The application Friends Around remains a popular tool for dating and communication, however, users are often faced with the need to delete a sent photo or clear the chat of images of the interlocutor. On the platform Android the process of managing media content in correspondence has its own technical features that differ from standard messengers. The importance of this procedure increases when it comes to privacy or freeing up space in the device’s memory.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the functionality of the application is regularly updated, and data storage mechanisms change. Users are looking for an answer to the question of how to friend around delete a photo in correspondence from an Android, but they often come across the absence of an explicit button or a misunderstanding of how the cache works. This guide will examine in detail all available methods, from standard tools to forced cleaning through the file system.
Standard options for deleting messages in the application
Social network developers strive to give users control over their digital footprint, and Friends Around is no exception. Most modern versions of client software for Android implement the ability to delete your own messages. To do this, you need to hold your finger on a specific image in the dialogue until the context menu appears.
However, there is a nuance: deleting a file on your own does not always mean it will disappear from your interlocutor. The system may offer two options: “Delete from me” or “Delete from everyone.” If you choose the first option, the photo will only disappear from your interface, but will remain on the server and with the recipient. The second option requires that a certain time has passed since the moment of sending, usually no more than an hour.
- 📱 Long-press the image in the chat for 2-3 seconds to bring up the menu.
- 🗑️ Select the “Delete” option or the trash can icon in the panel that appears.
- ⏳ Pay attention to the timer: for complete deletion, all participants have a time limit.
If the delete button is missing or inactive, this may indicate an outdated version of the application or specific privacy settings of the interlocutor. In some cases, chat administrators or moderators have rights that restrict the deletion of content by regular users. Always check that the version is up to date Friends Around in the store Google Play.
Clearing the conversation history and application cache
Often users do not want to delete one specific photo, but completely clear the correspondence from media files in order to free up space or hide the communication history. In the settings of the application itself Friends Around usually there is a “Chats” or “Message History” section. Here you can find the “Clear History” function.
It is important to understand the difference between deleting a message and clearing the cache. When you delete a dialog in the interface, you remove the link to the file in the application database. However, the image itself may remain in hidden folders in the phone's memory. For complete cleaning, you need to go to system settings Android.
⚠️ Attention: Completely clearing application data through Android settings will delete not only the cache, but also your authorization. You will have to enter your login and password again.
To delete accumulated files without losing your account, use the built-in cache clearing tool. Go to Settings → Applications → Friends Around → Storage. Clicking the “Clear cache” button will delete temporary files, including thumbnails and uploaded photos that are already displayed in the chat, but will not delete the correspondence itself from the server database.
Periodic clearing of the cache in The “Storage” section helps speed up the application and free up up to 500 MB of space on the device.
Manually deleting files through the file manager
The most reliable way to ensure that you delete a photo that remains in the phone’s memory even after clearing the chat is to work with the file system directly. Dating apps often save downloaded media to public directories. To do this, you will need any file manager, for example Files by Google or ES Explorer.
You need to find the root folder of the application. Usually it is located along the path /Android/data/ru.mail.odnoklassniki.dv/files or in the old structure /DruzjaVokrug/Cache. These directories can store files with extension .jpg, .png or without extension. Deleting them manually ensures that the photo physically disappears from the device.
| File type | Location (example) | Deletion method | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image cache | /Android/data/.../cache | Clear cache in settings | Low (thumbnails only) |
| Uploaded photos | /Pictures/DruzjaVokrug | Manual deletion in the gallery | Medium (you can delete unnecessary ones) |
| Chat database | /databases/messages.db | Clearing application data | High (lost correspondence) |
Be extremely careful when deleting files in the folder Android/data. Deleting system configuration files may result in incorrect operation Friends Around. Delete only files with graphic extensions if your goal is a photo.
☑️ Check before manual deletion
Features of deletion on different versions of Android
The interface and access rights to the file system vary significantly depending on the version of the operating system. At Android 10 and above, Google introduced a “Scoped Storage” policy (limited storage), which blocks direct access to folders Android/data for third-party file managers.
This means that on new smartphones you may not see the cache folder Friends Around through a regular explorer. In this case, the built-in system cleaner becomes the only safe option. Attempts to obtain root access to bypass restrictions may lead to loss of warranty for the device.
On older versions, such as Android 8 or 9, access to files is open by default. Here it is easier to find and delete a specific image, but there is a higher risk of accidentally deleting a system file if handled carelessly. Users of older devices are recommended to make backup copies more often before cleaning.
⚠️ Attention: On Android 11+, direct access to the OBB and Data folder is disabled. Use the built-in “Free up space” feature in your phone settings to safely remove app junk.
What to do if the photo is not deleted
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where a photo “freezes” in the chat or returns after being deleted. This is often due to synchronization problems between the client on the phone and the server. If the Internet connection is unstable, the deletion command may not reach the server.
Try switching from mobile data to Wi-Fi or vice versa. Another effective method is to force stop the application. Go to Settings → Applications → Friends Around → Force Stop, and then open the chat again. This will force the application to reload the conversation status from the server.
- 🔄 Check the stability of the Internet connection before trying again.
- 🛑 Force stop the application through the settings system.
- 📲 Try to delete the photo through the web version of the site from your computer.
If the problem is widespread, it is possible that technical work is being carried out on the service side. In this case, all that remains is to wait. Attempts to repeatedly press the delete button may, on the contrary, block the function of sending messages for a short time due to suspicion of spam activity.
Why is the photo returned after deletion?
This happens if the message was deleted only locally (on the device), but the command did not go to the server. The next time the chat is updated, the application downloads the old version of the correspondence from the server where the photo still exists.
Prevention and management of media files
In order not to wonder in the future how to delete unnecessary files, it is better to configure the application in advance. In the settings Friends Around there is often an option “Save to gallery”. Disabling this feature will prevent all received photos from being duplicated into a shared folder on your phone.
Regular audit of correspondence helps maintain order. Don't accumulate hundreds of conversations with inactive users. Archiving or deleting old chats is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to protect personal data from prying eyes if the phone falls into the wrong hands.
Remember that even after deleting a photo from the device, a copy of it may be stored on the social network servers for a certain time according to the privacy policy. Complete deletion of data from the cloud is usually only possible through a request to support or deleting the entire account.
Disabling autosave to the gallery is the best way to prevent your phone's memory from being cluttered with photos from chats.
Is it possible to delete a photo that a person has sent?
No, you cannot delete files sent by another user, from his device or server. You can only delete them from your chat history or clear the cache so that they are not displayed to you.
Where are photos from Friends Around on Android stored?
Usually they are located in a folder /Android/data/ru.mail.odnoklassniki.dv/files or in the general gallery in the album DruzjaVokrugif enabled autosave.
Will the other person see that I deleted the photo?
If you use the “Delete for everyone” function, a system message may appear in the chat stating that the message has been deleted. When deleting “at home”, the interlocutor will not notice anything.
Why are photos in the chat still visible after clearing the cache?
Clearing the cache deletes temporary files. If the photo is part of the conversation history, it will be downloaded again from the server when the chat is opened. To completely delete, you need to delete the message itself.