A common problem faced by Android users is shortage of space on the device memory. Cleaning up your Android to make space for more programs is a common troubleshooting routine, and can be done in various ways, as we list here.
- Locate your problem with DiskUsage :This is the first step to clearing up your phone. The partition of space taken up by each application is different for each phone, and this option lets you find out what application/folder is taking up how much space on your phone. Once you have a good idea about the usage information on your smartphone, you can prioritize what files to keep and what not to. DiskUsage also shows you how much cache memory each application uses up, and provides a graphical description of the usage so you can choose which ones you would like to delete.
- Manually clearing an application’s cache memory :This is something that you can do regularly to keep your application from using up too much memory. You can also try and clear photos and videos, such as those automatically downloaded from WhatsApp and similar messaging services to avoid unnecessary hogging of space on memory. You may also go one step further and altogether block the stream of unwanted messages, picture and videos to keep your phone’s memory unoccupied.
However, religiously clearing your cache may be counterproductive in the long run, although it may help your phone immediately by clearing up space. Cache is the part of memory where frequently used data or processes are stored, and helps avoid unnecessary use of hardware while running applications on the phone. Therefore, clearing the app cache once in a while is fine, but regular clearing may actually slow your phone down. When you do clear cache data, do it from a list of apps that have the most data.
To clear cache on any app, Here are the steps :
Go to the Settings Menu, Click on Apps, At the Top Click on All tab; Choose app that is taking up a lot of space, Now Click on Clear Cache. On Android Marshmallow, first you will need to go into Storage option and then after that Clear Cache. If you want to do this for all apps at the same time, you should go to Settings, then click on Storage>Cache Data, where a screen will ask for confirmation to remove everything stored in the cache data. Click yes, and exit.
- Factory Resetting of Phone :
This will take your phone to exactly what it was when you bought it, with all the additional applications gone. This can breath fresh life into your phone, especially if it is old and slow. The Android will keep the most recent upgrade though, that is, a Lollipop phone that has been upgraded to Marshmallow will continue to be Marshmallow after the reset. You should be careful to backup your data before you do the reset.To make the reset, follow these steps : Settings> Backup and Reset > Backup in your Android on the Drive > Factory Data Reset > Reset Phone. You might now have to enter your pin for the device, now click on Reset Phone/Erase Everything, and then finally restart your phone. The reset is complete - System Cleaning ToolIf manually cleaning up your phone is too cumbersome, you can use a host of system cleaning tools that will do the job. These apps will find files and directories that are no longer installed on your phone, as well as duplicate files so that you can get rid of the fat on your phone without having to look for them yourself.
CCleaner
One of the most popular services amongst Android users, this program removes obsolete and temporary data to free up the required space on your phone. The recommendation on what to get rid of is based on an analysis of scanning the cache, browser history, received calls history, files and various storage areas on the system, which is one of the primary reasons the software works so well. It also provides you with a list of applications that take up a lot of data in their cache storage, providing you with the opportunity to clear the cache. However, you might want to not overdo on using the CCleaner, as it may slow down your device in the long run for the same reasons mentioned above.
A lot of the promises made by applications that clear data on your Android are too good to be true, you can not make your phone run 50-70% faster by simply clearing up memory and getting rid of fat on your phone’s memory. A regular clearing up of the cache and useless and obsolete files is a must if you want to keep your phone running at a decent speed. If you want to avoid the manual work, using an app for the same task is wise, although you should use one that provides you with options on what to do with the deemed useless files rather than just a button for optimizations.