Modern smartphones such as Honor 10have impressive specifications, but even 128 GB of internal memory can fill up faster than you expect. High camera resolution, demanding applications and constant system updates gradually eat up free space. When the storage is full, the device starts to work slower, and new photos or applications are simply not saved.
In this expert article, we will analyze detailed methods for cleaning the storage specifically for your model. You will learn not only about standard Android functions, but also about hidden shell capabilities EMUIthat will help restore your phone to its former speed without losing important data.
Freeing up space is not just about deleting old photos. This is a comprehensive approach to managing files, application cache and system junk. Let's start by analyzing what exactly is taking up space on your disk.
Memory usage analysis and system tools
Before deleting files at random, you need to understand the disk usage pattern. A powerful monitoring tool is built into the shell. Go to EMUI from Huawei And Honor Built-in powerful monitoring tool. Go to Settings → Memoryto see a visual chart of data distribution. The system automatically categorizes files by type: applications, images, videos, audio and documents.
Pay attention to the section "Other". Often this is where update files, messenger archives and temporary data that are not included in the main categories accumulate. By clicking on this item, you can get more detailed information about which folders have swelled to gigantic sizes.
Use the built-in optimization function. There is often a button Clean or a broom icon on the memory screen. Clicking on it starts scanning files that are safe to delete. The algorithm will find duplicates, large files that you have not opened for a long time, and remnants of deleted apps.
The built-in memory manager of Honor 10 is safer than third-party utilities, since it knows the specifics of EMUI system files and will not delete critical data.
⚠️ Attention: Before mass clearing the “Other” section manually, make sure that there are no important work documents or game saves that are not synchronized with the cloud.
Clearing the application cache and messenger data
The largest amount of “garbage” is generated by social networks and instant messengers. Telegram, Viber and WhatsApp save every viewed picture and video to local storage. Over time, this cache can occupy tens of gigabytes. You need to clean it regularly to maintain performance Honor 10 at a high level.
To clean it, go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications. Select the desired application, for example Instagram, and press Memory. Here you will see two buttons: "Clear cache" and "Erase data". The first one deletes temporary files and is safe. The second will reset the application to factory settings, deleting logins and conversations, so use it with caution.
The messengers themselves have built-in cleaning tools. In Telegram this is done through Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage → Clear cache. The advantage of this method is that the media files are deleted from the phone, but remain on the server and can be downloaded again if necessary.
- 🗑️ Regularly check the "Downloads" folder in the file manager, there is often APK installation files accumulate after updating apps.
- 📸 Disable autosaving of photos from messengers to the gallery so as not to duplicate media files in the phone memory.
- 📱 Delete voice messages in chats that you have already listened to, they also take up space in the application cache.
Photo and video management
Camera Honor 10 takes great pictures, but RAW files or high-resolution videos weigh a lot. If you have professional shooting enabled, check your save format settings. Switching to standard JPEG or HEIF can significantly save space without noticeable loss of quality for normal viewing.
Use cloud services to relieve internal memory. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to set up automatic uploading of pictures. After downloading, you can use the “Free up space” function, which will delete local copies of the photo, leaving them only in the cloud.
Don't forget about the folder DCIM/.thumbnails. This is a hidden system folder where thumbnails of your photos are stored for quick display in the gallery. Over time, the file .thumbnails can grow to several gigabytes. It can be safely deleted through any file manager with access to hidden files, the system will create it again if necessary.
| File type | Approximate size | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Photo (JPEG) | 3-5 MB | Store in the cloud |
| Video (1080p, 1 min) | 100-150 MB | Delete after viewing |
| Cache social networks | Up to 10 GB | Clean once a week |
| Offline cards | 500 MB - 2 GB | Delete unnecessary regions |
Moving media files to the cloud is the most effective way to free up gigabytes of space without permanently deleting memories.
Removing system junk and residual files
When deleting applications on Android, empty folders or configuration files are often left behind. These “tails” can accumulate for months. For deep cleaning, it is recommended to use a file manager, for example, built-in File Manager from Honor or third-party Total Commander.
Look for folders with the names of deleted games or apps in the root of the internal memory. Also check the directory Android/obb i Android/data. Cache files of heavy games are stored here. If you deleted a game, but the folder with its name remains, you can safely erase it manually.
Another source of garbage is error logs and system logs. The average user does not need them. You can clear them through the_recovery menu or special utilities, but the easiest way is to reboot into safe mode and back, which sometimes initiates clearing temporary logs.
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete files from folders with the names of system services (for example, com.android.systemui) if you are not sure of their purpose. This can lead to unstable operation of the interface.
How to find hidden large files?
Turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings and sort all files by size. Often the heaviest objects are in unobvious places, for example, in browser cache folders.
Transferring data to a memory card and to the cloud
Although Honor 10 does not have a slot for a microSD memory card (in most regions), the principle of data organization remains important for those who use cloud storage or OTG flash drives. Transferring heavy files to external media is a radical but effective method.
If you use a hybrid slot (in some versions) or an OTG adapter, transfer photo and video archives there. In the camera settings, you can immediately set the save path to an external drive if it is connected, which will save the internal memory from filling up.
For cloud storage, set up synchronization only via Wi-Fi so as not to waste mobile traffic. Services like Google Drive allow you to work with files “on demand”, when the file is visible in the list, but is downloaded to the device only when opened.
- 💾 Use an OTG cable to quickly dump a large volume of photos to a computer or flash drive.
- ☁️ Set up automatic cleaning local copies of files after they have been successfully uploaded to the cloud.
- 📂 Group old files into ZIP archives before transferring to speed up the copying process.
☑️ Weekly memory maintenance
Resetting settings as an extreme optimization measure
If none of the above methods helped free up enough space, the system may have a deep software conflict or file system errors. In this case, a full reset to factory settings helps.
This procedure will delete absolutely all data from the phone, returning it to its “out of the box” state. Before doing this, be sure to take a complete backup of your contacts, messages, and important files. Go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset settings.
After resetting, do not restore all applications at once from a backup. Install only the essentials and watch the memory fill up. Often the problem lies in one specific application that does not work correctly on your firmware version.
⚠️ Attention: Resetting the settings is irreversible. Make sure you remember the password for your Google account, as after turning on the phone will require it to confirm ownership (FRP protection).
After resetting the settings, let the phone work for 30-60 minutes without any active actions. The system will perform background optimization of applications, and only after that the memory will be displayed correctly.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is space not freed up after deleting files?
The files have probably moved to the trash in the gallery or file manager. Check your Recently Deleted folder and empty it. You may also need to reboot the device to update the memory index.
Is it possible to delete system applications on Honor 10?
Without root access, it is difficult to delete system applications, and it is not recommended. This may lead to system errors, endless reboots, or loss of warranty. It’s better to simply disable unnecessary applications in the settings.
How to find out which application slows down your phone the most?
Go to Settings → Battery → Charge consumption. Often, applications that consume a lot of energy in the background also use CPU and memory heavily. They should be limited in background activity.
Is it safe to use cleaner applications from the Play Market?
Most of them are useless or even harmful, since they constantly hang in the background and consume resources themselves. The built-in tools of Honor 10 are quite enough to properly clean the system without the risk of deleting unnecessary items.