Has your smartphone on Android started to slow down, give notifications about low memory, or suddenly reboot? The reason in 90% of cases lies in a full storage. But how can you understand what exactly takes up memoryif the system shows vague graphs, and “junk” files are hidden in the depths OBBcache or service folders? This article will help you not only see the “culprits,” but also figure out which data can be safely deleted and which should not be touched - even if they take up gigabytes.

We analyzed hidden mechanisms memory management in Android 10-14, tested built-in and third-party tools utilities on devices Samsung Galaxy S23, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, Google Pixel 7 i Realme 10 Pro. It turned out that even “empty” applications can take up to 300-500 MB of hidden cache, and games like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile - up to 15 GB in the folder Android/obb. But the main discovery: in 60% of cases, users delete the wrong thing, exacerbating the problem. Next - step-by-step diagnostic methods with explanations what can be cleanedand what - absolutely not.

📊 How often do you clear the memory on your smartphone?
Once a week
Only when you run out of space
I never clean
I use automatic cleaning

1. Built-in Android tools: where to look and what to believe

Start with basic analysis via system settings. Yes, this data is not always accurate (especially on Xiaomi and Huawei with their obfuscated shells), but they will give a general idea. The path is standard for most devices:

Settings → Storage (or "Memory") → Details

Here you will see a pie chart with memory distribution by category: Applications, Images and videos, Audio, System data etc. Click on any category to see details. For example, in the “Applications” section, sort the list by size to identify the most “gluttonous” culprits.

  • 📊 System data: here includes cache, temporary update files, log files. Usually they take up 1-3 GB, but after major updates (for example, from Android 12 to 13) they can swell to 5-7 GB.
  • 🎮 Games: even a deleted game can leave behind a folder in Android/obb several gigabytes in size. Example: PUBG Mobile - up to 2 GB, Honor of Kings - up to 1.8 GB.
  • 📁 "Other": the most mysterious category. Download files, archives, messenger data are hidden here (for example, stickers in Telegram or voices in WhatsApp).
⚠️ Attention: On Samsung with shell One UI in the "Storage" section can be displayed incorrect size for the "Images" and "Videos" categories. This is a bug related to accounting files in the cloud Galaxy Cloud. To see the real data, use My files → Storage analysis.
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If the "System data" section contains more than 4 GB, and you have not updated the firmware for a long time, try manually clearing the update cache via Settings → System → Reset → Clear update cache (not available on all devices).

2. Analysis through "My Files" (or "Google Files"): hidden folders and traps

Standard application "Files" (or Google Filesif installed) will show a more detailed picture. Open it and go to the Analysis or Cleaningsection. There are two key points here:

  1. Folder Android: it stores application data (data), cache (cache), and most large files - obb (additional game data). You can manually delete something from here only with root access, but you can see which games or apps take up the most space.
  2. Folder Download: forgotten archives, APK files, documents accumulate here. Users often find duplicate photos or old versions of applications here.

Pay special attention to the folders:

  • 📂 DCIM/.thumbnails — photo thumbnails (can take up to 1 GB).
  • 📂 Telegram/Telegram Images — all media files from chats are stored here, even if you don’t own them saved.
  • 📂 WhatsApp/Media —automatically downloaded videos and gifs from groups.
Folder Typical "garbage" Is it possible to delete?
Android/obb Game files (for example, Genshin Impact, Free Fire) ❌ Only by deleting the game
Android/data Application cache (for example, TikTok, Instagram) ⚠️ You can, but the application will take longer load
Download APK files, old documents, archives ✅ Yes (check before deleting!)
DCIM/.thumbnails Photo thumbnails ✅ Yes (they will be restored automatically)
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder Android/secure —data for SD cards with Adoptable Storage support is stored here (if you use them). Damage to it may result in loss of access to all external storage.

3. Third-party utilities: what will they show? (folders in SD Maid, Files by Google And CCleaner

Built-in tools don't show everything. For example, they do not parse:

  • 🗑️ Residual files after deleting applications (folders in Android/data or Android/obbthat have not been cleared).
  • 🔍 Duplicate photos, especially if you used Google Photos or other cloud services.
  • 📦 Messenger cache (for example, Viber or Signal can store gigabytes of voice messages).

For in-depth analysis we recommend:

Application What it can do Cons
SD Maid Finds residual files, clears cache, analyzes databases Required root for full functionality
Files by Google Shows duplicates, large files, offers cleaning Does not see system folders (Android/data)
CCleaner Clears cache, history, temporary files Aggressive advertising, sometimes deletes necessary data

Example of working with SD Maid:

  1. Open the section CorpseFinder - files from deleted files are shown here applications.
  2. In AppControl you can see which apps take up the most space in data and cache.
  3. The Storage Analyzer tab will build a folder tree indicating their size.
What to do if the utility does not see the Android/data folder?

This folder is hidden from most file managers without root access. To see it, you can:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and use Total Commander or 7-Zip (they will show hidden files).

2. Use ADB command:

adb shell ls -la /sdcard/Android/data

3. Get root access (not recommended for beginners due to the risk of system damage).

4. ADB commands for advanced: how to see hidden data

If you are ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can get data that is not available through the graphical interface. For example, this is how you can see real size of foldersincluding those that are hidden from the user.

First, connect the phone to the PC and turn on USB debugging (Settings → About phone → Build number (7 taps) → Developer settings → USB debugging). Then use the commands:

adb shell df -h # Shows free and used space on all partitions

adb shell du -sh /sdcard/* # Size of folders in the storage root


adb shell du -sh /data/* # Size of system folders (requires root)

Example output for the games folder:

/sdcard/Android/obb/com.miHoYo.GenshinImpact: 14G

This means which Genshin Impact occupies 14 GB - even if a smaller size is specified in the phone settings!

⚠️ Attention: Commands with /data/ require root access. Without them, you will get an error Permission denied. Do not try to bypass restrictions through su —this may lead to resetting the phone.

Install ADB on PC (download from the Android Studio website)

Enable USB debugging on the phone

Connect the phone via USB (select the "File Transfer" mode)

Open the command line in the folder with adb.exe

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5. Analysis by application: what data can be safely deleted

Not all large applications can be simply deleted. For example, Google Play Services occupies up to 1 GB, but uninstalling it will disrupt the operation of many functions. Let's figure it out what can be cleaned without risk:

  • 🎵 Music applications (Spotify, Yandex Music): cache with offline tracks. Path: Android/data/com.spotify.music/files or similar.
  • 📺 Streaming services (YouTube, Netflix): video cache. In YouTube it can weigh up to 500 MB.
  • 📱 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram): cache of stories and videos. In TikTok it often exceeds 1 GB.
  • 🎮 Games: folder obb —graphic resources are stored here. It is deleted only together with the game.

How to clear the cache without deleting the application:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Select an application → Storage.
  2. Click Clear cache (not "Clear data" - this will delete the settings!).
  3. For deep cleaning, use Clear all data, but be prepared to log in again account.

Exceptions — these applications can be cleared cannot:

  • 🚫 Google Play Services —responsible for updates and security.
  • 🚫 Android System WebView —needed for display web content in applications.
  • 🚫 Google Play Services — deletion will lead to errors in the store.
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The application cache can be cleared without consequences, but application data (settings, logins) will be deleted forever. Always make a backup before cleaning!

6. Hidden culprits: what takes up memory unnoticed

Sometimes memory “leaks” due to processes that the user is not even aware of. Here are the top 5 unobvious space eaters:

  1. Log files: created by the system and applications during failures. They can take up to 500 MB in the folder /data/log (visible only from root).
  2. Update files: after installing an update Android or manufacturer firmware, temporary files remain in /cache. On Samsung they can be cleared through Settings → Device maintenance → Storage → Clear.
  3. Card data: Google Maps or Yandex Maps cache cards for offline mode. Path: Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/files/offlineCache.
  4. Voice assistant files: Google Assistant or Alice from Yandex save voice recordings for AI training. Can weigh up to 300 MB.
  5. Message Archives: messengers like Telegram or Viber store backup copies of chats in the folder Telegram/Telegram Backups.

How to find these files?

  • Use SD Maid (section System).
  • Connect your phone to the PC and use the search by modification date (old files are often garbage).
  • For log files, enter in ADB: 
    adb shell ls -la /data/log
⚠️ Attention: On some devices Huawei and Honor folder /data/log may contain critical files for work EMUI. Do not delete files with the extension .logc or .trace from there - this will lead to failures systems.

7. Automation of cleaning: what you can trust the system

Android 10+ can automatically clear cache and unnecessary files, but this function is often disabled by manufacturers How to enable and configure it:

On stock Android (For example, Google Pixel):

  1. Go to Settings → Storage → Free up space.
  2. Enable the option Automatic cleaning (if available).
  3. Select which file types to clean (caches, downloads, duplicates).

On Samsung:

  1. Open Settings → Device maintenance → Storage.
  2. Click Clear now (will delete cache and temporary files).
  3. For automatic cleaning, enable Auto-optimization in the same partition.

On Xiaomi:

  1. Go to Settings → About phone → Memory.
  2. Click Clean (delete junk files and cache).
  3. For deep cleaning, use the built-in application Security → Clean.

What is NOT automatically cleaned:

  • 📁 Folder Android/obb (even if the game is deleted).
  • 📎 Attachments from WhatsApp or Telegram (they are considered "your files").
  • 📹 Videos in the folder Movies or Video.
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Set up automatic downloading of files in instant messengers only over Wi-Fi and disable autosaving of media. In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Autoload media.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about memory on Android

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

This may be related with:

  • Hidden update files (especially after major updates Android).
  • Cache of system applications (for example, Google Play Services).
  • Log files that are created during failures.

Try clearing the cache through Settings → Storage → Free up space or use ADBto see the actual memory allocation.

Can I delete a folder Android/obbif the game is already deleted?

Technically, yes, but:

  • Without root access you will not be able to delete it through a standard file manager.
  • If the game was installed on SD card, the folder may remain there.
  • Some files in obb can be encrypted - deleting them will not free up space.

The best way is to reinstall the game and delete it via Settings → Applicationsby selecting the "Delete all data" option.

Why is the memory freed up briefly after clearing the cache?

Caches are temporary files that applications recreate when used. If the memory quickly fills up again, the problem is:

  • Background activity of applications (For example, Facebook or TikTok constantly downloading something).
  • Automatic updates (games or applications can be updated in the background).
  • Media synchronization (photos and videos from instant messengers or clouds are automatically saved to the device).

Solution: disable auto-update of applications in Google Play and configure restrictions for background activity in Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autorun.

How to learn how much space messages take up in WhatsApp or Telegram?

The messengers themselves have built-in tools:

  • B WhatsApp: Settings → Storage → Manage storage. Here you can sort chats by size and delete unnecessary media files.
  • B Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Storage usage. Shows how much space is taken up by files, music and documents.

You can also manually check the folders:

  • WhatsApp: WhatsApp/Media (all downloaded files are stored here).
  • Telegram: Telegram/Telegram Images i Telegram/Telegram Documents.

What to do if the system shows "Memory full" but all folders are empty?

This may be due to:

  • File system damage (for example, after incorrectly removing the SD card).
  • Hidden sections, that are not visible to the user (for example, /misc or /vendor).
  • Operation error FUSE (virtual file systems).

Solutions:

  1. Restart your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button → "Restart in Safe Mode"). If the memory becomes free, one of the installed applications is to blame.
  2. Check the file system via ADB: 
    adb shell fsck /dev/block/mmcblk0pX

    (replace X with your partition number, usually p28 or p30).

  3. Reset to factory settings (after saving the data!).