is a powerful tool that often frees up space where other methods fail.
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command tells the system to truncate all application caches to free up a specified number of bytes (in this case, almost all possible). The system itself will decide which cached data is less important and delete it. This is safer than manually deleting system folders.
⚠️ Attention: Using ADB requires care. Entering incorrect commands may result in factory reset or removal of system components. Use this method only if you understand the essence of the commands.
The trim-caches command via ADB is the most effective way to mass clear the cache without root access, but requires a computer.
Resetting settings as a last resort
If none of the methods helped and the “Other” section continues to take up critical space, indexing errors may have occurred in the file system. In this case, a complete data reset to factory settings helps.
This step will delete absolutely everything: photos, contacts, applications and settings. Your phone will look like you just took it out of the box. The "Other" section is guaranteed to be reduced to the minimum system value.
Before performing a reset, be sure to create a full backup via Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch to your computer. After the reset, restore only the necessary data without returning old garbage files.
The reset process is started through the menu Settings → General settings → Reset → Data reset. The device will reboot and begin the formatting process, which may take from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the amount of memory.
What to do if “Other” was restored after the reset?
If immediately after After reset, the partition grows again, the problem may be in a specific firmware version or a flash memory failure. Try updating the software to the latest version or contact the service.
Prevention and maintenance of cleanliness
To prevent the problem from returning, it is worth changing your smartphone usage habits. Don't keep files in your Downloads folder for months at a time. Regularly check your media autoloading settings in instant messengers and disable saving unnecessary stickers.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to free up space on your device with one click by deleting local copies of files already uploaded to the cloud.
Keep an eye on system updates One UI. Samsung periodically releases patches that correct errors in working with the file system and improve memory cleaning algorithms. Current firmware is the key to stable operation.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and menu names may vary slightly depending on the version of Android and the model of your Samsung Galaxy. If you do not find the specified item, use the search in the settings.
Install the “Device Maintenance” widget on the home screen. This will allow you to start cleaning with one touch every evening, preventing garbage from accumulating.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you absolutely cannot delete the entire Android folder. This will cause all applications to stop working and the system will lose access to its data. You can only delete the contents of folders inside Android/datarelated to deleted applications.
Why does “Other” fill up again after cleaning?
This is normal. Applications constantly create new temporary files for their work. If the volume is growing too quickly (gigabytes per day), check to see if any application is recording the screen or storing error logs in a loop.
Does the “Other” section affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, indirectly. When the internal memory is more than 90% full, the speed of writing and reading data drops. This causes lag in the interface and long application launch times. Freeing up space speeds up the operation of the drive.
Are third-party apps like Clean Master necessary?
In modern versions of Android, they more often harm than help. They take up space, display ads, and are less efficient than Samsung's built-in tools. It is better to use standard device maintenance.
How to clear the DNS cache on Samsung?
This can be done through the developer menu or by rebooting the phone in safe mode, but usually this does not give a significant increase in memory. The main volume of “Other” is occupied not by DNS records, but by the media cache of applications.