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Lost internal memory on android. Free up built-in memory on Android. What fills the empty space

All kinds of gadgets have recently become an integral part of the life of many modern people. Most owners of smartphones and tablets with the Android operating system sooner or later face the problem of lack of memory. In budget models, its volume is, as a rule, no more than four gigabytes, but here it should be borne in mind that at least a quarter of it is occupied by the operating system itself.

All modern games, like high-quality photos, music and movies, require more and more available memory. So, at some point, the user simply will not be able to install necessary application, download the required data. The lack of free space also negatively affects the speed of the device itself. So how do you free internal memory on Android? You can move files to external media and optimize the performance of your smartphone.

What fills the free space?

When figuring out how to free up the internal memory of a phone on Android, you should pay attention to a few points. Certain methods may be effective in some cases, but completely inappropriate in others.

Before freeing up internal memory on Android, you need to understand where the data that fills the device comes from. Here are some of the most common options:

saving photos, music and videos;
data used in the exchange on social networks;
audio from a voice recorder;
data downloaded via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi;
applications from Play Store located in the device memory.

How can I prevent files from being saved to the device's memory?

To prevent the problem from recurring from time to time, you need to redirect the download of files from the device’s memory to other media. For example, to a memory card (SD card). For this purpose, you should change the save path settings in the settings of some applications:

camera options;
voice recorder options;
place for browser downloads;
location of cached files from applications;
regulation of messengers;
regulation of loader programs;
regulation of navigation GPS-maps.

In all the above settings, the path to a specific folder (or several folders: separately for music, video, pictures and files) must be specified, which is located on the memory card.

How to move data?

It is better to move files from the device's memory to a memory card in similar folders. If there are none, you can create them using any file manager, which is downloaded from the "Play Store", or by connecting the device to a computer via a cord. Moving to places with similar standard names will avoid unnecessary confusion. Folders usually have the following names:

bluetooth;
DCIM;
download;
media;
movies;
music;
video;
sounds.

Transferring files, as well as creating new folders, can be done in two ways: directly by the functions of the device itself or using a computer. You should not transfer the data, the purpose of which is in doubt. Moving program files can cause device malfunctions, you should be aware of this before freeing up space on the internal memory of Android.

How to transfer files directly on the device?

To transfer pictures, music and videos directly on the device, it is better to use the file manager. Simple and reliable to use is ES File Explorer. The main function of the manager is precisely to work with folders and files. This file manager is very lightweight, does not take up an already small amount of memory, and is convenient.

To transfer the necessary data, you need to select it with a single long press. Choosing the action "move", you should click on "SD-card". The advantage of this file manager is that the menu allows you to immediately create new folders for transferring files.

How to transfer files using a computer?

In order to clear the internal memory of Android using a computer, you need to connect the device to it using a USB cable. To be able to manage data on a smartphone or tablet, specialized programs and drivers must be installed on the PC. As a rule, such software is installed automatically, but you need to wait a little while the computer determines the type of device and finds the appropriate drivers on the network.

Problems that occur when transferring files using a PC are easily resolved free service AirDroid, which provides the ability to work with the device from a distance by connecting to WiFi networks. Firstly, this is good because you do not need to additionally install any programs and drivers to recognize a smartphone or tablet. Secondly, this service provides communication between devices at a distance longer than a cable.

And yet, how to free up system memory on Android through a computer using this method? Everything is very simple here - data management is possible through any browser.

How to move apps to SD card?

How to free up internal memory on Android to offload devices? We note right away that this is not an easy task. The reason is that in order to carry out this operation for applications, as a rule, you need to have special rights, namely administrator rights, which will allow you to fully manage all the files.

You can get administrator status by installing an additional software or change your smartphone settings. In the latter case, everything is much simpler. Devices that can be set to "developer mode" in their settings allow you to perform many actions that are not available to ordinary users, for example, install fake localization.

If administrator access is already enabled, the next step is to install the Link2Sd application. It allows you to transfer both installed optional and standard applications from device memory to memory card. But here you need to remember that such actions can lead to malfunctions of the device.

Without administrator rights, you can move only a part of the applications. This action can be performed in the device settings. But the standard reception is not very convenient, and if you don’t want to change the settings, it’s better to download android app assistant.

Android Assistant consists of eighteen tools for versatile work with Android. Directly transferring applications is carried out as follows: you should open the program, go to the "Tools" section and select "App2Sd". A list of applications that can be transferred will open.

Also using this application you can perform a complex removal, which will help optimize and increase the speed of the device.

How to clean the device from unnecessary garbage?

By following the above steps, you can make significant progress in the process of clearing memory. Once you have set the correct settings, most likely you will not have to do all the steps again from time to time. But you will often have to use information on how to free up internal memory on Android by deleting garbage. So, by installing a special application (for example, Clean Master), you can make the cleaning process quick and easy.

The so-called garbage in the device, which occurs through the accumulation of cached data from the Internet, browser history, applications, is a very common phenomenon. Periodic cleaning allows you to increase the free space on the device and speed up the performance of all actions.

If you disassemble cleaning the device from debris using the example of the most optimal and convenient Clean Master program, then there will be no difficulties in using it. You just need to select the "garbage" option and click "clear". The application, conducting a deep analysis, necessarily specifies which files do not need to be deleted.

How to store files online?

To free up internal memory on Android 4.2, you can use the so-called cloud storage. They allow not only to store files, but also to open them with various devices. By installing an application of this type on a smartphone, in order to gain access to data, you will only need to register (when you turn it on for the first time), and then enter your username and password.

Important in working with cloud storage and constant access to the Internet, because the data is placed in " virtual memory". Among the most successful cloud storages are Google Drive, Storage Mega, "Yandex.Disk" or Dropbox.

How to perform a complete cleaning of the device?

To radically clear the memory of the device, you need to perform complete removal all data. The action is performed using the "Formatting" option. As a rule, this item is located in the device settings in the " Backup and data reset. After confirming the user's intentions and deleting the data, the device will reboot and take on its original form, that is, the smartphone will not have everything that was installed and downloaded after purchase.

In general, the instruction "How to free up memory on Android" includes several steps, some of which are interchangeable. Consistent execution of various kinds of actions will lead to an increase in free space, which will certainly lead to device optimization.

Android users are often faced with the fact that some time after the start of use, the "system" memory disappears somewhere. This also applies to users of budget versions of smartphones and middle peasants. Rarely concerns only flagship users, although they will not hurt to read this note. Moreover, the majority of budget devices are "on hand".
When you buy an android smartphone for the first time, it is not clear whether there is a lot of memory or little for real use, the one that is indicated in the specifications. My first android smartphone was samsung galaxy Gio GT-S5660. It has 178 megabytes of "built-in memory". Buying Thoughts:
- So, the main applications are already installed. I buy another memory card for multimedia, files and other progs. And those that can not get on the map, then for them and 178 meters with his head.
And after a while comes insight and disappointment. But let's talk about everything in order. Let's try to understand the basic concepts in file system and how to "treat" the problem at a minimum level. I greatly simplify the material, so do not look for "inaccuracies" in terms of Computer Sense.

operating room android system based on Linux. If you look at it from the root, you will see something like the following picture:

That is, about the same as in any Linux. I will not describe all the folders, if you need it - read the relevant literature. Now we are interested in "built-in memory" and "system". Where is it and what?

The android operating system itself is installed in the system memory. These are all those files and folders you see in the screenshot, except for a couple. Manufacturers do not write about this memory anywhere and never (I have not seen it, you have seen it - show it). In no press release or "specs" will you see "System Memory XXX MB". Here are all the system files that are of little interest to the average user. Using special utilities you can still see it. Galaxy Gio has 206 megabytes. Of the entire system memory, we are interested in one folder /system/app.

It is in this folder that all "pre-installed" applications are installed. Here are located those programs without which the smartphone cannot function normally, for example, a “dialer”, and all sorts of “synchronizers”, and those that were installed by the vendor (phone manufacturer) by default. For example Youtube, some office or "carrier" software.

Now, where do we have that same "built-in memory" or "user memory". In simple terms, it is in the catalog /data. Speaking correctly, the section of internal non-volatile memory available to the user is mounted in the file system as a directory /data, but I'll keep things simple.
What is in this directory? A novice user thinks that it is empty, and he is granted All space (in my case 178 MB) at your disposal.

And no matter how! This folder already after the first start is clogged with directories with files. Again, I will not dwell on all the directories, but will only talk about the main "devourers" of space.
The first folder is dalvik-cache. Part of android is Dalvik Virtual Machine, Google's own implementation of virtual java- a machine that runs all applications. Dalvik cache is an intermediate buffer with quick access. in plain language- here android puts pre-compiled program code in order to start the program as quickly as possible when starting the program. Moreover, this does not depend on the location of the program itself, even the system one, even in the user's memory, even on the memory card - dalvik-cache in one place in /data. On Galaxy example Gio this folder after the first start takes about 100-110 megabytes. Well, 178 megabytes of memory for the user suddenly turns into 60-70. Sadness is sadness. Absolutely without this cache it is impossible. There are a number of instructions on the net that allow you to transfer this cache to an external memory card. Of course, this affects performance a little, and there are glitches. I will not describe this technique. (If you have your own description of this method, knock - we will exchange links)

Let's look further. Folder /data/app. All user programs that cannot be transferred to a memory card for some reason are installed into it. There are usually two reasons. The first - a widget, programs with a widget - cannot be transferred to the map due to android restrictions. The second - the developer scored on users of budget smartphones.

And now the most important surprise, because of which I started writing this post. When a program that was "system" is updated, such as Youtube, its apk also placed in /data/app. And we get the following: /system/app lies, without going anywhere, the old version of the program, and in /data/app- new. Of course, "parts" of the program are also in dalvik-cache and in other caches and places, but this is, as it were, usual, but such duplication is not useful for us. It turns out that even if you did not install any programs yourself, after a while the user's memory (/ data / app) will "leave" to update the "system" programs (of course, if you update). Android won't move this apk itself to /system/app never.

What to do?
First you need to get root, otherwise the system will not allow you to write anything to /system/app.
How to get root for your specific device I suggest you search on the Internet yourself or look through this thread on w3bsit3-dns.com .

Root-rights - it's not scary. Often, users of competing systems present this as some kind of terrible villainy that allows you to do who knows what. For example, "pirate" as with JailBreak on iOS. For "piracy" on android, all this is not needed :) A smartphone with root rights enabled only allows some programs, the list of which is controlled, to always or temporarily get the right to write to system directories. And that's it. How sudo on linux or in run as administrator" on windows. Scary? No. Now, on some firmware phones, the root is turned on simply by a switch in the settings.

The second item we need is the SystemCleanup program

Donation program. That is, every time she starts, she asks to buy Inteks Donation Key, which goes to several programs of the author, for about $ 3, but this does not take away the functionality. In general, the program allows a lot of things: "customize" programs (maybe I'll talk about it later) on the device itself, clear the cache, delete system applications, make backups, and much more.
Consider only the restoration of universal justice, the transfer of updated system programs to their place.

Run the program and switch to the tab Apps.

Here you see a list installed applications with additional information. We are looking for applications under which it is written in red system+data. This is our "penalties". A single tap on the line will show Additional Information about the place occupied by this application in different "memory places". Make a long tap and select " update system app" and agree with the action in the additional dialog box. Usually, after all the moves, you need to reboot the device, which the program will offer to do.

In such a simple way, you can free up several tens of megabytes of valuable user memory occupied by clones.

In general, the program can do quite a lot useful action. I repeat. For example, you can remove pre-installed system applications that you do not need. Moreover, under most applications there is a signature whether it is safe to delete it. You can transfer an application from main memory to a memory card with full functionality (only if it is not a widget). And you can make some applications "system". For example, you freed several megabytes in system memory occupied by unnecessary operator software, and at the same time installed a third-party dialer. It is not advisable to transfer it to a memory card because of the speed or fault tolerance, and it takes up space in the "built-in memory". Long tap and choose Move app to /system/app, and your program has moved to the folder /system/app, that is, it has become systemic (from the point of view of the android).

That's all for today. Once again: the program has many more useful functions - study for yourself or maybe I will describe someday. Eat more radical methods of "expanding" user memory related to remounting a dalwick cache or a folder in general /data to a memory card. But they are associated with certain risks and other inconveniences.

The purpose of this post has been achieved. I wish you good luck and keep your memory in good shape :)

And visit 2 cool resources.

Android users are often faced with the fact that some time after the start of use, the "system" memory disappears somewhere. This also applies to users of budget versions of smartphones and middle peasants. Rarely concerns only flagship users, although they will not hurt to read this note. Moreover, the majority of budget devices are "on hand".
When you buy an android smartphone for the first time, it is not clear whether there is a lot of memory or little for real use, the one that is indicated in the specifications. My first android smartphone was Samsung Galaxy Gio GT-S5660. It has 178 megabytes of "built-in memory". Buying Thoughts:
- So, the main applications are already installed. I buy another memory card for multimedia, files and other progs. And those that can not get on the map, then for them and 178 meters with his head.
And after a while comes insight and disappointment. But let's talk about everything in order. Let's try to understand the basic concepts in the file system and how to "treat" the problem at a minimum level. I greatly simplify the material, so do not look for "inaccuracies" in terms of Computer Sense.

The android operating system is based on Linux. If you look at it from the root, you will see something like the following picture:

The android operating system itself is installed in the system memory. These are all those files and folders you see in the screenshot, except for a couple. Manufacturers do not write about this memory anywhere and never (I have not seen it, you have seen it - show it). In no press release or "specs" will you see "System Memory XXX MB". Here are all the system files that are of little interest to the average user. Using special utilities, you can still see it. Galaxy Gio has 206 megabytes. Of the entire system memory, we are interested in one folder /system/app.

And no matter how! This folder already after the first start is clogged with directories with files. Again, I will not dwell on all the directories, but will only talk about the main "devourers" of space.
The first folder is dalvik-cache. Part of android is Dalvik Virtual Machine, Google's own implementation of virtual java- a machine that runs all applications. Dalvik cache is an intermediate buffer with fast access. In simple terms, android puts pre-compiled program code here in order to start the program as quickly as possible when starting the program. Moreover, this does not depend on the location of the program itself, even the system one, even in the user's memory, even on the memory card - dalvik-cache in one place in /data. On the example of Galaxy Gio, this folder after the first start takes about 100-110 megabytes. Well, 178 megabytes of memory for the user suddenly turns into 60-70. Sadness is sadness. Absolutely without this cache it is impossible. There are a number of instructions on the net that allow you to transfer this cache to an external memory card. Of course, this affects performance a little, and there are glitches. I will not describe this technique. (If you have your own description of this method, knock - we will exchange links)

What to do?
First you need to get root, otherwise the system will not allow you to write anything to /system/app.
How to get root for your specific device, I suggest searching the Internet yourself or flipping through this thread on w3bsit3-dns.com .

Root-rights - it's not scary. Often, users of competing systems present this as some kind of terrible villainy that allows you to do who knows what. For example, "pirate" as with JailBreak on iOS. For "piracy" on android, all this is not needed :) A smartphone with root rights enabled only allows some programs, the list of which is controlled, to always or temporarily get the right to write to system directories. And that's it. How sudo on linux or in run as administrator" on windows. Scary? No. Now, on some firmware phones, the root is turned on simply by a switch in the settings.

The second item we need is the SystemCleanup program

Run the program and switch to the tab Apps.

Here you see a list of installed applications with additional information. We are looking for applications under which it is written in red system+data. This is our "penalties". A single tap on the line will show additional information about the place occupied by this application in different "memory places". Make a long tap and select " update system app" and agree with the action in the additional dialog box. Usually, after all the moves, you need to reboot the device, which the program will offer to do.

In such a simple way, you can free up several tens of megabytes of valuable user memory occupied by clones.

In general, the program can do quite a lot of useful things. I repeat. For example, you can remove pre-installed system applications that you do not need. Moreover, under most applications there is a signature whether it is safe to delete it. You can transfer an application from main memory to a memory card with full functionality (only if it is not a widget). And you can make some applications "system". For example, you freed several megabytes in system memory occupied by unnecessary operator software, and at the same time installed a third-party dialer. It is not advisable to transfer it to a memory card because of the speed or fault tolerance, and it takes up space in the "built-in memory". Long tap and choose Move app to /system/app, and your program has moved to the folder /system/app, that is, it has become systemic (from the point of view of the android).

The purpose of this post has been achieved. I wish you good luck and keep your memory in good shape :)

And visit 2 cool resources.

Any smartphone user sooner or later faces one problem - there is not enough space in the memory of the Android device, how to fix it? After all, it would seem that there are such devices in which the built-in memory is 16 GB or even more. But no matter how much it is, in the end - it is always not enough. What is wrong? Where can it go and what to do with an overflowing device?

The owner of the phone should know something - he will never have full access to the internal memory. This is due to the fact that part of this very memory is occupied by the operating system and all those applications, and sometimes even games that the manufacturer deemed it necessary to install by default. In this regard, the Android memory, which remains at the disposal of the user, is always less than 2-3 GB required for normal functioning devices. And therefore, if its memory is 4-8 GB, there is very little of it left.

What affects the amount of free space and where does it go?

As already mentioned above, first of all, part of the memory disappears due to the fact that the system itself uses it.
Then it is filled with various applications that a person installs on his mobile phone or tablet.
Also, each program, and especially the game, gradually fills the space with a cache, which, although it speeds up the download in the future, often takes up a lot of space on the phone.
It happens that the cache of remote applications does not go anywhere, and therefore also becomes the cause of the problem, because usually new applications are put on top, and old files are not cleaned up.
I can say with confidence that not all phone owners worry about where photos and videos will be stored right away when setting up the phone - in internal memory or on a flash drive.
And do not forget about various viruses, which, being malicious, also steal free space quite well.

Ways to free memory

Basically, we will find out that there is not enough memory on the device when we are going to install a new application. At the same time, the error “Phone memory is full” or “Not enough free memory” pops up, Android offers to get rid of unnecessary and rarely used content.

The conscious owner of a smartphone always has installed utilities that can monitor the overflow of the device and offer appropriate solutions to this problem. It would be nice to independently control the state of the device’s memory, for which it will be enough to go to the “Memory” section in the settings and see if free space may be running out.

Another signal that there is not enough memory is the sudden braking of the phone, the response speed to user actions becomes much lower.

Removing unnecessary programs

This is possible with the help of both installed utilities and simply the Device Manager. To do this, just go into it, find desired program or a game, click on it, and then select Delete. The same way to reduce clogged space includes stopping the operation of built-in programs that are not subject to removal without providing root rights. This is also done using the Dispatcher.

This video shows the main ways to free up space on the device with an example.

Clearing the cache

All the same Device Manager or special programs we delete the cache of any application, while we do not forget about those already deleted, the trace of which is still left. Just empty folders will also be deleted immediately. Let there be nothing there, but why are they on our gadget at all?
This should also include antivirus programs, which, in the presence of pests, can also help free up space.

Transferring files to a flash drive or any other storage device

In the case when the memory is filled with a lot of music, photos, videos and just pictures, you can free it up by simply moving the files through Explorer to a USB flash drive in your phone or to a computer. For Android users, there is an additional and very convenient feature - Google Drive. Thanks to him, you can store information up to 15 GB in the "cloud", while deleting copies of it from your device.

You can also transfer some applications and games to a removable memory card. True, this can not be done on all models and only with the help of android programs Assistant, or rather one of the functions - App2SD.

There is a place, but the error does not disappear

But what if the error about the lack of free space still pops up, although there is memory? You can try to fix the situation by deleting the cache Google Play market. If necessary - and its updates (via Device Manager).
The last way is to delete the cache in recovery mode. For this you need:

turn off your phone or tablet;
turn on while holding down the button to enter the mode (for different brands and models it differs, but often it is the power button + volume rocker + home button);
select Wipe cache partition;
if there is an Advanced item, then select it, and in it - Wipe dalvik cache.

In summary, I will say that there are many ways to increase the amount of free space on the device, but it is better to resort to the one that you are sure of. Just so as not to harm your device even more.

In modern smartphones, the average amount of permanent memory (ROM) is about 16 GB, but there are models with only 8 GB or 256 GB. But regardless of the device you use, you notice that over time, the memory starts to run out, as it fills up with all sorts of garbage. Is it possible to clean it up?

Initially, out of the indicated 16 GB of ROM, you will have only 11-13 GB free, since the operating system itself occupies some space, plus, specialized applications from the manufacturer can go to it. Some of the latter can be removed without causing much harm to the phone.

Over time, using a smartphone, memory quickly begins to “melt”. Here are the main sources that absorb it:

Applications downloaded by you. After purchasing and turning on the smartphone, you will probably download several applications from the Play Market or third-party sources. However, many applications do not take up as much space as it might seem at first glance;
Photos, videos and audio recordings taken or uploaded. The percentage of fullness of the permanent memory of the device depends in this case on how much you download / produce media content using your smartphone;
Application data. Applications themselves may be small, but over time they accumulate various data (most of them are important for work), increasing their share in the device's memory. For example, you downloaded a browser that initially weighed 1 MB, and two months later it began to weigh under 20 MB;
Various system junk. It accumulates in approximately the same way as in Windows. The more you use the OS, the more junk and broken files begin to clog up the device's memory;
Residual data after downloading content from the Internet or transferring it via Bluetooth. Can be classified as a variety junk files;
Old versions of applications. When updating an application in Play market android creates backup his old version so that you can roll back.

Method 1: Transferring data to an SD card

SD cards can greatly expand the memory of your device. Now you can find copies of a small size (about like a mini-SIM), but with a capacity of 64 GB. Most often, media content and documents are stored on them. It is not recommended to transfer applications (especially system ones) to the SD card.

This method is not suitable for those users whose smartphone does not support SD cards or artificial memory expansion. If you are one of them, then use this instruction to transfer data from the permanent memory of your smartphone to an SD card:

If you do not have the opportunity to use an SD card, then you can use various online cloud storages as an analogue. It is easier to work with them, and besides, they provide a certain amount of memory for free (about 10 GB on average), and you will need to pay for an SD card. However, they have a significant disadvantage - you can work with files that are saved in the "cloud" only if the device is connected to the Internet.

If you want all the photos, audio and video recordings you have taken to be saved immediately to the SD card, then you need to do the following manipulations in the device settings:

Go to "Settings".
There, select "Memory".
Find and click on "Default memory". From the list that appears, select the SD card inserted in the this moment into the device.

Method 2: Disabling automatic updates of the Play Market

Most applications downloaded on Android can be updated in background from a Wi-Fi network. Not only can newer versions weigh more than older versions, but older versions are also saved on the device in case of failures. If you turn off automatic app updates through the Play Market, you will be able to update only those apps that you consider necessary.

You can disable automatic updates in the Play Market by following these instructions:

However, some applications from the Play Market can bypass this block if the update is very significant (according to the developers). To completely disable any updates, you will have to go into the settings of the OS itself. The instruction looks like this:

You should not trust third-party apps that promise to disable all updates on Android, as at best they will simply perform the configuration described above, and at worst they can harm your device.

Thanks to the shutdown automatic updates you can not only save memory on the device, but also Internet traffic.

Method 3: Cleaning up system junk

Since Android produces various system garbage, which over time clutters up memory very much, it needs to be cleaned regularly. Fortunately, there are special applications for this, and also some smartphone manufacturers make operating system a special add-on that allows you to delete junk files directly from the system.

Consider initially how to clean up the system if your manufacturer has already made the necessary add-on to the system (relevant for Xiaomi devices). Instruction:

If you do not have a specialized add-on for cleaning your smartphone from various debris, then you can download the cleaner application from the Play Market as an analogue. The instruction will be considered with an example mobile version CCleaner:

Unfortunately, not all Android junk cleaner apps are highly effective, as most of them only pretend to delete something.

Method 4: Factory Reset

It is used extremely rarely and only in emergency situations, as it entails the complete removal of all user data on the device (only standard applications remain). If you still decide on a similar method, then it is recommended to transfer all the necessary data to another device or to the "cloud".

Freeing up some space on your phone's built-in memory isn't that hard. As a last resort, you can use either SD cards or cloud services.

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