Have any of you experienced this on your Android devices? You got a “insufficient storage” notice on your phone’s notification bar whenever you tried to download various apps or videos. Your internal memory has a considerable quantity of data utilisation that is represented as “other.” If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’ve had this problem with your device or it was performing even worse. In this article, we’ll go over how to clean up Android’s internal storage and other storage. Let’s get started!
So, how can you clean up your Android device, how can you free up space by clearing off the “other” storage? Why not try using the Android system directly before seeking for a third-party app? Many times, the simplest solution is also the best solution. Then take a look at the instructions listed below. Please keep in mind that the following instructions are based on my Huawei Android 6.0 Marshmallow handset; as we all know, Android devices’ capabilities vary greatly between versions and brands, therefore the operation below may differ slightly from yours.
The system basically adds any unidentified storage files to your Android device’s native memory analyzer under the ‘Other’ category. If you’ve been searching for a solution to this issue, you’ve come to the correct spot.
Private App Data
Private app data has been discovered as the most common reason for your storage space filling up under the ‘Other’ tag. This could include files that have been downloaded as well as failed OTA updates, cloud sync files, and more.
Most programmes and games nowadays have smaller installation files but require large Wi-Fi downloads to be fully functional. There are other apps that will sync to the cloud and download and upload data on a regular basis based on your preferences.
Furthermore, streaming services frequently malfunction and fail to remove cache files, which might clog up your Android device’s storage space.
Failed OTA Updates
In their lifetime, new devices are usually eligible for a few major OS updates as well as regular security updates. Most of these updates have been provided over-the-air (OTA), which is more convenient for consumers because the device can be updated remotely without the use of a computer.
On the other side, OTA updates have the disadvantage of readily failing on a slow network or one that frequently resets. Higher internet ping can cause OTA updates to fail, and they are nearly impossible to complete if you are travelling for long periods of time.
All of these partially downloaded updates, as well as temporary installer files, may appear as ‘Other’ data on your device, requiring you to manually clean it up.
Failed Backups | Other Storage on Android
Google Drive gives you the option of backing up your mobile data to the cloud. There are also a slew of other services that allow you to do the same thing for a lower price. Keeping your smartphone synced to the cloud provides a number of advantages. You’ll have a backup of all your data even if you lose it, and you’ll be able to access all of your files on the move even if your device’s local storage is limited.
Password vaults, gaming data backups, free storage space, file hosting, and other features are available through cloud services. However, constant updates and new features can lead these services to malfunction.
Even though the majority of these issues are resolved instantly, there may be unsuccessful backups on your device. It’s possible that the backup service won’t notice. There could also be duplicate files on your device that are taking up space and will appear in the ‘Other’ category.
Hidden Cache & Temporary Data | Other Storage on Android
Your browsers, apps, and games are always connected to the internet and downloading large amounts of data in the form of text, pictures, and videos. Consumer files, advertisements, content, and a variety of other things could be included. To keep your local storage clear of clutter, most of these files are set to clean up as you depart them.
However, there are times when these files are left over; in the case of mobile browsers, this is a very regular occurrence. If you don’t erase your website data, your browser’s local storage may end up using a substantial amount of space on your device.
When you study your filesystem with Android’s stock settings app, all of these temporary and cache files will appear as ‘Other.’
How to Clean up storage space and clean the ‘Other’ section in storage
Here’s how to delete files and data from the ‘Other’ storage category.
Use a file manager/storage analyzer app.
Understanding your problem properly is the greatest method to come up with an effective solution. Having a good file manager will also help you see the larger files on your local storage more clearly.
You’d be able to categorise them based on their size. This will make it much easier to recognise huge files. Additionally, you can view system and hidden files on your local storage. That could be the source of your massive ‘Other’ data. Here are a few file analyzers and file managers that we recommend.
File Manager By Flashlight + Clock
A file manager is one of the most well-known storage management apps now accessible on the Google Play Store. It gives you a thorough overview of your local storage, SD card, and even external storage possibilities connected via OTG.
Your files will be organised into specified categories by the file manager. Images, videos, audio files, system files, and downloads, for example. The File Manager also allows you to sync your files to the cloud and remote services for on-the-go access, as well as conduct a thorough storage analysis of your file system.
Disk Usage By Ivan Volosyuk
Disk utilisation is also a complete file manager with a privacy focus. It’s an open-source code project that shows visual data on all of your files so you can clear them up quickly.
It also includes detailed illustrations to help you find the largest files and folders on your disc, which you can then manually clean.
Storage Analyzer & Disk Usage By Anton Patapovich.
The Storage Analyzer & Disk Usage programme also concentrates on the cleaning aspect of your local storage. It also includes an interactive and informative user interface, as well as a built-in cache remover for your device.
It also features virtualization parameters that display graphs, pie charts, and more based on characteristics like storage size, date generated, and last opened, among others. It also includes a widget that you may use to add to your home screen. There’s also a Top 10 function that shows your biggest files for quick cleanup.
Ghost Commander By Ghost Squared
Another privacy-focused dual-panel file organiser that also doubles as a Dropbox client is Ghost Commander. It also allows for simple file sorting by name, size, extension, and date.
The file manager also allows you to change partitions and compress and decompress data. The ghost commander also includes an FTP client, as well as a text editor and a picture viewer.
Amaze File Manager By Team Amaze
The amaze file manager is another open-source file manager that comes with its own basic material design as well as support for AES encryption. The file manager also has its own database reader and supports major cloud services.
It also supports.zip and.rar archives and has an APK reader built-in. It’s one of the few file managers on our list that doesn’t have any built-in advertisements, which is a significant benefit.
Use the ‘Clean up’ option on your device | Other Storage on Android
Almost all Android smartphones now include a feature that allows you to clean out your device’s storage from within the Settings app. Here’s how you can put it to use:
To begin, go to your device’s Settings app.
Now find the Storage option by scrolling down. It’s under Device Care on Samsung devices. Similarly, you may use the search box at the top to look for the term “storage.”
The UI for Storage on different Android phones may be rather varied. You may, however, press on any item to get more information about it and then delete items selectively.
Check data used by proprietary apps
If your app data is filling up your local storage, Android’s built-in stock memory scanner can be a tremendous help. Follow this short guide to make use of this feature.
Check Android/obb & Android/data directories
Because of some issues with incompatible updates, deleted apps are typically left in your storage. Third-party launchers that haven’t been optimised for your device can also generate these remaining app files.
If you are unable to empty your ‘other’ storage using the methods listed above, you should use this procedure. It’s possible that remaining app files from your deleted apps are still there in your local store, which you’ll have to clean manually.
You can use your File Manager to do so.
Turn on ‘Show System Files & Folders’ in the options menu.
Then, in your file manager, navigate to /Android/obb.
The majority of the files in this portion of your local storage will be named in the format com.ABC.XYZ. The developer’s name is ABC, and the app’s name is XYZ.
Simply search this section for deleted programme names and delete any that you find.
When you’ve finished using /Android/obb, go to /Android/data.
In order to find leftover data from deleted programmes, repeat the methods from the previous folder. Delete the ones you locate, then look through your ‘Other’ storage.
If you’re using a Custom ROM, revert to the stock ROM.
If your device is rooted and you’ve used it before,
