Cleaning the disk on Samsung: a complete guide for Android smartphones

Why memory on Samsung fills up faster than on others Android smartphones

Firmware One UI from Samsung is known for its “heavy” interface and an abundance of pre-installed services. Unlike “pure” Android, there are three key factors that speed up memory consumption:

• 📦 Duplicated services: Samsung installs its own analogs of applications Google (for example, Galaxy Store vs Play Market, Samsung Internet vs Chrome), which take up space and work in parallel.
• 🔄 Aggressive caching: the system saves temporary files to speed up the launch of applications, but often does not clean them up automatically. On Galaxy A54 the cache can take up to 3-5 GB.
• 📸 Automatic backup: the function Samsung Cloud by default creates local copies of photos and notes, even if you are not using cloud.

Another feature is memory division on User Data i System. On devices with eMMCdrives (for example, Galaxy A13), the system reserves up to 10-15 GB for updates that cannot be used for user files. This creates the illusion of a lack of space, even if Settings → Storage shown 20 GB free.

⚠️ Attention: On models Galaxy S20 and older with UFS 3.1 drives, the problem of memory fragmentation occurs less frequently, but the cells wear out faster with frequent writes/deletions. Do not use “hard” cleaning methods (for example, fastboot erase userdata) unless absolutely necessary - this will shorten the life of the memory.

Method 1: Built-in utility Device optimization —what it can actually do

Many users limit themselves to pressing the button Optimize in the menu Settings → Device Maintenance, but this function works superficially. In fact, the utility performs four actions:

1. Deletes the application cache (but not all - system services remain intact).
2. Closes background processes (the effect is temporary - after 10-15 minutes they will start again).
3. Checks the device for viruses through McAfee (useless if you already have another antivirus installed).
4. Cleans junk files from folders /data/local/tmp i /cache.

To make the utility work more efficiently:

1. Open Settings → Device Maintenance → Storage.
2. Click Clear now (not "Optimize!").
3. In the Unnecessary files section, turn on the checkboxes for all categories, including Residual files and Downloads.
4. Scroll down and click Advanced → Clear the cache of all applications (this will remove up to 1-2 GB temporary data).

Clear the cache of all applications|Delete residual files|Check the Downloads folder|Disable automatic backup to Samsung Cloud-->

On Galaxy S23 Ultra and new ones models, a section appeared in this menu Background restrictions. Here you can manually disable autorun for unnecessary applications (for example Facebook or TikTok), which will reduce memory consumption by 500-800 MB per month.

Method 2: Manually cleaning folders - where to look for hidden garbage

Even after running the built-in utility, gigabytes of unnecessary files remain in memory. They can be found manually through any file manager (for example, Files by Google or built-in My file from Samsung). Here are the key folders to check:

Pay special attention to the folder /Android/obb - game files are stored here, which often remain after uninstallation. For example, Call of Duty: Mobile can leave behind 1.5-2. GB unnecessary data To delete them:

1. Open My file → Internal storage → Android → obb.
2. Delete folders with the names of games that you have not used for a long time (for example, com.activision.callofduty.shooter).
3. Reboot the phone - this will clear associated temporary files.

On Galaxy Z Fold/Flip and other flagships with UFS 3.1 there is another hidden folder - /data/app-libwhere libraries for old applications are stored. It can only be cleared through ADB or after resetting the settings.

Method 3: Clearing the system application cache (without root access)

System applications Samsung (for example, Samsung Health, Bixby, AR Emoji) occupy up to 3-4 GB cache, which is not cleared by standard methods. To remove it:

1. Go in Settings → Applications.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show system processes.
3. Find an application (for example, com.samsung.android.app.spage for Bixby).
4. Select Storage → Clear cache.

List of the most "gluttonous" system applications on One UI 5/6:

• 🤖 com.sec.android.app.launcher (launcher One UI) - up to 500 MB cache.
• 📊 com.samsung.android.app.spage (Bixby) - up to 1 GB.
• 🎮 com.samsung.android.game.gamehome (Game Launcher) - up to 800 MB.
• 📷 com.sec.android.gallery3d (gallery) - up to 1.5 GB thumbnails.

On Galaxy S22/S23 s One UI 6 it became possible to mass clear the cache of system applications via Settings → Device maintenance → Storage → Advanced → Clear cache of all applications. But this method does not affect services Knox and Samsung Paythat take up to 1 GB each.

⚠️ Attention: Do not clear data (not cache!) of system applications via Settings → Applications → Storage → Clear data. This may lead to malfunctions One UI, for example, widgets disappearing or updating errors.

Samsung Health|Bixby|Game Launcher|Gallery|Social networks (Facebook, Instagram)|Other-->

Method 4: Removing pre-installed applications (bloatware) without root access

Samsung is known for the abundance of pre-installed software that cannot be removed using standard methods. However, there are two legal ways to get rid of unnecessary applications:

Method 1: Disabling via ADB (without loss of warranty)

This method works on all models with Android 8 and newer, including Galaxy S23 and A54. You will need:

• A computer with ADB drivers installed.
• Enabled USB debugging on the phone (Settings → About phone → Software information → Build number (press 7 times) → Developer options → USB debugging).
• List of packages to remove (see table below).

Commands to disable the blaster (enter in Command Prompt or Terminal):

adb shell
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.app.spage (Bixby)
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.ardrawing (AR Doodle)
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.app.reminder (Reminders)
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.samsung.android.game.gamehome (Game Launcher)
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.sec.android.app.launcher (One UI Launcher - beware!)

After executing the commands, the applications will disappear from the menu, but to return them, just do:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.samsung.android.app.spage

Method 2: Usage Package Disabler Pro (for beginners)

If working with ADB seems complicated, install the application Package Disabler Pro from Google Play. It allows you to disable system applications in one click, without risking damage to the system. services with names:

• knox (for example, com.samsung.klmsagent),
• sec (for example, com.sec.android.app.launcher),
• android (for example, com.android.phone).

Method 5: Optimizing photos and videos without losing quality

Media files take up to 60-70% memory on most smartphones. On Galaxy S23 Ultra with a camera 200 MP one photo in format RAW weighs 50-70 MB, and a minute of video in 8K - up to 600 MB. data-i="257">200 MP

1. Automatic compression via Google Files

The application Files by Google can compress photos and video without visible loss of quality:

1. Open Files → Cleaning → Free up space.
2. Select Photos and videos → View files.
3. Click Compress and select quality (High or Medium).

On tests with Galaxy A53 compression 100 photos ( 10 MB each) freed 1.2 GB when selecting the option High.

2. Transfer RAWphoto to the cloud with automatic conversion

If you take photographs in RAW, but store the files on your phone, enable automatic uploading to Google Photos with conversion to JPEG:

1. Open Google Photos → Settings → Backup and synchronization.
2. Select Quality → High (free).
3. Enable Delete copies from the device after download.

This will reduce the weight of each photo by 5-10 times (from 50 MB to 5 MB).

3. Removing duplicates and blurry pictures

Use the application Gallery Doctor (available in Galaxy Store) to search:

• 📸 Duplicates photos (saves up to 2 GB).
• 🎥 Blurred videos and screenshots.
• 🖼️ Screenshots with the same content (for example, chats in instant messengers).

⚠️ Attention: On Galaxy S21 and newer, the Scene Optimizer function in the camera automatically saves two versions of one photo: the original and the "optimized" one. Disable it in Camera settings → Shooting options → Scene optimizerto save up to 30% places.

Method 6: Transferring data to a memory card or cloud

If your Samsung supports microSD (for example, Galaxy A54 or A14), transfer multimedia and applications to it. But there are nuances:

1. Correct transfer to microSD

Not all files can be simply moved - some applications (for example, WhatsApp) require manual configuration:

1. Insert a memory card (recommended UHS-I U3 for speed).
2. Open Settings → Device maintenance → Storage → Advanced → Default storage.
3. Select Memory card (but note that some system applications will still save data to internal memory).

To transfer applications:

1. Go in Settings → Applications.
2. Select an application (for example, Spotify).
3. Click Storage → Edit → SD card.

On Galaxy S23 and flagships without a slot for microSD this method will not work - you will have to use the cloud or an external drive through USB-C.

2. Optimal cloud services for Samsung

Comparison of popular solutions:

For maximum space saving, configure Google Photos to download as High (free) and enable the option Delete from device after downloading. On Galaxy S22 s 128 GB memory this will free up to 10-15 GB after six months of use.

Method 7: Factory reset - when it's justified

If after all the manipulations there is less 10% memory free, and the phone is slow, the last resort remains - hard reset. This method deletes all data, including:

• 📁 Personal files (photos, videos, documents).
• 📱 System and application settings.
• 🔑 Accounts and passwords (except for those linked to Google account).
• 🎮 Game saves (if not synchronized with the cloud).

How to reset correctly:

1. Create a backup copy via Samsung Smart Switch or Google Account.
2. Go to Settings → General → Reset → Reset data.
3. Select Delete everything (on some models you will need to enter a PIN code).
4. After rebooting, set up the phone as new without restoring the backup (this will return the old garbage!).
5. Install only the necessary applications and transfer files selectively.

On Galaxy A33 and other models with eMMCdrives, the reset may take up to 30-40 minutes - do not interrupt the process after the reset! additional 1-2 GB free space.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with One UI 4 and older, it automatically turns on after a reset function Automatic backup in Samsung Cloud. Disable it in Settings → Accounts and backup → Backup and restore, otherwise in a month the memory will again be filled with duplicate files.

Frequent errors when clearing memory on Samsung

Many users aggravate the problem of low memory by following dubious advice. Here's what You can't do:

• 🚫 Use "cleaners" like Clean Master or CCleaner —they delete useful files and show false warnings about "critical errors".
• 🚫 Clear cache via recovery mode (Wipe Cache Partition) - this deletes only dalvik-cache, without affecting the main garbage.
• 🚫 Deleting files from the folder /data manually without root access - this will lead to application failures.
• 🚫 Disabling system services at ADB at random - the risk of getting a "brick" is especially high on One UI 5/6.
• 🚫 Store files in a folder Download —many applications (for example, Telegram) save media there by default, quickly filling up memory.

Another common mistake is ignoring system updates. On Galaxy S20 s Android 10 after upgrading to One UI 5 (Android 13) is freed up to 3-4 GB due to optimization of system files. Check for updates in Settings → Software update.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions