How to clear the cache on Samsung M31: a complete guide

Modern smartphones, such as Samsung Galaxy M31, have powerful hardware, but over time, users often notice that the device begins to work slower. The main reason for performance degradation is not the aging of the processor, but the accumulation of temporary files. This data, called cache, is designed to speed up the launch of applications, but over time its volume grows to gigabytes, filling up the internal memory and slowing down the system.

Clearing the cache is a safe and necessary procedure for maintaining the health of your gadget. Unlike deleting personal photos or contacts, erasing temporary files will not result in the loss of important information. On the contrary, it often helps to correct errors in the operation of specific apps and returns the former smoothness of the interface. One UI.

In this article we will examine in detail various methods of freeing up space on internal storage. We will look at both standard system tools and more advanced methods for experienced users who want to get the most out of their device. Follow the instructions to return your smartphone to the speed of the first day of use.

Why do you need to clear the cache on Android?

The cache is a set of temporary data that applications save on the device for quick access. For example, when you open a social network, pictures and avatars are loaded. When you log in again, the system takes them from memory rather than downloading them again from the Internet. This saves traffic and time, but the files do not disappear anywhere, continuing to take up space.

Over time, “digital garbage” accumulates in these folders: broken files, outdated thumbnails and error logs. If you do not carry out regular memory hygiene, this can lead to the system starting to issue messages about lack of space even if there are free gigabytes. File system It simply cannot correctly index new data among the chaos of old ones.

In addition, a damaged cache often causes strange glitches. The application may crash on startup, freeze on the splash screen, or display content incorrectly. In such cases, completely clearing the cache of a specific application is the first diagnostic step before reinstalling the app or resetting the settings.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the cache deletes only temporary files. Your logins, passwords, game saves and personal photos will remain completely safe. Do not confuse this procedure with a factory reset.

Regular maintenance of your phone helps extend its service life memory storage. When the memory is full, it is more difficult for the phone controller to write new data, which increases wear on the flash memory cells. Freeing up space is about caring for the longevity of your memory storage Samsung M31.

Clearing the cache through the settings of a specific application

The most accurate method is deleting temporary files for each app separately. This allows you to control what exactly is deleted and does not affect data from other services. This approach is especially relevant if problems are observed only in one specific application, for example, in a browser or instant messenger.

First, you need to go to the app management menu. On the shell One UI the path to these settings may differ slightly depending on the version of Android, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the section where information about the memory consumption of each installed software is stored.

Follow the following steps to clear the data of an individual application:

• 📱 Open the menu Settings and select the section Applications.
• 🔍 In the list, find the desired app (for example, YouTube or Instagram) and click on it.
• 💾 Go to the subsection Memory or Storage.
• 🗑️ Click the button Clear cache at the bottom of the screen.

Please note that there is often a button "Clear data". Be extremely careful with her! If you click this button, the application will return to the state immediately after installation: all your settings within it, logins and downloaded files will be deleted. Use this option only as a last resort, if clearing the cache did not help solve the problem.

Repeat this procedure for the most "heavy" applications. Typically these are social networks, browsers and video services, since they consume the most traffic and, accordingly, generate the most temporary files. Regularly checking these apps will help keep the system in good shape.

Using the built-in “Device Maintenance” tool

Samsung has integrated an excellent built-in optimization tool into its smartphones, which eliminates the need to install third-party software. The function "Device Maintenance" automatically analyzes the system state and offers to delete unnecessary files in one click.

This method is the simplest and safest for the average user. The system's algorithms themselves determine which files can be considered garbage and which are best left alone. The process takes only a few seconds and does not require deep knowledge of the operating system.

To start automatic cleaning, follow the following sequence:

1. Go to Settings your Galaxy M31.
2. Scroll down and find item Device maintenance (sometimes called Device care).
3. Click on the section Memory.
4. Wait for the analysis to finish and click button Clear now.

The system will show how much space has been freed. Typically, this tool cleans the cache of running applications, temporary update files and the remains of deleted apps. This is an excellent way to quickly prevent the phone from starting to noticeably slow down.

In the same menu, you can configure automatic deletion of unused applications. If you have installed a app, but have not launched it for a month, the system will offer to delete or archive it, which also helps to free up valuable disk space.

Clearing the cache through Recovery mode (full clearing)

If the phone is unstable, it freezes. or does not boot normally, you may need a more radical method - clearing the cache partition through the recovery menu (Recovery Mode). This method deletes temporary files of the entire system, not individual applications.

This procedure is often recommended after a major firmware update. A new version of the system may conflict with old temporary files left over from the previous version. Clearing the cache partition helps eliminate these conflicts and speed up operation. device.

Entering recovery mode on Samsung M31 is performed using a combination of buttons, since on new versions of Android the menu is hidden for security reasons:

1. Turn off the phone completely.
2 Connect the device with a USB cable to the computer. (required!).
3. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons at the same time.
4. Hold the buttons until the Samsung logo appears, then release.

In the menu that appears, navigation is carried out using the volume buttons, and selection is done using the power button. Wipe cache partition. Be careful: do not confuse this item with Wipe data/factory reset, which will delete all your personal data!

⚠️ Attention: Before entering Recovery Mode, be sure to connect your smartphone to the PC with a cable. On new versions of Android, the recovery menu does not open without an active connection to an external device via USB.

After selecting the confirmation item (Yes), the cleaning process will take a few seconds. Upon completion, select the item Reboot system now to reboot. The first startup after this procedure may be a little longer than usual, since the system will have to re-generate the necessary temporary files.

What to do if the Recovery menu does not appear?

Make sure that the phone is completely turned off and not just rebooted. Also try using a different USB cable, preferably an original one, since some cheap cables only support charging, but not the data transfer required to activate the mode.

Third-party cleaning applications: is it worth installing

In the store Google Play there are thousands of applications that promise to speed up your phone significantly. Popular solutions like CCleaner, Clean Master or Files from Google can indeed be useful, but they have their own peculiarities of working on modern versions of Android.

Starting with Android 6.0 and higher, the ability of third-party applications to access system files was severely limited for security reasons. Therefore, such apps often cannot clear the system cache as effectively as Samsung's built-in tools. They rather work as file managers with an analysis function.

Let's compare popular types of cleaning utilities:

Utility type	Advantages	Disadvantages	Efficiency
Built-in (Samsung)	Deep access, security	Fewer configuration functions	High
Files from Google	Search for duplicates, simple interface	Does not clear the system cache	Average
Third-party boosters	Lots of advertising, unnecessary features	They consume resources themselves	Low

The best third-party solution can be considered the official application Files from Google. It can find duplicate photos, old screenshots, and large files that you forgot to delete. However, to directly clear the application cache, it is better to trust the standard Android settings.

Installing aggressive “cleaners” often leads to the opposite effect. Such applications constantly hang in the background, consuming RAM and battery, in order to show you a notification that “the phone is clogged.” This creates unnecessary noise and drains your battery M31.

Prevention and rules for storing files

To avoid having to constantly clear the cache manually, it is important to properly organize data storage. The built-in memory of a smartphone should be intended primarily for the system and active applications, and not for archives of photos and videos.

Samsung Galaxy M31 supports microSD memory cards. This is an ideal place to transfer media content. By moving photos, videos and music to an external card, you will free up a fast internal drive for the application cache, which will have a positive effect on the response speed of the interface.

Here are a few rules for keeping your phone clean:

• 📸 Set up automatic uploading of photos to the cloud (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) and delete them from devices.
• 📹 Regularly clean the folder Download (Downloads), where APK installation files and documents accumulate.
• 💬 In instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), disable automatic saving of media to the gallery.

Particular attention should be paid to instant messengers. They are the main memory eaters. Telegram or WhatsApp settings have built-in memory management tools that allow you to automatically delete downloaded files if they have not been opened for more than a month.

⚠️ Attention: Application interfaces and settings may change with updates. If you do not find the described item in the menu, check the official help of application developers or update the app to the latest version.

It is also useful to view the folder once a month DCIM/.thumbnails. Thumbnails of your photos are stored here. Sometimes this folder can grow to unimaginable sizes, occupying several gigabytes. It can be safely cleared through the file manager, the system will create new thumbnails as needed.

Frequently asked questions about clearing memory (FAQ)

Will my correspondence be deleted when clearing the cache WhatsApp?

No, clearing the cache does not affect the message database. Your correspondence, contacts and sent media files will be saved. Only temporary files necessary for quick display of the interface will be deleted.

Why does the cache quickly fill up again after clearing?

This is normal system behavior. Applications begin to re-create temporary files for their work. If the cache grows abnormally quickly (gigabytes per hour), there may be an error in the application, and you should try clearing its data completely or reinstalling it.

Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?

No, you cannot delete the entire folder Android as it stores important application data. You can clear the contents of a subfolder cache inside it, but it is better not to touch the directory structure itself unless absolutely necessary.

Does clearing the cache affect Internet speed?

Indirectly - yes. If the browser is not clogged with old files, it can load the latest versions of sites faster. However, this does not affect the connection speed with the cellular operator's tower.

Do you need to clear the cache every day?

No, daily clearing does not make sense and is even harmful, since the system has to constantly re-generate files, using up processor resources. The optimal frequency is once every 2-4 weeks or when signs of memory shortage appear.