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A full phone memory not only slows down performance, but also blocks new apps and updates. With targeted measures, you can clear out the digital clutter and regain space.
Phone memory full: these system functions provide a remedy
The operating system itself has hidden features that can free up memory if your phone is full. These are often overlooked, even though they are right under the surface.
- Start memory analysis: Open the settings, tap on Storage (also called Device Maintenance or Maintenance, depending on the manufacturer), and select Free up storage. Android will now list large files, unused apps, and duplicates. First, delete files with a red warning symbol – often forgotten videos or app leftovers.
- Delete cache data en masse: Go back to the storage overview, tap Apps, and sort them by size. Open apps like Instagram, TikTok or Chrome individually. Tap Clear Cache – repeat for all memory hogs. With some social media apps, this can free up several gigabytes.
- Remove bloatware: Pre-installed apps such as unnecessary games or tools can’t always be uninstalled, but they can often be deactivated. Go to Settings ☻ Apps, select the app, and click Deactivate. If the manufacturer has made significant restrictions, ADB tools on a PC can help – you can find step-by-step instructions on platforms like XDA Developers.
- Optimize automatic backups: Apps like WhatsApp or Telegram store all media locally by default. Limit this: In WhatsApp, for example, go to Settings ☻ Storage and Data ☻ Media Auto-Download and set the option to No media for mobile data and Wi-Fi.
- Use cloud storage wisely: Google Drive and OneDrive each offer 15 GB for free, iCloud 5 GB. Enable Save Storage in Google Photos to replace originals with compressed versions – note the shared quota
Clean up manually: How to hunt down hidden junk data
System tools alone are rarely enough. With a few targeted actions and some systematics, you can find every superfluous file.
- Compress photos and videos: Upload Google Photos and enable Save Space in the settings. The app replaces originals with compressed versions – important to know: Since 2021, this counts against your Google Account quota (15 GB free). Alternatively, use apps like Photo Compressor 2.0 to reduce the size of images before uploading.
- Clean up downloads: Open the Files app from Google, tap Clean, and select Downloads. Sort by size and delete old APK files, PDF invoices or duplicate documents. Caution: Some files, such as bank statements, should be moved to a cloud folder beforehand.
- Clear your WhatsApp folder: In the file manager, navigate to Internal Storage/WhatsApp/Media. Here you will find subfolders such as WhatsApp Voice Notes or WhatsApp Video – manually delete anything here that is no longer relevant. Tip: Use WhatsApp’s integrated function under Settings ☻ Storage and Data ☻ Manage Storage to filter for chats that take up a lot of space.
- Use cloud services strategically: Move rarely used files to Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox. To save local storage, disable offline access in the app settings. For photos, it’s worth exporting them to an external hard drive once a month.
- Use SD cards sensibly: Older Android devices (up to version 10) often allow you to partially outsource apps to the SD card. Go to Settings ☻ Apps, select the app, and tap Storage ☻ Change if the option is available. Caution: System apps cannot be moved, and performance suffers on SD cards with low write speeds.
- Activate automatic cleanup: You can find the Smart Storage option in the Google files under Clean Up. Activate this to automatically compress photos and videos after 60 days.
- Be careful with third-party apps: tools like Clean Master promise a lot, but often install ads or collect data. Stick to established apps like Files by Google or CCleaner (mobile version only).
- Regular maintenance: Schedule a session every two weeks to review downloads, screenshots, and app caches. On Android 13 or newer, you can enable automatic recommendations under Storage ☻ Cleanup Suggestions.
