Suddenly filling the storage of a 50 or 100 GB Samsung smartphone with the hidden category “Other” in the absence of voluminous photos and applications leads to a critical slowdown of the system and blocks the ability to save new ones snapshots.
Section “Other” (sometimes called “System Data” or “Miscellaneous”) is not one specific folder, but a collection of many elements. This includes the application cache, temporary update files, messenger data, downloaded offline maps and even system logs. Understanding the nature of these files is the first step to freeing up gigabytes of free space.
In this article, we will examine in detail safe cleaning methods that do not require root access, and also discuss radical measures for complex cases. You will learn to distinguish important system data from garbage, which can be safely deleted without harming the operation of the device. Let's give back your Galaxy performance and free space.
What is hidden in the “Other” category on Samsung One UI
Before you start deleting, it is important to understand what this volume consists of. In the shell One UI ot Samsung memory counting algorithms group files that do not belong to standard media or applications. Often the lion's share is taken up by data from instant messengers, such as Telegram or WhatsApp.
These apps save every sent and received picture, video and document in their internal database. Over time, this database grows to tens of gigabytes, but the system sees it as a single block of application data, classifying it in the “Other” section. Browser cache files may also accumulate here Chrome or Samsung Internet.
Another source of filling is temporary system files. After major software updates or heavy game installations, installation packages may remain that were not automatically removed. Sometimes this section also includes “broken” files that the file manager cannot correctly classify.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to delete files through third-party file managers with root access in system folders if you are not sure of their purpose. Removing critical libraries may cause the phone to stop booting.
Basic cleaning through Samsung's built-in tools
The safest and first method worth trying is using the standard optimizer. The company Samsung has built into its devices a powerful maintenance tool that automatically finds unnecessary files.
To start, go to Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. Here the system will analyze the contents of the storage. Click the button Clean now. The algorithm will delete temporary files, cache and remnants of deleted applications.
If automatic cleaning has freed up little space, you should look deeper. In the same maintenance menu there is often a “Storage Analysis” option that will show a detailed breakdown by category. Sometimes you can clearly see the “Cache Files” item with a delete button there.
Reboot your smartphone periodically. When you reboot, the Android system automatically clears some temporary caches of processes that may have been stuck and taking up space in the “Other” section.
Do not forget that the built-in cleaner does not always see data inside encrypted messenger folders. Therefore, if after this procedure the volume of “Other” remains the same, the problem lies in specific applications, and they need to be approached individually.
Clearing the cache and data of instant messengers and social networks
As mentioned earlier, the main culprits for filling up the memory are social networks and instant messengers. Applications like Telegram, Viber i Instagram aggressively cache media files for quick viewing.
To clear them without deleting correspondence, you need to go to the settings of the application itself. In Telegram, for example, the path looks like this: Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage → Clear cache. This action is safe and will not delete your chats, only downloaded files.
For other applications on Android the path is universal: Settings → Applications. Find a “heavy” application in the list (for example, TikTok or YouTube), click on it and select Storage. There you will see two buttons: “Clear cache” and “Clear data.”
- 🗑️ Clear cache: deletes temporary files, speeds up the application, does not affect logins and settings.
- ⚙️ Clear data: resets the application to its factory state, deletes accounts and settings (use with caution!).
- 📂 File management: some messengers have a built-in file manager for selectively deleting videos.
Pay special attention to YouTube and browsers. They can store gigabytes of watched videos in cache. Regularly clearing the cache of these applications can free up 1 to 5 GB of space instantly.
Deleting hidden folders and residual files
Sometimes applications are deleted, but their data folders remain in memory. They are not visible in the gallery, but take up space in the "Other" section. To find them, the best option is the built-in application My files from Samsung.
Open My Files, click on the three dots in the corner and select Storage Analysis. The system will show duplicate files, large files and rarely used applications. This is a great way to find forgotten downloads or old backups.
It's also worth checking the Download (Downloads) folder. Often APK installation files, PDF documents and images from the Internet that are no longer needed are downloaded there. Their deletion is safe and effective.
| File type | Where to look | Deletion security | Approximate volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application cache | Settings → Applications | High (does not delete personal data) | 1-5 GB |
| Downloads | My Files folder | Medium (check the contents) | 0.5-10 GB |
| Offline maps | Google Maps / Yandex.Maps | High (if maps are not needed) | 1-3 GB |
| Whatsapp backups | Android/media folder | Low (needed for recovery) | 2-20 GB |
⚠️ Attention: Before deleting folders with the names of deleted games or applications, make sure that there are no progress saves or important documents inside that you planned to transfer.
☑️ Check before global cleaning
Using developer mode and ADB for advanced users
If standard methods do not help, you can use more in-depth tools. Developer mode on Samsung allows you to disable caching of some system processes, but this requires caution.
To enable the mode, go to Settings → Phone information → Software information and quickly click 7 times on the item Build number. After this, a new section will appear in the main settings menu Developer options.
However, the most powerful tool is the utility ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on your computer. It allows you to delete the system cache and files that are hidden from the average user. To do this, you need to connect your phone via USB with USB debugging.
adb shell pm clear com.android.chromeThis command will completely clear your Chrome browser data, including cache and cookies, which can free up significant space. But remember that using ADB requires technical literacy. An error in the command can lead to system failure.
Risks of using ADB
Incorrect use of ADB commands, especially those related to removing system packages (pm uninstall), can turn your phone into a “brick”. Use only the commands to clear the cache (pm clear) if you are not sure of your actions.
Also in developer mode you can find the option “Do not save actions” or restrictions on background processes, which indirectly affects the volume of temporary files created, but this is more a measure to optimize work than to clear space.
Radical measures: Reset to factory settings
When all else fails and the “Other” section takes up an absurd amount of space (for example, 40 GB on an empty phone), we may be talking about file system corruption or a system failure. In this case, the only solution is a hard reset.
Reset to factory settings (Hard Reset) completely erases all data from the device, returning it to the “as from the store” state. This is guaranteed to remove all garbage, hidden errors and incorrect files.
Before the procedure, be sure to make a full backup via Samsung Cloud or Google Drive. Go to Settings → General settings → Reset → Reset data. The phone will reboot and begin the cleaning process.
⚠️ Attention: After the reset, all your accounts, photos, contacts and applications will be deleted. Make sure you have access to your Google and Samsung account to restore data.
Often after a reset, users notice that the “Other” volume is only a few gigabytes, which is normal for a clean system. If the problem returns immediately after installing a couple of applications, a specific software may be to blame.
If, after a complete reset and clean installation of applications, the problem with the “Other” section bloating returns within a week, the device’s flash memory itself may be faulty, and you should contact a service center.
Preventing memory from filling up in the future
To prevent the problem from returning, you need to change your smartphone usage habits. First, set up automatic cleaning in instant messengers. In the same Telegram, you can set the cache to be automatically deleted after 3 days or a week.
Secondly, regularly check your downloads folder. Do not store game installation files or watched movies there. Transfer large media files to your computer or cloud storage.
Thirdly, keep an eye on system updates. Samsung periodically releases patches that correct errors in the file system and optimize the operation of the drive. The current version One UI works more stable.
- 🔄 Auto cleanup: enable the “Delete old messages” function in the messenger settings.
- ☁️ Cloud: use Google Photos with the “Free up space” function to delete local ones copies.
- 📉 Control: look at the storage settings once a month to track growth dynamics.
Remember that smartphone memory is a consumable resource, but proper file management will allow your data-i="156">stay fast for many years. Don’t be afraid to delete temporary data, they are designed to be deleted. Samsung stay fast for many years. Don't be afraid to delete temporary data, it is designed to be deleted.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you absolutely cannot delete the entire folder. Android . It stores data from all installed applications. Deleting will reset all apps, loss of game progress and settings. You can clean only the subfolder cache inside it, but it is better to do this through application settings.
Why, after cleaning, does “Other” quickly fill up again?
Most likely, you have an actively running application that generates a lot of cache (video editor, navigator, instant messenger with a lot of cache). chats). This could also be a sign that some application is stuck and is writing logs in an endless loop. Try to track after using which app the volume grows the fastest.
Does the overflow of the “Other” section affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, it does. When the internal memory is more than 90% full, the Android system starts to run slower. This is due to the way flash memory works: it needs free space for write operations and cell wear leveling. The phone may begin to slow down and open applications for a long time.
Will cleaning applications from the Play Market help?
Most of them are ineffective on modern Samsung, since the Android system limits access of third-party apps to system folders for the sake of security. Samsung's built-in optimizer works better and is safer. Third-party cleaners often simply show ads and take up space on their own.