How to effectively free up memory on a Samsung Galaxy A51 smartphone

Owners of a popular model Samsung Galaxy A51 often face a situation when the internal storage fills up and the system starts to work slower. A device that was released a few years ago may struggle with today's heavy apps and operating system updates if you don't keep an eye on your storage space. The problem of lack of gigabytes is solved in a comprehensive manner: from simple manual cleaning to the use of specialized tools in the shell itself One UI.

Many users mistakenly believe that simply deleting a couple of photos is enough to solve the problem forever. However, system junk, application cache and hidden files take up much more space than it seems at first glance. In this article, we will look at proven methods that will help restore the performance of your phone without the need to reset to factory settings.

Before you start deep cleaning, it is important to understand what exactly your storage is doing. The Android system provides built-in diagnostic tools that will show memory allocation between applications, images, videos and system files. Proper management of this data is the key to stable operation Samsung A51 in the long term.

Analysis of storage fullness through settings

The first step should always be diagnosis. There is no need to blindly delete files and hope for luck. Go to the menu Settings and find the section Device maintenance or Memory. Here you will see a visual chart showing which categories of data consume the most resources.

Usually applications and multimedia take up the lion's share of space. If you see that the “Applications” section takes up more than 60% of the memory, you should review the list of installed software. Users often forget about apps that they have not used for months, but which continue to update and store caches.

The system can also show the amount of data occupied by other users' files or system processes. In some cases, after a major Android update, the folder with temporary update files can weigh several gigabytes. Removing such remnants is a safe way to quickly get free space.

Pay attention to the “Miscellaneous” or “Other” item. If this partition is abnormally large, this may indicate large files in hidden folders or a malfunctioning application that generates logs. For a detailed analysis of this section, you will need a file manager.

Using the built-in One UI optimizer

Samsung has introduced a powerful tool for automatic cleaning into its shell. It is located in the same menu Device Maintenance. Clicking the button Optimize Now runs a script that closes background processes and deletes temporary files.

This tool is especially useful for removing application cache. Cache is temporary data that speeds up the launch of apps, but over time it can grow to gigantic proportions. For example, the browser or social network cache can take up to 1-2 GB of space on the device Galaxy A51.

• 🧹 Click the “Clear Now” button to delete temporary files.
• 📱 Go to the “Memory” section to manually manage the cache of specific applications.
• ⚙️ Set up automatic cleaning in the “Auto-optimization” section.

It is important to understand the difference between clearing the cache and clearing data. Clearing data will remove all your logins, settings, and progress in apps, returning them to their “as-installed” state. Be extremely careful when selecting this item in the menu of a specific application.

⚠️ Attention: The built-in optimizer does not delete your personal photos or documents without your confirmation. However, the “Delete unused applications” functions may remove apps that you rarely use, so check the list before the final confirmation.

Manually cleaning up trash and Downloads folder

The most effective method of freeing up space is manually sorting files. The Download (Downloads) folder often turns into a dump of APK installation files, old presentations and forgotten pictures from instant messengers. Open the application My files and carefully study its contents.

Pay special attention to messenger folders such as WhatsApp or Telegram. These applications save all received photos and videos to internal memory by default. Over the course of a year, correspondence can accumulate tens of gigabytes of media files that you no longer need.

To clean up messengers, it is better to use their built-in memory management tools, but manual deletion through a file manager is also effective. You can sort files by size and delete the heaviest videos that were received in general chats.

Don't forget to check the folder DCIM. Often there are unsuccessful duplicate photos or videos recorded by accident. Deleting even one long video in resolution 1080p can free up hundreds of megabytes.

Transferring data to a microSD memory card

One of the main advantages of the model Samsung A51 is the presence of a slot for a memory card. This allows you to unload the internal storage by transferring media files and even some applications there. The internal memory of a smartphone is faster, but its capacity is limited, while a microSD card can have a capacity of up to 1 TB.

To transfer photos and videos, go to the application My files, select the desired folders (for example, DCIM or Pictures), click "Move" and select the card memory SD card. This process is safe and does not affect the operation of the system.

Data type	Recommended storage location	Impact on speed
System applications	Internal memory	High speed
Photo and Video	SD card (class 10/U3)	Does not affect system
Music and Documents	SD card	Minimal impact
Heavy games	Internal memory	Critical for loading levels

With some applications the situation is more complicated. Modern versions of Android limit the ability to transfer apps to external media for reasons of security and stability. However, in the settings of some games and apps you can specify the path to save content to the SD card.

When formatting a memory card for internal storage (Adoptable Storage function), the system encrypts it and the card becomes inaccessible to other devices. On Samsung, this function is often hidden, so standard file transfer is a more reliable option for Galaxy A51.

What to do if the phone does not see the memory card?

Try to remove the card, wipe the contacts with an eraser and insert it back. If this does not help, format the card through the menu “Settings” → “Device Maintenance” → “Memory” → “SD Card” → “Format”. Remember that formatting will delete all data from the card!

Deleting the cache of the Recovery partition (Wipe Cache Partition)

There is a more advanced method of cleaning system garbage that does not affect the user’s personal data. This is clearing the cache partition through the recovery menu (Recovery Mode). This procedure is useful after major system updates, when old temporary files conflict with new ones.

To enter recovery mode, you must turn off the phone. Then press the Volume Up and Powerbuttons simultaneously. On some firmware versions, you also need to connect the phone with a cable to a computer or Type-C headphones, since Android 11 and higher blocks the entrance to Recovery without a USB connection.

When the Samsung logo appears, release the Power button, but continue to hold the volume up. In the menu that appears, use the volume buttons to select Wipe cache partition and confirm the selection with the power button. The process will take a few seconds.

⚠️ Attention: Be extremely careful when navigating the Recovery menu. Selecting the item Wipe data/factory reset will lead to the complete deletion of all your data and reset the phone to its factory state. Select only Wipe cache partition.

After cleaning is complete, select item Reboot system now. The phone will reboot normally. The first launch may take a little longer than usual, since the system will re-create the necessary cache files.

Setting up cloud services and streaming storage

If files are physically deleted is not possible because you need them, consider using cloud storage. The service Samsung Cloud or Google Photos allows you to store pictures on the Internet, freeing up space on your device.

The Google Photos application has a “Free up space” function. It finds photos and videos that have already been uploaded to the cloud and deletes their local copies from the phone. You can still view them in the gallery, but they will not take up internal memory A51.

For music and documents, you can use streaming services or cloud drives like Yandex.Disk or Dropbox. This allows you to store terabytes of information, having access to them via the Internet, without filling up the smartphone’s memory.

Set up automatic photo upload to the cloud via Wi-Fi. This ensures that your memories are preserved and your phone doesn't slow down due to full storage. Regular synchronization is the best friend of the owner of a smartphone with a limited amount of memory.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why does the memory fill up by itself immediately after cleaning?

This happens due to background processes and application caching. Messengers, browsers and social networks constantly upload new data. The system also creates log files and temporary data for operation. Regularly clearing the cache solves this problem.

Is it possible to delete the Android folder on Samsung A51?

Deleting the folder completely Android is not recommended, since it stores application data (obb and data). This will reset the settings of games and apps, as well as possible errors in their operation. Delete only the contents of the folder cache inside it if you are confident in your actions.

How to transfer applications to an SD card on a new version of Android?

Starting with Android 10-11, the ability to transfer applications to a memory card is often hidden or disabled by developers. Check the settings for a specific application in the Applicationssection. If there is no “Change” or “Move to SD card” button, then the application does not support this function.

Does full memory affect the charging speed?

No, the amount of occupied memory does not directly affect the charging speed of the battery. However, full memory causes a general load on the processor and memory controller, which can lead to heating of the device, and overheating can already slow down the charging process for safety reasons.