Every smartphone owner Samsung sooner or later faces a critical shortage of internal memory. You delete photos, old applications and videos, but in the storage settings there is still a mysterious category “Other”, sometimes occupying tens of gigabytes. This situation is annoying, since standard cleaning methods do not help to regain precious space.
In fact, Other folder is not one hidden directory, but a collection of different types of data that the system cannot unambiguously classify. This includes cached messenger files, remnants of uninstalled apps, temporary system logs, and even downloaded updates that were not applied. Understanding the structure of this section is the first step to successfully optimizing your device.
In this article we will look in detail at safe and advanced methods for freeing up space. We won't rely on dubious cleaner apps that often make the problem worse. Instead, you will learn to use built-in tools One UI and file managers for targeted removal of garbage without risking the performance of the smartphone.
Anatomy of the “Other” section in the Android system
Before you start deleting, you need to understand what this volume consists of. In the ecosystem Samsung the category “Other” is formed dynamically. Most often, the lion's share is occupied by the cache of applications that are actively used (social networks, browsers, streaming services). These files speed up the loading of content, but over time they grow to inadequate sizes.
Another source of a “heavy” partition are files that the system considers temporary or system. This may include debug logs, error data, temporary update installation files, and even data from a folder Android/data, access to which is limited in new versions of the OS. Sometimes forgotten downloads or files left behind after resetting the settings of specific applications are hidden here.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to manually delete files from system folders through root access without understanding their purpose. Removing critical libraries can lead to a bricked device or an endless reboot.
It is worth noting that memory counting algorithms may fail. Sometimes the system shows a large amount of “Other”, although the files have already been physically deleted. In such cases, a reboot or clearing the cache of the storage monitoring system itself is required. Caching This is a normal process, but it requires regular monitoring by the user.
Using the built-in Samsung optimizer
The safest and easiest way to start fighting for gigabytes - use the standard device maintenance tool. The company Samsung has built a powerful tool right into the settings, which can find duplicates, unused applications and large files.
To start the process, go to the menu Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. Here the system will analyze the content and offer to clear the application cache. Clicking on the “Clean Now” button will delete temporary files without affecting your personal data, such as logins or saved game progress.
Run optimization regularly once a week through the widget on the desktop - this will prevent the accumulation of a critical amount of garbage in the section “Other.”
In the same section, pay attention to the “Files” category. The system may prompt you to delete old screenshots, downloaded documents, or files from your downloads folder that you haven't opened for a long time. This is an effective way to quickly free up space without diving deeply into the file system.
☑️ Quick cleaning checklist
Manual cleaning through the “My Files” application
If automatic means fail, you will have to act manually. The standard file manager My Files (My Files) provides access to the directory structure where the culprits of lack of space often hide. Particular attention should be paid to the folders of messengers and media editors.
Open the application My files → Internal memory. Scroll down to the Storage Analysis section or just browse the list of folders. Look for the directory Downloadwhere APK installation files are often accumulated, which are no longer needed after installing apps. Also check the folder DCIM for hidden thumbnails or deleted photos that are still taking up space in the trash.
A special category is occupied by data from instant messengers, such as Telegram or WhatsApp. They create their own folders in the root of memory or in the Android/mediasection. Inside them, thousands of viewed images and videos are stored, which technically belong to the “Other” category, since they are not part of the system gallery.
- 📂 Folder
Telegram/Telegram Images—all pictures from channels are stored here. - 🎥 Directory
WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video—/video files from chats. - 🗑️ Recycle bin in the gallery - files are stored there for 30 days before final deletion.
- 📦 Folder
Download- old installers and documents.
Clearing the cache of specific “heavy” applications
It often happens that one application consumes a disproportionate amount of space. Social networks and video services tend to store huge amounts of temporary data for fast operation. To solve this problem, you need to go to the settings of a specific application.
Navigate to the path Settings → Applications. Sort the list by memory size used. Select the leading application (for example, TikTok, Instagram or YouTube) and click on the item Storage. Here you will see two buttons: “Clear data” and “Clear cache.”
Use the button “Clear cache”. It's safe and won't delete your account or settings. The “Clear data” button will reset the application to the state “as after installation”, deleting logins and saves, so use it with caution and only if you are ready to log in again.
⚠️ Attention: Clearing application data will delete all local information, including draft posts, offline maps and history correspondence, if it is not synchronized with the cloud.
For some applications, for example Spotify or Netflix, the volume of “Other” may consist of downloaded content for offline listening. In such cases, it is better to go to the settings of the application itself and delete downloaded playlists or movies, rather than clearing the system cache.
Working with the Android folder and system files
Starting with Android 11 and higher, access to the folder Android/data and Android/obb for third-party file managers limited by Google security policy. However, standard Explorer Samsung still allows you to view these directories. This is where the “tails” from deleted games are often hidden.
If you deleted a heavy game, but the space is not freed up, check the folder Android/obb. If there is still a folder with the name of the deleted game (for example, com.rockstargames.gtasa), you can safely delete it. This is game cache data, which is useless without the application itself and takes up gigabytes.
What to do if Explorer does not open the Android folder?
If the standard Explorer does not provide access, try connecting the phone to the computer in file transfer mode (MTP) and deleting unnecessary folders through the Windows or macOS interface. This bypasses the software limitations of the mobile OS.
It is also worth checking the presence of files with the extension .apk in various directories. Often browsers or download managers save installation files after successful installation. They are not needed by the system and are classified as “Other”. Searching by file extension in Explorer will help you quickly find them.
| File type | Location | Can I delete? | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application cache | Application settings | Yes | Low (temporary settings will be lost) |
| APK installers | Download folder | Yes | No |
| System logs | System folders | No (automatic) | High |
| Deleted game data | Android/obb | Yes | No (if the game is deleted) |
Radical measures: resetting and transferring data
If none of the above methods helped reduce the size of the “Other” partition, it may be a system issue with file indexing. In this case, the data may be physically absent, but the system continues to consider it busy. The only way to fix this is to completely reset
Before performing this procedure be sure to create a backup copy all important data to a cloud service or computer. A factory reset will erase absolutely everything, returning the phone to its out-of-the-box state. This is guaranteed to reset the “Other” counter.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → General settings → Reset → Reset data. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot. After setting up the phone, check the storage again - the “Other” category should occupy a minimum volume (usually 2-5 GB).
⚠️ Attention: Make sure the battery is charged at least 50% before resetting. Interrupting the process by turning off the phone may damage the recovery partition.
An alternative to a full reset is to transfer media files to a microSD memory card, if your model Samsung supports this function. Moving photos and videos to the root of the memory card often forces the system to recalculate the amount of internal storage and correctly classify the remaining files.
Full reset is the only way to fix file system indexing errors when “Other” shows the wrong amount.
Preventing memory overflow
So that there is a problem with the mysterious folder “Other” did not return, it is important to introduce the habit of regular hygiene of the digital space. Don't wait for the low space notification, but check your storage once a month.
Use the Smart Storage feature in Samsung Settings, which can automatically delete screenshots older than 30 days or duplicate photos. Also disable auto-saving of downloaded files in messengers if you do not plan to store them forever.
Regularly rebooting your smartphone at least once a week helps the system clear temporary buffers and terminate frozen processes that may be blocking file deletion. A simple action that many people ignore can save gigabytes of space.
Why does the "Other" folder increase immediately after a system update?
After updating One UI, the system keeps a backup copy of the previous version of the firmware in case of a rollback if the new version turns out to be unstable. This file can take up several gigabytes. Usually it is deleted automatically after a few days, but you can speed up the process by clearing the cache through the Recovery menu.
Is it possible to delete files from the Looper or Log folder?
Files in folders with names like Log contain logs of errors and system operation. They can be deleted and will be recreated the next time the application crashes or runs. However, they rarely take up much space, unless the application does not work correctly and writes logs endlessly.
Will installing applications like Clean Master help?
Modern versions of Android have built-in protection against aggressive cleaning. Third-party applications often do not have access to system folders due to security restrictions. Moreover, they themselves consume resources and display advertising. Samsung's built-in optimizer is quite sufficient.
What to do if “Other” takes up 20 GB, but there are no files?
This is a classic sign of a media scanner indexing error. Try clearing the cache of the Media Storage application in the application settings (by turning on the display of system processes). After this, reboot the phone and wait 10-15 minutes for the system to recalculate the files.