Have you noticed that your smartphone has suddenly run out of space, even though you haven’t added photos and videos for a long time? Or did the phone start to slow down, although it used to work like a clock? The reason most often lies in hidden garbagethat accumulates in the system: application cache, residual files after uninstalling apps, duplicate media files, or even viruses masquerading as system processes. In this article, we will analyze all possible sources of occupied space on Android - from the obvious to the little-known - and show you how to find and safely remove them.

It is important to understand: modern smartphones (even with 128 GB memory) can fill up unexpectedly quickly. For example, one update Genshin Impact weighs about 15 GB, and the cache Telegram with active use easily grows to 5+ GB. At the same time, standard Android tools often show occupied space incorrect —for example, they do not take into account files in the root folder or hidden partitions. We will teach you how to check your memory at the file system levelso you don't miss anything.

The article is relevant for all versions of Android (from Android 8 Oreo to Android 15), including devices with shells MIUI, One UI, ColorOS and others. If you device with shared memory (for example, /data i /sdcard on old Xiaomi)pay special attention to the section about analyzing root folders - gigabytes of “invisible” garbage are often hidden there.

1. Standard Android tools: what the system shows

Let's start with the simplest thing - built-in memory analysis tools. They are on any smartphone, but their data is often incomplete. For example, the system may not take into account:

  • 📁 Files in the folder /Android/obb/ (weigh 1-2 GB per game)
  • 🔄 System application cache (for example Google Play Services)
  • 📱 Hidden partitions (/cache, /recovery)
  • 🔒 Encrypted data (on some firmware)

To open the built-in memory analysis:

  1. Go in Settings → Storage (or Memory).
  2. Click on the section Other applications or Other files.
  3. The system will show a diagram with memory distribution by category: Applications, Images, Video etc.

On Samsung Galaxy and some other devices there is a function Storage & Performance (Storage CleanerIt automatically finds unnecessary files (cache, duplicates, empty folders) and suggests deleting them. don’t trust it completely: sometimes it marks important files (for example, game saves) as garbage.

📊 How often do you check the occupied space on your smartphone?
Once a week
Only when you run out memory
Never checked
I use automatic cleaning
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example MIUI 14+), the built-in memory analysis can do not show the actual volume occupied space in section /data. This is due to the peculiarities of the file system F2FS. For an accurate check, use third-party utilities (see section 3).

2. Memory analysis through a file manager: hidden folders and junk

The built-in file manager (for example, Files by Google or Mi File Manager) will show more details than system analysis. Here's what you need to check first:

Key folders that “eat up” memory:

  • 🎮 /Android/obb/ —additional game files are stored here (for example, graphics packages for Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG). One file can weigh 1-3 GB.
  • 📥 /Android/data/ cache and application data. For example, TikTok or Instagram can occupy here 500 MB–1 GB.
  • 🗑️ /DCIM/.thumbnails thumbnails of photos and videos. Sometimes they accumulate on 1–2 GB.
  • 📂 /Download/ - downloaded files that you have long forgotten.
  • 🔍 /Android/media/ - here there may be duplicate media files from instant messengers.

How to check:

  1. Open a file manager (for example Solid Explorer or built-in).
  2. Turn on display hidden files (in the manager settings).
  3. Go to the root folder (/storage/emulated/0/).
  4. Sort files by size (click on the sort icon).

If you see a folder or file with an unclear name (for example, com.tencent.ig - this is PUBG Mobile), check it by searching in Google. Often this is residual data from deleted applications.

☑️ Checklist

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3. Third-party utilities: deep memory analysis

For a detailed analysis, use specialized applications. They will show the exact size of folders. data-i="139">Application, including system ones, and help you find “invisible” garbage. The best tools:

Application Advantages Disadvantages Link (Play Market)
DiskUsage Shows graphic memory card with folder markings You can see which files take up the most. space. No built-in cleaning - only analysis. com.google.android.diskusage
Storage Analyzer Scans all sections, including /system i /cache. There is a filter by type. files. Requires root for full analysis. com.lexa.fakestore
Files by Google Can find duplicateslarge files and unused applications. Does not show system folders. com.google.android.apps.nbu.files
SD Maid Finds residual files after uninstalling applications and clears the cache. The paid version is needed for deep cleaning. eu.thedarken.sdm

Example of working with DiskUsage:

  1. Install and open the application.
  2. Click Scan and wait for the analysis to complete.
  3. You will see interactive mapwhere each block is a folder or file. The larger the block, the more it weighs.
  4. Click on a suspicious block to see its contents.

If the application shows a folder /data/log/ several gigabytes in size, this is system logs. They can be safely removed (for example, via SD Maid), but they will appear again after a reboot. This is normal.

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If you see a folder com.android.vending size >500 MB, this is a cache Google Play Market. It can be cleared in the application settings (Settings → Applications → Google Play Market → Memory → Clear cache).

4. Application cache: why it takes up gigabytes

Cache is temporary files that applications save to speed up work. For example, YouTube caches videos for offline viewing, and Chrome web pages. The problem is that many apps do not clear the cache automatically.and it grows to uncontrollable sizes.

Top 5 applications that clog the cache:

  • 📺 YouTube (video cache - up to 5 GB)
  • 💬 Telegram (media cache - up to 10 GB)
  • 🎵 Spotify (cache music - up to 3 GB)
  • 📷 Instagram (cache of stories and photos - up to 1 GB)
  • 🎮 Google Play Games (game cache - up to 2 GB)

How to clear cache:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications.
  2. Select an application (for example, Telegram).
  3. Click Memory → Clear cache.
  4. For complete clearing, press Clear data, but note: this will delete all settings and inputs (for example, in Telegram you will have to re-enter the number).

Some applications (for example, Netflix) allow limit cache size in your settings. Go to the application profile and find the section Download settings or Storage.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the cache Google Play Services or Google Services Framework can lead to synchronization errors your Google account. Do this only if you are sure that the problem is in the cache and not in another.

5. System files and hidden partitions: what can be deleted

Android reserves part of the memory for system needs. data-i="228">3–8 GB: these are partitions /system, /cache, /recovery and others Usually they occupy. data-i="223">, but on some firmware (for example, 3–8 GB, but on some firmwares (for example, LineageOS) they can grow to 10+ GB. Some of these files can be safely deleted, but this requires root access or ADB.

What can be cleaned without root:

  • 🧹 Folder /cache —temporary update files. via recovery (press Power + Volume Up when turning on, select Wipe Cache Partition).
  • 🗑️ Folder /data/log — system logs. Can be deleted via ADB: 
    adb shell rm -rf /data/log/*
  • 📦 Folder /data/local/tmp —temporary installer files. Deleted by the command: 
    adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or FX File Explorer to analyze folders:

  • 🔍 /data/dalvik-cache — virtual machine cache Dalvik. You can clear it, but it will be restored after a reboot.
  • 📂 /data/app-lib —libraries of deleted applications. There are often “tails” left here after uninstallation.

Without root, it is better not to touch the system folders - the risk damage the firmware is too high. If you are not sure what you are doing, use the safe methods from the previous sections.

What will happen if you delete the /system folder?

Deleting or changing files in /system without root will lead to system crash. The phone will either not turn on or will constantly reboot. Operation can only be restored through flashing.

6. Media files: how to find and remove duplicates

Photos and videos are the main “eaters” of memory. Moreover, the problem is not only in their quantity, but also in duplicatesthat instant messengers, cloud services and even Android itself create. For example, Google Photos can save copies of each photo in folders /DCIM/Camera and /Pictures/Google Photos.

How to find and remove duplicates:

  1. Use applications like Duplicate Files Fixer or Files by Google (section Cleaning → Duplicates).
  2. Manually check the folders:
    • 📸 /DCIM/ - photos and videos from cameras.
    • 🖼️ /Pictures/ — screenshots and uploaded images.
    • 🎥 /Movies/ or /Video/ —video.
    • 💬 /Android/media/com.whatsapp/ —media from WhatsApp.
  • Delete unnecessary files, but first check them through the gallery - sometimes duplicates differ in resolution or date.

    • If you use Google Photos, enable the function Free up space (Settings → Free up space). The service will delete local copies of photos that have already been uploaded to the cloud. But remember: if you turn off synchronization, these photos will disappear forever.

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    Before mass deletion media files make a backup copy on PC or cloud. Some applications (for example Viber) store important files in media folders, and deleting them may result in data loss.

    7. Applications and games: how to find “invisible” memory hogs

    Some apps take up space in unexpected ways. For example:

    • 🎮 Games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail download 10–20 GB additional data in /Android/obb/.
    • 📱 Launchers (for example, Nova Launcher) save backups to 500 MB–1 GB.
    • 🔍 Antiviruses (for example, Kaspersky) can download virus databases for 1+ GB.
    • 📺 Streaming services (for example, Twitch) cache broadcasts.

    How to find such applications:

    1. Open Settings → Applications.
    2. Sort the list by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Sort by size).
    3. Check the apps that are taking up >500 MB.
    4. Click on the application → Memory → see what exactly is taking up space:
      • User data —these are saves, settings, downloaded files.
      • Cache —temporary files (can be cleared without consequences).

    If you have not used the application for a long time, but it takes up a lot of space, delete it. For games with large files in /Android/obb/ first delete the game folder manually, and then uninstall the application itself - otherwise the files may remain.

    ⚠️ Attention: Some system applications (for example Android Auto or ARCore) cannot be removed without root. But you can disable (Settings → Applications → Disable) so that they are not updated and do not take up space.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about used space on Android

    Why does Android show that the memory is full, but I haven't downloaded anything?

    This may be due to:

    • 🗑️ Hidden update files (folder /cache).
    • 📦 Residual data deleted applications (folder /data/data/).
    • 🔒 Encrypted partitions (on some firmware).

    Use DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer for detailed analysis.

    Is it possible to transfer applications to an SD card to free up internal memory?

    Yes, but with reservations:

    • ✅ On Android 6–9 it works through Settings → Applications → Move to SD.
    • ❌ On Android 10+ many manufacturers blocked this function.
    • ⚠️ Some applications (for example, WhatsApp) do not work with SD cards.

    It is better to use an SD card for media files, not for applications.

    How to clear memory if the phone does not turn on?

    If the phone does not boot due to lack of memory, try:

    1. Go to recovery (Power + Volume Up) and select Wipe Cache Partition.
    2. Connect the phone to the PC and via ADB delete large files: 
      adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails
    3. If all else fails - reset to factory settings (Wipe Data/Factory Reset in recovery).
    Why is space not freed up after deleting files?

    This is due to the features of the file system:

    • 🔄 Android uses journaled file system (for example, ext4 or F2FS), which does not immediately free up space.
    • 🗑️ Deleted files may remain in cart (check Files by Google or Gallery).
    • 🔍 Some applications (for example, Google Photo) synchronize deletion with the cloud, so the files do not disappear immediately.

    Reboot your phone - this often helps to “free up” space.

    How to check if a virus is taking up memory?

    Signs of a virus eating up memory:

    • 📈 Unknown application in Settings → Applications with administrator rights.
    • 🔋 Rapid battery drain + phone heating.
    • 📡 Suspicious traffic in Settings → Data transfer.

    Check your phone via Malwarebytes or Kaspersky MobileIf you find a virus, remove it and clean the folders. /data/local/tmp i /sdcard/Download —malicious files are often hidden there.