Managing space on Samsung Galaxy often turns into a real quest for users faced with notifications about insufficient space. Understanding how to access system files, hidden caches, and user documents is key to maintaining high device performance. Smartphone owners often confuse the concepts of “internal memory” and “storage,” although in modern versions of the One UI shell these processes are closely intertwined.
We will look in detail at all the ways to access the file manager, from standard icons to hidden developer menus. You will learn not just to view files, but also to competently analyze what exactly occupies gigabytes in the depths of your system. This knowledge will allow you to avoid critical errors when trying to free up space manually.
Standard access through the My Files file manager
The most obvious and safe way to look inside the system is to use a pre-installed application My files. This utility provides structured access to all visible memory sections, including downloads folders, images and documents. The application's interface is intuitive, but many users ignore its advanced analysis functions.
To launch, just find the folder icon in the application menu or in the folder Samsung on the main screen. Once opened, you will see a division into categories, making navigation easier. The system automatically scans the drive and sorts data by type, allowing you to instantly assess the filling situation.
⚠️ Attention: Deleting files from system folders, such as
Android/dataorAndroid/obb, may lead to incorrect operation of installed applications or loss of progress in games.
Particular attention should be paid to the “Storage Analysis” section, which is built right into the manager interface. It clearly demonstrates the distribution of space between applications, multimedia and system files. Using this tool, you can quickly identify memory hogs without delving into the technical jungle of Explorer.
Use the “Clean Now” function in the My Files application to automatically delete temporary files and cache, which can be safely erased without risk to the system.
Navigate through system settings and the “Device Maintenance” section
An alternative way to manage disk space is through the system settings of your smartphone. This method is especially useful when you need to get a general picture of memory usage without diving into the detailed file structure. Summary data is displayed here that helps you make a decision about the need for cleaning.
Go to the menu Settings, then select the item Device maintenance (or Device care). In the window that opens, tap on the section Memory. The system will show the total amount of available space and detail its use by category: applications, images, videos, audio, etc.
- 📁 Applications: Shows the volume occupied by installed software and their data.
- 🖼️ Images and videos: Displays the weight of media files in the gallery and hidden folders.
- 🗑️ Trash: Allows you to see files that were recently deleted, but are still taking up space.
- 💾 System memory: Allocates space for operating system Android and firmware One UI.
It is important to note that in this section the “Clean Now” button is often available, which launches an automatic optimization script. However, manual control by clicking on a specific category gives more accurate results. For example, by going to the applications section, you can sort them by size and delete the heaviest ones.
Advanced access: Maintenance mode and USB debugging
For users who need access to protected system directories or in-depth diagnostics, there is a maintenance mode. This tool is designed specifically for preparing the device for repair, but is also useful for advanced users who want to see a “clean” file system structure.
Activation of the mode is possible through the menu Settings → Device maintenance → Maintenance mode. Once turned on, the phone will reboot into restricted mode, where third-party applications and personal data become inaccessible to the main system, but visible to diagnostic utilities. This allows you to check the volume of the system partition without the influence of user content.
adb shell pm list packages -fA deeper level of access opens when connected to a computer with USB debugging enabled. To do this, you need to activate the developer menu by clicking 7 times on the build number in the About phonesection. After enabling debugging, you can use commands ADB to view hidden sections.
⚠️ Attention: Enabling USB debugging reduces the security level of the device, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access when connected to other people's computers. Disable this function immediately after use.
Why do you need maintenance mode?
This mode isolates personal data and third-party applications, allowing service centers or the user to diagnose the system without the risk of leaking confidential information or interfering with the operation of user software.
Working with a microSD memory card and external drives
Many models Samsung support memory expansion through format cards microSD. Proper organization of data storage on external media is critical for the stability of the smartphone. The system allows you to use the card as portable storage or, in some cases, as part of internal memory.
When first installed, the card is formatted and given its own file structure. It is accessed through the same application My files, where it is displayed as a separate volume SD card. Moving files between the internal memory and the card occurs through standard copy or cut operations.
| Data type | Recommended storage location | Reason for choice |
|---|---|---|
| Photo and Video | SD card | Saving internal space, easy to carry |
| Applications | Internal memory | High read/write speed, stability work |
| Documents | SD card | Easy archiving and backup |
| Game cache | Internal memory | Requires high drive response speed |
It is worth remembering that the speed of the memory card directly affects the performance of the smartphone when accessing files on it. Using slow class cards U1 to store active applications can cause the interface to slow down. For modern tasks, it is recommended to use standard cards U3 or V30.
Transferring heavy media files to a memory card is the most effective way to free up internal space without deleting important data or applications.
Analysis of hidden folders and system garbage
A significant part of the disk space is often occupied by hidden folders files that are not displayed in standard viewing mode. These include browser caches, temporary update files, and system process logs. To detect them, you need to enable the display of hidden elements in the file manager settings.
In the application My files click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings. Activate the switch Show hidden system files. Now you will be able to see folders starting with a dot, for example .thumbnails, where gallery thumbnails are stored. This folder can grow to several gigabytes over time.
- 🔍 Folder .cache: Contains temporary application data that can be safely deleted.
- 📂 Folder Lost.dir: Stores files recovered after a system failure, often contains broken data.
- 📱 Android folder: Contains application data, the deletion of which requires care.
Regular checking of these directories allows you to keep the system clean. However, you should be extremely careful: deleting a file .nomedia in a folder with music or pictures will cause the gallery and player to begin indexing service files, clogging up the media library.
☑️ Monthly cleaning of hidden files
Solving problems with access and reading errors
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the storage is displayed as full, although there seem to be few files, or access to certain sections is blocked. This may be due to file system errors or a malfunction of the media scanner Android.
The first step when such problems occur is to reboot the device in safe mode. This will eliminate the influence of third-party applications that may block access to files or create false write processes. If the problem disappears in Safe Mode, the culprit is one of the installed applications.
⚠️ Attention: If the system reports that the SD card is damaged, do not try to format it immediately. Try reading the data through a card reader on your computer first, since formatting will destroy all information irrevocably.
In cases where the internal memory shows an incorrect volume, you may need to clear the partition cache Dalvik/ART. This is done through the Recovery menu, but requires certain skills. For the average user, a safer solution would be to reset application settings through the menu Settings → Applicationsby selecting the system application Storage and clicking Clear cache.
Why does the memory fill up by itself?
Often the reason is system error logs that are endlessly written to a file when there is a hardware failure, or a malfunctioning application that creates duplicate files in the background.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is space not freed up after deleting files?
Most likely, the deleted files are in the application trash My files or in the Gallery trash. They continue to occupy space for 30 days before permanent removal. Also check if you have moved the files to a protected folder Secure Folder.
How to open the storage if the phone does not turn on?
If the device does not boot, you can only access the data by connecting it to the PC in Download Mode or Recovery, but this requires special drivers and software (for example, Odin or ADB). To extract photos, it is better to use a card reader if the data is on an SD card.
Is it possible to make a memory card the main memory on Samsung?
In modern versions of the shell One UI the function of combining internal memory and an SD card (Adoptable Storage) is officially disabled by the manufacturer. The card only works as portable storage, although some applications allow you to transfer your data to it.
Where are the WhatsApp files on Samsung?
In new versions of Android, the path has changed. Now the files are located at: Internal memory → Android → media → com.whatsapp → WhatsApp. Previously, they were in the root folder WhatsApp.
Is it safe to delete the Android folder?
No, delete the entire folder Android absolutely impossible. This will cause all apps to lose data and reset their settings. You can clear only the contents of subfolders cache within specific application directories if you are confident in your actions.