Smartphone owners Samsung Galaxy sooner or later face an unpleasant situation: the internal memory of the device becomes full, and the system begins to work slower. Hidden sections, often called “system files,” take up a lot of space. This is not just garbage, but a collection of application caches, temporary logs, updates and residual data from remote apps. Understanding what exactly is taking up space is the first step to speeding up your gadget.
Many users mistakenly believe that deep cleaning requires complex computer apps or getting root access. This is a dangerous misconception. Modern shells One UI from Samsung have powerful built-in tools that allow you to safely remove accumulated “ballast”. The main thing is to know where to click and which sections should not be touched categorically.
In this article we will analyze detailed methods for cleaning the system partition. We will look at both standard optimization tools and hidden menus available through engineering codes. You will learn to distinguish important system data from useless junk that can be deleted without risking the phone's performance.
Analysis of occupied space using system tools
Before taking radical measures, it is necessary to conduct an audit. The built-in memory analyzer on Samsung works quite accurately, although it does not always show the detailed folder structure. Go to Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. Here you will see a color chart, where “System data” often takes the lion’s share.
It is worth noting that under the term “system” the system often combines the cache of installed applications, messenger data and update files. Clearing the cache is the safest way return free space. Don’t be afraid to press the clear button: this will not delete your personal photos, contacts or correspondence, but only temporary files that applications create to speed up work.
Sometimes the system shows incorrect data about the used space due to indexing errors. In this case, a simple reboot of the device can recalculate the volumes and show the real picture. If after a reboot the amount of “system data” is still abnormally large, it is worth checking the specific applications that consume the most resources.
Before you start cleaning, make sure that you have a backup copy of important data on a cloud service or computer, even if you plan to use only standard cleaning methods.
Using the built-in Device Care tool
Samsung has implemented a comprehensive service module in its devices, which is called Device Care or “Device Maintenance” in different regions. This is the first line of defense against memory clog. The operating algorithm is simple: the system scans the device for unused files, duplicates and large cache volumes.
To start the process, go to settings and select optimization. Click the button Optimize now. The smartphone will automatically close background processes, check security and offer to delete unnecessary files. Pay attention to the section Memory inside this menu - there is often a hidden "Clean Now" button, which removes residual files.
It is important to understand the difference between cleaning random access memory (RAM) and internal memory (ROM). Device Care cleans both, but to free up space for photos and applications, we are interested in the ROM. Regular use of this tool once a week helps keep the system in good shape and prevents critical disk filling.
⚠️ Attention: Do not use third-party “accelerators” from the Play Market that promise miracles. They often contain advertising, collect data and work less efficiently than the built-in Samsung module.
Manually clearing the cache of individual applications
Automatic clearing does not always affect the cache of “heavy” applications, such as social networks or browsers. These apps can store gigabytes of temporary images and videos. To get to them, you need to go to Settings → Applications. Select an application from the list that consumes a lot of space.
In the application menu, find the section Storage. There you will see two buttons: “Clear cache” and “Clear data”. The first button is safe and only deletes temporary files. The second button will reset the application to its factory state, deleting your logins and settings. Be extremely careful with the data clear button.
Pay special attention to messengers like Telegram or Viber. They have their own internal cache settings, which are often more efficient than the system ones. For example, in Telegram you can configure the media file cache to be automatically cleared a week after viewing. This saves a lot of space without losing access to the chat history.
- 📱 Go to the settings of a specific application, and not just the general menu.
- 🗑️ Use the "Clear cache" button, avoiding "Clear data" unnecessarily.
- 📸 Check the gallery and delete screenshots that are no longer needed.
- 🌐 Clear the browser history and cache Chrome or Samsung Internet.
☑️ Manual cleaning checklist
Cleaning through Recovery Mode
There is a deeper level cleaning, accessible through recovery mode. This method allows you to delete the system cache of the entire device (Wipe Cache Partition), which accumulates after firmware updates Android. This will not delete your personal files, but it may solve problems with the brakes after updating the system.
To enter this mode, you must turn off your smartphone. Then hold down the combination of buttons: usually this Volume Up + Power button (on new models you may need to connect to a PC via a USB cable). In the menu that appears, navigation is carried out using the volume buttons, and selection is made using the power button.
Select item Wipe cache partition and confirm the action. The process will take a few seconds. Once completed, select Reboot system now. This method is especially useful if you recently updated the firmware and noticed that the battery began to discharge faster and the phone began to heat up.
⚠️ Attention: In the Recovery menu, under no circumstances select the item Wipe data/factory reset, if you do not want to completely erase the phone to factory settings with the loss of all data.
What to do, if the phone is not included in Recovery?
On new Samsung models with Android 11 and higher, be sure to connect the phone with a cable to the switched off computer before pressing the buttons. Without connecting to a PC, the menu will not appear.
Deleting residual files and Dead folders
When deleting applications, empty folders or configuration files often remain in the root of the internal memory. They can be found through the standard file manager My Files (My files). Go to the section Internal memory and carefully study the list of folders.
Look for folders with the names of deleted games or apps. It is also worth checking the folder Download (Downloads), where installation files APKare often accumulated, which are no longer needed after installing applications. Deleting these files is safe and frees up significant space.
The folder Android/obb i Android/datais of particular interest. Game caches are stored here. If you deleted the game, but the folder remains, feel free to delete it. However, if the game is installed, deleting files from these folders will cause the game to stop launching and require downloading the data again.
| File type | Location | Can be deleted? | Consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| APK installers | Download folder | Yes | No |
| Game cache (.obb) | Android/obb | Only for remote games | The game will not start |
| System logs | Log folder | Yes | No |
| Pace (thumbnails) | DCIM/.thumbnails | Yes (automatically) | Slow down gallery loading |
Regularly checking the Downloads folder and deleting old APK files can free up 1 to 5 GB of space depending on user activity.
Resetting settings as a last resort
If none of the above methods helped, and the system partition continues to swell to incomprehensible sizes, there may be logical errors in the file system. In this case, the only effective solution is a full reset to factory settings (Factory Reset).
This procedure completely erases the internal memory, returning the phone to the “as from the store” state. All system files are re-created, which ensures that any hidden garbage is removed. Before doing this, be sure to make a full backup via Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch to your computer.
After resetting, do not restore all applications at once. Install only the essentials and monitor the memory fill for several days. This will help identify a parasitic application that could be causing the problem with the system partition bloating.
⚠️ Attention: Menu interfaces and item names may vary slightly depending on the version of One UI and the model of your smartphone. If you have not found the exact one. coincidence, look for similar sections in the settings.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it safe to delete files from the Android folder?
Delete files from the folder Android/data i Android/obb It is possible only if you are sure that they belong to already deleted applications. Deleting files of active applications will lead to their incorrect operation or loss of progress in games.
Why does the memory quickly fill up again after cleaning?
Most likely, you have active automatic downloading of media files in instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or applications constantly cache videos from the feed (TikTok, YouTube). Check the autoload settings in these applications.
Do you need to use applications like Clean Master?
No, modern versions of Android and the One UI shell have built-in optimizers that work more efficiently. Third-party “cleaners” often take up space themselves, show ads and can slow down the work. system.
What is the .thumbnails folder and can it be deleted?
This is a folder with thumbnails of your photos for quick display in the gallery. It can be deleted, it will clear the space, but the system will create it again the next time you open the gallery, which can temporarily load the processor.