Smartphone Samsung Galaxy A51, despite its popularity and balanced characteristics, tends to accumulate digital “garbage” over time. This is an inevitable process of operating any operating system Android, which leads to a slowdown of the interface, slowdown of applications and rapid drainage of the battery. Users often notice that the device, which initially flew, six months later begins to “think” when opening the gallery or instant messengers.
The reason for this behavior is internal memory overflow, system cache growth and background processes that consume processor resources. It is important to understand that regular maintenance can extend the life cycle of a gadget without the need to purchase a new model. In this article, we will analyze in detail how to clean a Samsung A 51 phone, using both built-in tools and advanced methods of manual file management.
We will not resort to installing dubious cleaning apps, which are often themselves a source of advertising and viruses. Instead, you'll learn to monitor your system, remove clutter safely, and set up automatic maintenance. Ready to get your device back to its former speed? Let's start by analyzing the current state of the storage.
Storage diagnostics and analysis of occupied space
Before you start deleting files, you need to understand what exactly is taking up precious gigabytes. Owners Samsung A51 often face a lack of space due to the fact that the system or applications hide the real amount of data consumed. You can access the storage settings through the menu Settings → Device maintenance → Memory. Here you will see a color chart clearly showing the distribution of data.
Pay special attention to the “Applications” section. Often, social networks, such as Telegram or WhatsAppcan take up tens of gigabytes due to automatically saved photos and videos. These are not system files, but user content that can be safely transferred to a memory card or deleted. It is also worth checking the “Downloads” section, where installation files .apk from long-deleted apps often accumulate.
System memory usually takes up a fixed amount, but sometimes the “Other” section can swell to incomprehensible sizes. This indicates a buildup of temporary files that were not automatically deleted when applications shut down. If you see that the free space is less than 10% of the total volume, the system will begin to work unstable, since Android requires reserve space for writing and caching operations.
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete files from system folders if you are not sure of their purpose. Deleting files from directoriesAndroid/dataorAndroid/obbcan lead to resetting game settings and loss of progress.
Using the built-in Samsung optimizer
The company Samsung has integrated into the shell One UI a powerful built-in tool for device maintenance, which is often ignored by users. This service is able to automatically close background applications, clear the cache, and scan for malware. To launch it, go to Settings → Device maintenance and click the Optimize nowbutton. The process takes only a few seconds, but gives a noticeable increase in performance.
Inside this menu, the “Memory” section is also available, where you can press the button Clean now. This feature removes cached data from apps you're not currently using without affecting your personal photos or contacts. Regular use of this function, at least once a week, prevents the drive from becoming critically full. In addition, there is an “Auto-optimization” function, which is recommended to be turned on for night-time work.
Don’t forget about the “Battery” section in the same maintenance menu. Cleaning up background processes has a positive effect not only on speed, but also on battery life. If an application consumes an abnormally large amount of energy in the background, the system will prompt you to put it into sleep mode. This is especially true for rarely used apps that you do not want to completely remove.
Turn on the "Auto-optimization" function in the device maintenance settings so that the phone is cleaned automatically every 24 hours during the period of your inactivity.
However, the built-in tool is not omnipotent. It doesn't remove duplicate photos, old screenshots, or files left behind after uninstalling games. Deep cleaning will require a manual approach, which we will cover in the following sections. The built-in optimizer is a good “quick hygiene”, but not a spring cleaning.
Manually clearing the application cache and system data
The most effective way to free up space is to specifically clear the cache of heavy applications. Unlike a complete data wipe, this procedure is secure and does not reset your logins and passwords. Go to Settings → Applications, select the largest application (for example, YouTube or Instagram) and go to the Memorysection. Here you will see two buttons: “Clear cache” and “Clear data”.
Click only on Clear cache. This will delete temporary files that the application has created to speed up loading of content. For example, cached videos you have watched or image thumbnails. After this procedure, the application may take a second longer to load when first launched, but you will free up anywhere from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes of space. Repeat this procedure for the top 5 heaviest apps.
There is also a way to clear the system cache through the recovery menu Recovery Mode, but for Samsung A51 with new versions Android this method has become less accessible without connecting to PC. Therefore, we recommend focusing on clearing the cache of specific applications. This is a more controlled process that eliminates the risk of accidentally deleting important system logs or settings.
☑️ Checking heavy applications
If you notice that a particular application behaves incorrectly after clearing the cache, you can try clearing its data. Remember that the "Clear Data" button completely resets the application to the "as after installation" state, deleting all accounts and settings within it. Use this function only in extreme cases when the app is malfunctioning.
Deleting duplicates, screenshots and unnecessary media
The smartphone gallery is the place where clutter accumulates the fastest. Over a year of use Samsung A51 the user may accumulate thousands of pictures, among which there are unsuccessful frames, duplicates and screenshots that are no longer relevant. The built-in “Gallery” application has a function to search for similar images, but for high-quality cleaning it is better to use the file manager My files.
Go to My files → Internal storage → DCIM → Screenshots. This is where all your screenshots are stored. Often we take a screenshot to quickly copy text or save a phone number, and then forget to delete the image. Go through this folder and ruthlessly delete anything older than a month. Do the same with the folder Downloadwhere files from the Internet are stored.
To search for duplicate photos, you can use third-party utilities, but often it is enough to simply scroll through the “All Photos” album in grid view mode. Visually identical frames are easy to spot. Also check the folder WhatsApp Images i WhatsApp Video in the internal storage. By default, the messenger saves all received media, even those that were sent in other chats or are advertising mailings.
| File type | Memory location | Deletion security | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshots | DCIM/Screenshots |
High | Delete old ones |
| Application cache | Settings/Applications |
High | Clear regularly |
| Downloads (APK) | Download |
High | Delete everything |
| Thumbnails | DCIM/.thumbnails |
Medium | Delete (will be created again) |
⚠️ Attention: The folder .thumbnails is hidden by default. To see it, enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings. Clearing it will speed up the gallery, but the first time you open a photo, the system will re-generate thumbnails.
Setting up cloud storage and transferring files
If your internal memory Samsung A51 is filled with high-resolution photos, the most reasonable solution would be to transfer them to the cloud or to a memory card microSD. The smartphone supports memory cards up to 1 TB, which virtually eliminates the problem of running out of space for media files. Go to the camera settings and set to save photos and videos to the SD memory card.
For existing files, use the move function in the application My files. Select the desired folders (for example, DCIM/Camera), click the menu (three dots) and select Move, then specify the memory card SD card. This will free up space on the internal partition, which is critical for installing system updates and running applications.
Also consider using cloud services such as Google Photos or Yandex.Disk. Set up automatic photo uploads with the Free Up Space feature. This option deletes from the device those pictures that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud. This way, your memories are kept safe, and your phone remains light and fast.
How to transfer applications to a memory card?
In modern versions of Android, transferring the applications themselves to an SD card is limited. However, you can transfer media files from these apps. Go to Settings → Applications, select an application and check for the “Change” button to select the storage location. If there is no button, the transfer is impossible without root access.
Resetting settings as an extreme optimization measure
Sometimes accumulated software garbage and errors in the system registry reach such a scale that regular cleaning does not help. In this case, the only effective solution is a full factory reset. This will return your Samsung A51 e to the condition it was in immediately after purchase. Before doing this, be sure to back up all important data.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → General settings → Reset → Reset data. The system will warn you that all files, accounts and settings will be deleted. Make sure you have copied your contacts, photos and documents to an external storage device or to the cloud. After rebooting, the phone will need to be configured again as a new device.
This method radically solves problems with slowdowns, freezes and rapid battery drain caused by software glitches. If after resetting the phone continues to work slowly, the problem may be hardware (memory or battery wear), and then you will need to contact a service center. But in 90% of cases, a full reset gives the device a second life.
⚠️ Attention: Before resetting the settings, be sure to log out of your Google account and Samsung account so that FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection does not work, which can block the phone after a reboot.
Full reset is the most effective way get rid of deep system errors, but it requires mandatory creation of a backup copy of the data.
Prevention and rules of digital hygiene
In order not to return to the issue of cleaning every two weeks, it is important to develop digital hygiene habits. Do not install applications from unverified sources, as they often contain hidden miners or advertising modules that load the system. Regularly check the list of installed apps and remove those that you have not used for more than a month.
Disable automatic downloading of media in instant messengers. In the settings Telegram i WhatsApp you can prohibit saving photos and videos to the phone gallery. This will prevent duplication of files: they will be available in the chat, but will not take up space in the general memory of the device. Also disable auto-updating of applications via the mobile network so as not to fill up the memory with temporary installation files.
Once a month, do a quick audit of the “Downloads” folder and the trash can in the gallery. Remember that deleted photos end up in the trash and are stored there for 30 days, continuing to take up space. Empty the trash immediately after deleting unnecessary frames. By following these simple rules, your smartphone will remain fast and responsive throughout its entire service life. Samsung fall into the basket and are stored there for 30 days, continuing to take up space. Empty the trash immediately after deleting unnecessary frames. By following these simple rules, your smartphone will remain fast and responsive throughout its lifespan.
Install the “Device Maintenance” widget on your home screen. This will allow you to start cleaning with one click, without going deep into the menu settings.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder without consequences?
No, deleting the entire folder Android is absolutely not possible. It stores data from all installed applications. Deleting this folder will reset all apps, loss of progress in games and inability of many services. You can only delete the contents of a folder cache within specific application subfolders, and it is better to do this through the system settings.
Why does the memory quickly fill up again after cleaning?
The most common reason is instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), which cache viewed media files, or system logs, which grow when there are errors in application operation. Check the settings for auto-uploading photos in instant messengers and limit the cache size in their settings, if such an option is available.
Is it harmful to constantly clear the cache on the Samsung A51?
No, it is not harmful to the hardware. However, frequent cache clearing can cause apps to take longer to load when first launched and consume more mobile data as they have to re-download images and data from servers. It is optimal to do this once every 1-2 weeks.
How to clear random access memory (RAM) on Samsung?
To clear RAM, hold down the "Menu" button (square or swipe from bottom to top with hold) to open the list of recent applications, and press the button Close all (usually the trash icon or cross). This can also be done through the device maintenance widget.