Phone Storage Space

[EdithGrantham]

Posting here because Mumsnet doesn't have a tech category.

I have a Samsung A20e which has 32GB internal storage and every few days I get a notification to say my storage is getting full and it will slow my phone down so I go through photos and delete them or move then over to the SD card, delete messages/files I've downloaded but it makes barely any difference.

Today I analysed the storage and 9GB is taken up by "System", fair enough that seems reasonable but 20GB is taken up by "Other", I can't click on this to see what it is so no idea what I could do about it. This leaves me with 3GB for Apps, Messages, Audio etc, no wonder it keeps getting full!

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Sorry, I can't help with your actual query but am just letting you know that MN does have a tech category - it is unhelpfully called Geeky Stuff: www.mumsnet.com/talk/geeky_stuff

Ahh thank you! Why didn't I think of searching for that 😆

We're moving your thread over now, @EdithGrantham

Have you cleared your caches?
(I have the same phone with bugger all extra installed and it runs at over 90% full)

No advice, but I have the same problem. Clearing the cache on apps helps, as does turning my phone off and on again.

Part of the problem is Samsung don't seem to like you moving stuff to SD card and when app updates it shoves everything back in internal memory.
I don't understand why they come with so many apps I don't want pre installed. Seriously, does anyone actually use Hangouts?

Oh, also, are you emptying your recycle bin when deleting photos? It empties itself after 30 days but if you make sure that's empty it clears up more space.

Same phone, same problem!

Oldie here so please tolerate a stupid question - how do I clear the cache? Is it individual to each app?

Yes I'm clearing the recycling bin, have done some cache clearance today (Settings-Apps- go into each app - storage- then there's a button for clear cache) which has helped a bit, I cleared data for some apps as well but don't want to have to sign back in to most of them so only did that for ones like the clock and weather app. But omg yes to the unnecessary apps, no idea what half of them are and no way to uninstall them.

You need to go into settings > apps, which brings up a list of your apps. Then if you select one, click on 'storage' there's an option on the bottom to 'clear cache'. You have to do each app individually. I find the worst ones are Internet browsers, Facebook and MN Talk.

Sorry but your issue won't go away I'm afraid as Android no longer has apps that can be stored on your SD card (as it made the operating system slightly slower than Apple's which put people off).

Also Samsung's have a lot of bloatware such as Windows & their own apps that can't be uninstalled easily. We had to upgrade my MIL's phone for exactly this reason - most phones seem to need at least 64mg to run smoothly without weekly housework as you're describing. Also try uninstalling & reinstalling Google Photos & Chrome if used as they seem to get very big over time.

If you have a techy friend then you could get them to root the phone & remove any of the bloatware you're not using but it's not a route to consider lightly. Otherwise you're stuck with the problem. Sorry.

try this.

nerdschalk.com/how-to-free-up-storage-on-android/

20GB has got to be videos and photos.

common culprits are cached videos in facebook
downloaded media on netflix / disney etc
your own videos / photos
whatsapp media/videos

Thanks all, I don't have a techy friend and some of the stuff on that link I don't think is relevant but have done what I can and it has helped.

@FixTheBone I have the majority of my own photos and videos on the SD card, regularly delete WhatsApp ones and don't have any downloaded from streaming services. Not sure about FB cached videos, where would they be stored?

Oh also, I can't uninstall Chrome only disable it, will that have the same effect?

Clear the Storage & the Cache on Chrome - you'll need to log back in if you use it across multiple devices.