Owners of Honor smartphones often face an annoying problem: the storage is full, even though you have deleted all unnecessary photos and applications. The focus is on the mysterious “Other” section, which can occupy tens of gigabytes. Understanding what's hidden inside this category is the first step to freeing up precious space.
This section is not a system error, but a repository for caches, temporary files, remnants of uninstalled apps and system logs. Cleaning a folder Other on Android Honor requires an integrated approach, since standard tools do not always cope effectively. In this article we will look at safe and advanced methods for removing garbage.
Analysis of the contents of the Other folder
Before taking radical actions, you need to understand what exactly is taking up space. The Android system classifies as "Other" all files that do not fall into standard categories like "Photos", "Audio" or "Applications". Often this is application cachewhich grows to enormous sizes.
Particular attention should be paid to messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, as well as streaming services. They save the videos you watch and the music you listen to in temporary storage. There may also be update files firmware that the system forgot to remove after installation.
- 📁 Application cache: Temporary data that speeds up the operation of apps, but over time turns into garbage.
- 📥 Downloads: Files, downloaded from the browser, but not sorted by the system.
- 🗑️ Residual files: Data from long-deleted games and utilities.
- 📲 System logs: Error reports that can take up a significant amount of space.
It is important to note that on smartphones Honor with the EMUI or MagicOS shell, the file system structure may differ slightly from pure Android. This affects how storage categories are displayed in Settings.
Use the built-in storage analyzer in the Files app to see a visual map of occupied space before cleaning.
Basic cleaning through smartphone settings
The safest and easiest way to start cleaning is to use the standard optimization tools. Honor smartphones already have a powerful system maintenance mechanism pre-installed. To access it, go to menu Settings → Memory.
Here you will see the “Clear” button, which will start scanning. The system will offer to delete obvious garbage: cache, advertising files and temporary data. This method is safe for user dataas it does not affect personal documents or media files.
⚠️ Attention: If after standard cleaning the volume of the “Other” section has decreased slightly, this means that the main memory “eaters” are hidden deeper and require manual intervention or the use of a file manager.
Additionally, you should check the “Applications” section in the settings. Find the heaviest apps (social networks, navigators) and select the “Clear cache” option. Do not confuse this with the “Erase data” button, otherwise you will lose logins and progress in games.
☑️ Basic memory check
Using the Files application for deep cleaning
For more detailed work, you will need the built-in application Files (Files). It allows you to look inside the file system and find large files that the system may have missed. Open the application and select the “Analysis” or “Categories” tab.
Pay attention to the folders associated with instant messengers. Gigabytes of data are often hidden inside. For example, Telegram stores all watched videos in a cache folder, even if you have already seen them. Internal Storage → Android → media Gigabytes of data are often hidden. For example, Telegram stores all watched videos in a cache folder, even if you have already seen them.
Path to check the Telegram cache:
Internal Storage → Android → data → org.telegram.messenger → cache
When deleting files manually, be extremely careful. Delete only what you are sure of: videos, archives, APK installation packages. System files should not be touched, this can lead to unstable operation of the operating system.
What to do if the files are not deleted?
If the system writes “File busy” or “No access”, try first closing the application that owns the file. If this doesn't help, restart your smartphone in safe mode and try deleting the file again. In extreme cases, connecting to a PC will help.
Clearing the cache of instant messengers and social networks
Social networks and instant messengers are the main culprits in the bloat of the “Other” section. They cache every image and video you watch for quick re-download. Over time, this cache becomes huge.
In the Telegram application, cleaning is best done through the internal settings: Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage → Clear cache. Here you can also configure automatic deletion of media files so that the problem does not return.
- 🗑️ WhatsApp: Settings → Data and storage → Storage management.
- 🧹 Viber: More → Settings → Memory → Clear cache.
- 📸 Instagram: Phone settings → Applications → Instagram → Memory → Clear cache.
After clearing the cache, applications will run a little slower when first launched, since they will have to re-download pictures from the network. However, this will give you back gigabytes of free space.
| Application | Where to clean | Risk of data loss | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Inside the application | Low (cache only) | High |
| Phone settings | Medium (you can delete the database) | Medium | |
| YouTube | Phone settings | Low | High |
| Chrome | Browser settings | Low (websites will be released) | Medium |
Regular cache clearing messengers through their own settings is safer and more effective than deleting through a file manager.
Radical methods: Reset and flashing
If no methods help and the “Other” section continues to grow, errors or damaged index files may have accumulated in the file system. In this case, resetting the settings to factory settings may help.
Before performing this procedure be sure to create a full backup save all important data to an external drive or to the cloud. Resetting will delete absolutely everything: contacts, photos, applications and settings.
⚠️ Attention: Resetting to factory settings is an extreme measure. Use it only if other methods have failed and you are sure that you have saved important data.
To reset, go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset settings. After rebooting, the smartphone will be as good as new, and the “Other” section will disappear, giving way to a clean system.
An alternative to a full reset
Try resetting the network settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile network). Sometimes errors in network configurations create false entries in the system partition. Path: Settings → System → Reset → Reset network settings.
Prevention and useful tips
To prevent the memory overflow problem from recurring regularly, it is worth changing your smartphone usage habits. Don't store hundreds of screenshots and unnecessary videos in your gallery. Check your “Downloads” folder periodically.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Honor smartphones often come pre-installed with a cloud that can automatically free up space by deleting local copies of already downloaded files.
- 🔄 Auto cleanup: Enable the smart cleanup function in the phone manager.
- ☁️ Cloud: Set up photo synchronization with Google Photos or Yandex.Disk.
- 🚫 Autoload: Disable autosaving of media in messengers.
It is also recommended to reboot the device once a month. This helps the system to correctly terminate background processes and update file system indexes, which can visually reduce the size of busy data.
Install the Memory Cleanup widget on your home screen. This motivates you to regularly remove garbage with one touch, without waiting for critical filling.
Why, after cleaning, does the “Other” folder fill up again?
This is normal system behavior. Applications constantly create new temporary files for their work. The cache is regenerated every time the apps are launched. The main thing is that it does not grow uncontrollably.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you cannot delete the entire Android folder - this will disrupt the operation of all applications. You can clean only its cache and data subfolders for specific apps, but you need to do this carefully.
Does an overfilled "Other" folder affect the speed of work?
Yes, if the free space is less than 10% of the total volume, the system starts to work slower, delays and interface freezes may appear.
Are they necessary? third-party cleaning apps on Honor?
In most cases, Honor's built-in tools (Phone Manager) are sufficient. Third-party utilities (Clean Master and analogues) are often themselves a source of advertising and unnecessary garbage.