How to completely clear the memory of an Android phone: a step-by-step guide

Clogged smartphone memory is a problem that every second user faces Android. The device starts to slow down, applications crash, and the system displays an annoying “Not enough memory” notification. But don’t rush to buy a new phone or memory card: in 90% of cases, the situation can be corrected by properly clearing the internal storage.

In this article we will look at 7 proven methods freeing up memory on the Androiddevice - from basic (deleting unnecessary files) to advanced (clearing the system cache via ADB). You will learn what data can be safely deleted and what data should not be touched, how to transfer files to a memory card or to the cloud, and what to do if the phone still says “memory full.” The instructions are valid for all versions Android from 8.0 Oreo to 14, including devices Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and other brands.

1. Analysis of occupied memory: what exactly is taking up space?

Before clearing memory, you need to understand which files it is being clogged. Built-in tools Android show memory distribution by category: applications, multimedia, cache, system files. Here's how to check:

• 📊 Open Settings → Storage (on some devices the path may differ: Settings → Device care → Memory).
• 🔍 The system will automatically analyze the occupied space and show a diagram with the distribution by file type.
• 📁 Click on any category (for example, "Applications" or "Images") to see a detailed list of files.

Pay attention to the sections: "Other" — residual files of deleted applications, temporary data and garbage are often hidden here; "System files" — if this partition takes up more than 10-15 GB, a lot of updates or logs may have accumulated.

On devices Samsung and Xiaomi there are additional analysis tools. For example, in MIUI (firmware Xiaomi) there is a "Deep Cleaning" function that finds duplicate photos and large files. And in One UI (Samsungyou can sort applications by size and date of the last one. usage.

⚠️ Attention: If the "System Files" section takes up more than 20 GB, this may indicate operating errors Android or virus infection. In this case, it is better to back up your data and reset the phone to factory settings.

2. Removing application cache: a quick way to free up 1-5 GB

Caches are temporary files that applications create to speed up their work. Over time, they accumulate and can take several gigabytes memory. Clearing the cache is safe: applications will simply create new files the next time you launch them.

How to clear the cache:

• 🧹 Go to Settings → Applications (or "All applications").
• 🔍 Select an application that takes up a lot of space (for example, YouTube, Telegram, Google Chrome).
• 🗑️ Click "Storage" → "Clear cache."
• 🔄 For mass clearing, use Settings → Storage → Free up space (or a similar item).

On some devices (for example, Huawei or Honor) there is a separate "Clear cache" option in the storage menu. You can also use. third-party utilities like CCleaner or SD Maid, but they require superuser rights (root) for deep cleaning.

Clear the cache of individual applications (does not delete account data)

Delete cache Google Play Services (frees up to 1 GB)

Clear browser cache (Chrome, Firefox)

Delete downloaded files from instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

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Important: Do not confuse "Clear cache" and "Clear data"! The second option deletes all application settings and files, including logins and saves.

3. Removing unnecessary applications and their remnants

The average user installs dozens of applications, but actively uses only 5-10. The rest take up space and run in the background, using up battery power. Even after removal, many apps are left behind. residual files folders /Android/data and /Android/obb.

How to properly remove applications:

• 📱 Go to Settings → Applications → List of all applications.
• 📉 Sort by size or date of last use.
• 🗑️ Remove apps that you have not used for more than a month.
• 🔍 To search for residual files, use a file manager (for example, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) and check the folders:

  /storage/emulated/0/Android/data
  /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb

  Delete folders with the names of deleted applications.

Some system applications (for example, Google Play Music or Duo) cannot be deleted using standard means, but they can be disable: Settings → Applications → ⋮ (menu) → Show system → Select application → Disable.

⚠️ Attention: On devices Xiaomi and Huawei some system applications after being disabled may be activated again after updating the firmware. To avoid this, use the ADBcommand:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.package

(You can find out the name of the package via App Inspector or adb shell pm list packages)

Application type	Can I delete it?	How to clean
Third-party applications	Yes	Via Settings → Applications or Google Play
System applications	No (can be disabled)	Settings → Applications → Disable or ADB
Residual files	Yes	Via file manager (folders data and obb)
System application updates	Yes (rollback to factory version)	Settings → Applications → ⋮ → Uninstall updates

4. Cleaning multimedia: photos, videos and music

Photos and videos in high resolution are the main “eaters” of memory. One picture in format RAW can weigh 20-50 MB, and a minute video in 4K - up to 400 MB. how to free up space:

• 📷 Delete duplicates and bad pictures. Use Google Photos (the "Helper" function) or applications like Duplicate Files Fixer.
• ☁️ Transfer the files to the cloud. Services Google Photos, Yandex Drive or iCloud offer free storage (usually 5-15 GB). After downloading, the originals can be deleted from the phone, leaving the thumbnails.
• 💾 Compress photos. Applications Photo Compress or Resize Me reduce the weight of pictures without much loss of quality.
• 🎵 Delete downloaded music. If you listen to tracks via Spotify, YouTube Music or VK Music, delete the offline cache: in the application settings, find the "Storage" or "Offline Playback" section.

On devices Samsung yes built-in "Memory Optimization" function in the gallery, which automatically compresses photos and videos. And on Xiaomi in MIUI you can enable the "Light Gallery", which shows previews instead of originals.

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Before bulk deleting photos, enable the "Trash" function in Google Photos (settings → Recycle Bin). Then the deleted files will be stored for 30-60 days, and you can restore them if necessary.

5. Transferring files to a memory card or external storage

If your phone supports memory cards microSD, transferring files to it is one of the most effective ways to free up internal memory. However, there are nuances: Not all applications can be transferred to the card. System apps and some games (for example,

• 📱 Not all applications can be transferred to SD-map. System apps and some games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) remain in the internal memory.
• 🔄 Class memory cards A1 or A2 (for example, SanDisk Extreme) work faster and are suitable for installing applications.
• ⚠️ On Android 6.0+ the card can be formatted as internal memory (Adoptable Storage), but this has risks: if the card fails, the data will be lost.

How to transfer files:

1. Insert a memory card and format it (if required) through Settings → Storage → SD card → Configure.
2. Open the file manager (for example, Files by Google), select the files and click "Move".
3. To transfer applications: Settings → Applications → Select application → Storage → Edit → Memory card.

Some devices (for example Huawei or Honor) have the "Huawei Mobile Cloud" or "Phone Clone" function, which automatically transfers files to the cloud or to a memory card according to a schedule.

⚠️ Attention: If you use a memory card as internal memory (Adoptable Storage), it cannot be extracted and read on another device without formatting. It may also slow down the phone if the card is slow.

6. Cleaning system garbage and hidden files

Even after deleting applications and files, logs, memory dumps and other hidden data remain in the system. They can be deleted manually or using specialized utilities. temporary files, logs, memory dumps and other hidden data. They can be removed manually or using specialized utilities.

Cleaning methods:

• 🧹 Built-in cleaning. Most devices have an "Optimization" or "Device Care" function (Settings → Device care → Cleaning).
• 🔍 Manual cleaning. Using a file manager with rights root (for example, Root Explorer) delete the contents of the folders:

  /data/log
  /data/tombstones
  /data/system/dropbox

  (These folders contain error logs and system dumps.)

• 🛠️ Third-party utilities. Applications SD Maid or Files by Google find garbage, including remnants of deleted apps and empty folders.
• 🔄 Clear Dalvik cache. If you have rootaccess, use the command:

  su
  rm -r /data/dalvik-cache/*
  reboot

  (After this, the phone will reboot and the cache will be restored automatically.)

On devices Samsung there is a hidden function "Maintenance Mode", which allows you to delete unnecessary system files. To activate it, enter in the telephone dialer:

*#9900#

then select "Delete dumpstate/logcat" and "Delete all".

What is it? Dalvik cache and can it be deleted?

Dalvik cache is an optimized version of applications that the virtual machine Android creates to speed up work. You can delete it, but only if you have rootaccess. After clearing, the cache will be restored the next time you start the applications, but the first launch may not work. slower than usual.

7. Resetting to factory settings: a last resort

If all the previous methods did not help, and the phone still writes “Memory full”, remains Full reset (Hard Reset). This will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, so make a backup first.

How to reset your phone:

1. Save important data to a memory card, computer or the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk).
2. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings → Delete all data.
3. Confirm the action The phone will reboot and begin the cleaning process (will take 5-15). minutes).
4. After the reset, set up the phone as new or restore data from a backup.

Some devices (for example, Xiaomi or Realme) have a "Local reset" option, which deletes only user data without affecting system files. can help if the problem is caused by errors in operation Android.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with an unlocked bootloader (bootloader), resetting to factory settings can lead to the phone being locked (for example, Xiaomi the error "This device is locked" will appear. In this case, you will need to unlock it again via Mi Unlock Tool.

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Resetting to factory settings is the only way to completely remove viruses, fix critical system errors and free up memory if other methods have not helped. But use it only as a last resort!

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about clearing memory on Android

Is it possible to clear the phone's memory without data loss?

Yes, in most cases. Use clearing the cache, deleting unnecessary files and transferring data to a memory card or to the cloud. A full reset (Hard Reset) deletes everything, so it should only be used if other methods have not helped.

Why does the memory quickly fill up again after cleaning?

This may occur due to:

• Automatic downloading of application updates.
• Data caching in messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp).
• Background synchronization of photos (Google Photos, VK).
• Viruses or malware that create hidden files.

Check the automatic download settings in instant messengers and disable synchronization of unnecessary data.

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

If the phone does not respond to turning on, connect it to computer and try:

1. Use ADBcommands to clear the cache:

   adb shell recovery --wipe_cache

2. Boot into Recovery Mode (usually by holding Power + Volume Up) and select Wipe Cache Partition.
3. If all else fails, do a reset via Fastboot:

   fastboot erase userdata
   fastboot erase cache

This will require unlocked bootloader and installed drivers ADB.

What files can be safely deleted in the Android folder?

In the folder /Android/ you can delete:

• data/ — residual files of deleted applications;
• obb/ — additional game data (for example, graphics packages);
• media/ — temporary multimedia files.

Do not delete folders of current applications - this may lead to their inoperability.

Why do they not work after transferring applications to the SD card?

This can happen for several reasons:

• The memory card is too slow (a class is needed A1/A2).
• The application does not support transferring to external storage.
• The Android 6.0+ card is not formatted as internal memory.
• An error occurred during the transfer (try rebooting the phone).

Check the storage settings for a specific application in Settings → Applications → Storage.