How to free up internal memory on Android: step-by-step instructions. How to clear internal memory on Android

If your phone's memory is full, you need to free up some space. Removing cached data that fills spaces will help ensure that Android does not slow down. You can clean Android of junk manually or using special cleaning applications.

Manual cleaning

If the phone has not been cleaned for a long time, then the user is faced with a number of tasks:

  1. How to free up system memory.
  2. How to free up RAM.
  3. How to clear an SD card.

If you run out of free space, then the first question that needs to be resolved is how to clear the cache on Android. Removing the cache allows you to quickly and freely free up system memory. If you don't understand where the free space is going, clearing the cache will give you the answer - the memory on your phone is running out due to the large volume of temporary files. To get rid of them, you need to clean your Android.

  1. Open settings, “Applications” section.
  2. Go to the settings of applications that create a lot of temporary files - Play Market, games, browser, instant messengers, social network clients. Don’t forget about built-in applications like “Galleries”. Even if you delete photos and videos from your phone, information about them will remain in the cache.
  3. Click Clear Cache.

Manually clearing the internal memory of an Android device is not limited to deleting the application cache. To completely clear the memory of your Android phone, you need to examine the contents of the system folders. This can be done manually through file managers. Let's see how you can free up memory on Android by deleting temporary files through File Manager.

You can also clean the folders of individual applications - VKontakte, Viber, WhatsApp. You won’t be able to clear RAM on Android this way, but you will understand how to clear the internal memory of your phone. In addition, knowing how to clean your phone, you can get rid of viruses that periodically enter the system.

After deleting the cache and unnecessary files, it will become clear where the memory of your Android phone or tablet went. The memory was lost because a complete set of temporary data had accumulated in the system. The storage device cannot delete them on its own, which causes slowdowns and other problems. By knowing how to clear memory and freeing up system memory, the user can extend the device's operating time.

Using cleaning apps

We figured out how to clear the internal memory of Android yourself. Now let's see how to completely clean your phone using special apps. In the Play Market you can find a large number of programs in Russian and English. Please note the following applications:

  • Clean Master.
  • Cleaning Master.
  • History eraser.
  • Smart Booster.
  • 1Tap Cleaner, etc.

They work on the same principle: you launch the program, select which files you want to delete, and wait for the optimization procedure to complete.

If you know how to manually clear memory on Android, then this will not be enough to completely remove unnecessary files. Using 2 methods, manual cleaning and optimization through applications, will help you figure out how to remove all unnecessary data that takes up space.

Cleaning RAM

We figured out how to quickly clear system memory on Android, but the question remains, how to clear RAM? RAM on Android is also filled with data, the release of which allows you to answer the question of how to increase the speed of your phone.

Most cleaning programs can optimize RAM on Android and increase performance. If you don’t understand where the performance went, then after running the cleaning application, the RAM on Android can again be used to its fullest extent.

Sooner or later, the owner of an Android device faces the task of clearing the phone’s memory. The internal memory space, no matter how large it is, unfortunately, still has a limit. And one “fine day”, or “hour X”, in case of overflow, notifies the user with alarming news: “I can’t install a new application!”

There are no fewer “memory eaters” in the Android operating system than in Windows used on a computer. Unnecessary files (temporary), browser cache, useless programs and content, installers, etc. The phone’s RAM also needs to be optimized and the external and internal memory cleaned.

Special software tools - applications available on the official Google Play web resource - help remove “digital junk” from your device and make it work faster (improve the functioning of system memory). Let's take a closer look at their capabilities.

Automatic cleaning

A cleaner program, a system optimizer and an antivirus rolled into one, will be useful for both experienced users and beginners who can barely cope with the basic settings of Android. After launch, its panel displays the data load of the flash drive and RAM. Detects residual files, identical and blurry photos. Speeds up RAM and games. Informs the user about applications that cause CPU overheating.

To destroy unnecessary files and other “software” garbage on your phone using Clean Master, follow these steps:

1. In the utility control panel, tap on the “Trash” section icon.

2. Uncheck items that do not need to be cleaned. And then click “Clear” (the button at the bottom of the list).

Warning! If you clear a game's cache, all game progress will be deleted. Be careful with add-ons!

3. Upon completion of cleaning, Clean Master will report how much disk space it was able to free up on the device. After reviewing the data, click “Done” under the message text.

To unload the device’s random access memory (RAM), use the “Memory Acceleration” function (the button on the main panel, next to “Trash”).

1. After scanning, the cleaner application will display a list of programs and services that can be optimized. Disable unnecessary ones (if required) and tap “Acceleration”.

2. To exit the section, click “Done”.

Ported version to Android of the mega-popular cleaner for computers running Windows OS. Keeps download folders, clipboard and other directories of the mobile device, which often get littered, clean and tidy. Provides safe web surfing. Can delete logs of SMS messages and calls. Allows you to monitor the operation of RAM and the status of memory drives.

Selective directory cleaning and analysis

Helps quickly find and completely neutralize “heavy” files and folders on device memory cards. After analysis, it displays a visual diagram of the occupied space.

The hierarchy of directories in the graphical diagram of the application can be scaled if necessary: ​​open the contents of folders and subfolders.

To delete a selected file:

  • open the menu (tap the “three dots” icon in the left-right corner);
  • Select “Delete” from the list of options;
  • in the additional window, confirm the launch of the command (click “Delete” again).

Displays in detail information about occupied and free space on SD cards, USB devices, external and internal storage in the form of visual infographics (radial charts) and in a standard form (display mode selected by the user).

Distributed free of charge. Has the status of trusted software (does not contain viruses or advertising modules).

Finds and destroys unnecessary folders and files with lightning speed. Indexes all objects stored on disks. Equipped with internal search: finds an element based on a given query within a few seconds. Displays the ten heaviest files. Supports a context menu for performing various actions with the selected object. Has a widget for online disk management from the desktop. Adapted for use on both phones and tablets.

Removing pre-installed applications

Some manufacturers install third-party applications into the operating system of their mobile gadgets by default. But not all of them are useful to the user. On the contrary, they are sources of “brakes” and take up precious disk space. In most cases, it is not possible to remove them using standard phone functions. The use of specialized utilities is required, as well as the inclusion of root rights.

One of the best tools for removing system applications on rooted Android. Before cleaning, provides the user with the opportunity to temporarily freeze (deactivate) the program. In this mode, you can observe how the operating system works in its absence. If everything is fine with the phone, the application can be safely removed from the drive permanently.

Comprehensive prevention

To always keep the RAM and storage of your phone in perfect order, it is not at all necessary to install several utilities (the first cleans, the second optimizes, etc.). For greater convenience, comprehensive cleaning and acceleration of the operating system can be performed through multifunctional applications. Storage space is saved and less time is spent on “cleaning”.

The harvester application removes everything unnecessary from the device and speeds up the operation of the OS. Detects applications that excessively consume system resources (RAM, CPU, battery energy). Gently cleans up the cache of the Android shell and installed applications.

Clears in the browser. Increases the level of confidentiality of personal data.

Supports disabling unnecessary components. Helps the user choose the optimal parameters in the settings (energy saving, display brightness, etc.).

Let your Android always have only useful applications and data!

How to clear android internal memory when android internal memory is full. In this article, you will learn effective ways to clear the internal ROM (internal) memory of an Android device and get rid of the “phone internal memory is full” message.

When using a mobile device, sooner or later the question arises: how to clear memory on Android. This problem may occur when you want to install an application, download something from the Internet, receive files via bluetooth, or simply your phone or tablet displays a message: the internal memory of the phone is full - we will tell you what to do. Cleaning your phone of junk has a positive effect on the speed of the entire device and applications.


After you have moved the necessary files to the memory card, you have managed to partially clear the internal memory of your Android. But that’s not all, and if you want to free up even more space and forget about the error: Android internal memory is full, read the article to the end.

2. How to transfer applications to a memory card

How to transfer applications to a memory card to clear the internal memory of an Android is quite a difficult task, since such an operation has some limitations. To fully implement it, you need to obtain administrator rights (root) by installing the necessary software, but in this case you lose the warranty on your Android device, and some incorrect actions can turn it into a brick. If you already have root access, install the application, with its help you can transfer applications to the memory card, even some pre-installed ones, but this may affect the correct operation of these applications and the system as a whole.


Most applications are automatically installed into the internal memory of the device, and without administrator rights (root), they will not be transferred. This can be done in "Settings" - "Applications", but this method is not the most convenient. There are quite a lot of programs in the Play Market app store with which you can transfer applications to a memory card. We suggest using a multifunctional application Android Assistant, which includes 18 essential tools for managing your Android. You can download Android Assistant and get acquainted with its capabilities in the article:.


Launch Android Assistant, go to the " tab Tools" and select the item "App2Sd".
The tab opens a list of applications that can be transferred to the memory card. After selecting applications, you are thrown into "Application Information" click here "To SD memory card".


You can clean up your Android's internal memory by uninstalling unnecessary apps. For convenience, we recommend a tool in Android Assistant - "Batch deletion"- it allows you to select several applications to remove at the same time and will show in which memory it is installed.

3. How to clean your phone or tablet of debris

Unlike previous tasks, where if you set up correctly and perform the described actions you will not have to repeat them ever, you will need to use your knowledge of how to clean Android of garbage quite often. The good news is that once you install the necessary software, the process is very simple and fast.


You need to understand that garbage appears constantly: this is a cache from open pages on the Internet, running applications or their remains after deletion, etc., therefore, if you periodically clean your Android of garbage, this not only allows you to clear the internal memory of the Android, but also has a positive effect on the speed of applications and the device.

To solve the problem: how to clear the internal memory of Android from garbage, we suggest using the application Clean Master. This is not only a very convenient, simple and functional tool for cleaning internal memory, but also the best cleaner for Android.


Launch the Clean Master application, select "Garbage" And "Clear." After this, the application offers to do more advanced cleaning and warns that this partition may contain the necessary data, so carefully select the files to delete.


Now you know how to clean your Android phone of junk, how to transfer applications to a memory card (if possible) and how to move files on Android when the Android internal memory is full. In addition to a memory card, there is another way - storing files on the Internet.

4. Storing files on the Internet

Storing files on the Internet, thanks to various cloud storage services, allows you not only to clear your internal memory and free up your memory card, but also to access your files from any device with the Internet through a browser or special applications, you just need to enter your username and password. If you are interested in this topic, we discussed it in detail using the example of the most advanced cloud storage - Google Drive in the article:.


So, in this article, you learned how to clear the internal memory of your Android phone when the internal memory is full. We solved this problem by analyzing the questions: how to move files on Android (pictures, videos, music, documents), how to transfer applications to a memory card, how to clean your device of garbage, and learned about storing files on the Internet - Cloud storage.


There is also a way for the “lazy”, if you urgently need to clear all personal data and delete applications with their settings - try it. This will completely clean the device and format it.


Was the article helpful? Tell your friends using the social media buttons below!

  • June 26, 2017
  • 124,938 views

Did you like it?

Ratings: 38

Until now, many budget devices are equipped with a small amount of internal memory. As a rule, this is 8 GB, but there are devices on which no more than 4 GB are allocated. Accordingly, they have very little space left for installing applications, videos, music and photos. What can be done in this case?

Transferring applications to a memory card or deleting them

If applications are installed in the device's memory, it is advisable to transfer them to a memory card. Here's how you can do it. To get started, go to your device's settings (Settings app).

We are looking for third-party applications in it. For example, in our case it is the game Cut the Rope. Click on the application icon.

Once in the settings, click “Move to SD card” (in our case, “Go to SD card”, which is basically the same thing).

The game will be transferred to the memory card. This may take some time depending on the size of the application.

If you do not use the application, then delete it by clicking on the button of the same name.

Transfer video, audio, photos

In many cases, free space is taken up by video or audio recordings, and often by a huge number of photographs. There are two ways to transfer these files: using File Explorer or using a computer. In the second case, connect the device to the computer using a USB cable and transfer files from the internal memory to the memory card manually.

For the first case, you will need a file manager, for example, ES Explorer. Launch the application, find the folder with the file, click on it and copy.

That's it, she was moved.

Clean your device of outdated and unnecessary data

To do this, you can use various applications, and some devices have proprietary cleaning utilities. We will use the SD Maid application, which has proven itself to be excellent. Download it from, install and run. Click on the “Garbage” button and wait for the system to collect all the data.

Then click "Clear" to clear the data.

In our case, the volume of garbage is very small. Sometimes, however, garbage can accumulate over several gigabytes of memory. That's right.

By the way, unnecessary files can be stored in cloud storage. Many cloud storage services are completely free, so you can use this service to store, say, unnecessary photos.

Some time after the first turn on, too much information accumulates on the phone and there is simply no free space left for new files. Owners of budget Android devices especially often encounter this problem. But not everything is so simple, all phones have several types of memory, and first you need to figure out what each of them is responsible for, and only then clean the gadget of unnecessary files and irrelevant information. What ways are there to clean up or increase storage capacity?

Types of memory on Android devices

Each of the memory departments has its own tasks and characteristics, which we will now look into:

  • Built-in memory is the memory that is initially located on the phone or tablet and is intended for storing various files. Each device has its own hard drive, on which the operating system itself and programs necessary for normal and full functioning are stored. After connecting the device to the Internet, or using other methods, you can start filling the internal memory with everything you need: files, programs, music, videos, etc.
  • A storage drive or memory card is an addition to the internal memory that is installed separately. All Android devices have a special input for an SD card, which will allow you to expand the memory by 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB. You can transfer personal information, media files and applications to an external drive.
  • If the internal and external memory becomes completely full, you will no longer be able to place anything on the device. It is also possible that the phone will begin to freeze, slow down and refuse to launch applications.

  • RAM (RAM) - this memory stores information about processes that are currently occurring and files copied to the clipboard. That is, if you launched a game or application, started watching a video or listening to music via the Internet, the load will go to the RAM. In other words, this memory is designed to store cache. Everything that is in this memory is temporary files, since they will be erased after rebooting the device or when a special button is pressed.
  • ROM (ROM) - unlike RAM, it is a permanent memory that stores processes necessary for the full functioning of the system. That is, the ROM is responsible for the loads associated with the operating system and is not reset when the device is rebooted.
  • If the RAM or ROM is completely full, the phone will start to freeze, slow down and stop opening applications. Also, many devices have a function that automatically reboots and disables some applications when the RAM or ROM is heavily loaded.

    How to view statistics on the memory load of a smartphone or tablet

    First, let's check how much and what kind of memory we have left by following these steps:

  • Open your phone settings.

    Open settings

  • Go to the "Memory" section.

    Go to the “Memory” section

  • Here you can view detailed information about the internal and external memory. The list is divided into sections that describe how much memory there is, what it is occupied by, and how much free space is left.

    Memory usage information

  • To find out what part of the RAM and ROM is free, hold down the “Menu” button on the phone panel.

    Press the "Menu" button to view information about RAM and ROM

  • The window that opens shows a list of running applications, and at the bottom there is a button with the words “Available...MB from...GB”. The second digit is the sum of RAM and ROM, the first digit is how much of the total memory is available at the moment.

    The button at the bottom of the screen contains information about the available and total memory of RAM and ROM

  • How to clear device memory

    Since everyone faces this problem sooner or later, there are several cleaning methods, each of which is used for a specific memory.

    Using built-in applications

    First of all, let's use what the developers of your smartphone came up with to clear the internal and external memory by following these steps:

  • Go to your phone settings.

    Go to settings

  • Go to the "Memory" section.

    Go to the “Memory” section

  • Click on the "Cache" button.

    Click on the “Cache” button

  • Confirm deletion of data.

    Confirm cache deletion

  • Now go to the "Miscellaneous" section.

    Go to the “Miscellaneous” section

  • Check the box for those applications whose files you are not afraid of losing. That is, if you delete .vkontakte, you will lose all saved music and pictures, and the same will happen with other applications whose files you delete.

    We mark applications whose files you don’t mind deleting

  • Click on the garbage can icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

    Click on the garbage can icon to delete data

  • Video tutorial: leave what you need, delete what you don’t need - how to properly clear memory in Android

    To clear RAM and ROM, follow these steps:

  • Press and hold the "Menu" button on your device.

    Hold down the "Menu" button to open the list of running applications

  • In the window that appears, click the button with the broom icon.

    Click on the broom icon to close all applications at once

  • Open your phone settings.

    Open the phone settings

  • Go to the "Applications" section.

    Go to the “Applications” section

  • Go to the “Working” subsection.

    Go to the “Working” section

  • Click on an application that you can stop without losing the functionality of your device. For example, select “Vkontakte”, “Instagram”, browser and similar applications.

    Selecting applications that can be stopped

  • Click the Stop button.

    Click the “Stop” button

  • Do the same for all unnecessary applications.
  • Go to the list of cached applications by clicking on the corresponding icon in the upper right corners of the screen.

    Click on the special icon to go to the list of cached applications

  • Stop all unnecessary applications.

    Stopping unnecessary applications

  • Video tutorial: clearing RAM on an Android device

    Freeing up storage space manually

    This method involves transferring files and programs from internal memory to external memory, since usually the phone’s built-in memory is noticeably smaller than that which can be additionally installed using an SD card. You can transfer pictures, videos, e-books and files that are not involved in maintaining the functionality of the phone to external memory. In general, transfer everything that is not related to the operating system.

  • Open File Explorer. This is an application that contains all the folders and files located on the device.

    Open Explorer

  • Go to internal memory.

    Go to internal memory

  • Hold your finger on the file you want to transfer for a couple of seconds.

    Select file to transfer

  • Click on the scissors icon to cut it.

    Click on the scissors icon to cut the file

  • Go to the MicroSD section.

    Go to the MicroSD section

  • Click on the paper tablet icon to insert a file.

    Insert the cut file using the “Insert” button

  • Do the same with all files.
  • You can also transfer part of the application to external memory by following these steps:

  • Open your device settings.

    Open the phone settings

  • Go to the "Memory" section.

    Go to the “Memory” section

  • Check the box next to MicroSD.

    Check the box next to MIcroSD

  • Reboot your phone. From now on, all applications not included in the list of built-in ones will be transferred to external memory. But be careful, if you remove or break the external drive, applications will no longer run.

    Reboot the device

  • Using a computer

    Don't forget that you can use your computer as an external drive. To transfer files from phone to PC, follow these steps:

  • Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable.

    We connect the phone and computer using a USB cable

  • Wait until all drivers are installed.
  • On your computer, open File Explorer and navigate to your phone's contents.

    Let's go to the contents of the phone

  • Cut out and transfer all files that are not involved in maintaining the functionality of the device, that is, those that were uploaded by you personally, and not by the creators of the phone.
  • We expand the capabilities of the gadget using cloud technologies

    In recent years, such a branch of the Internet as cloud technologies has been actively developing, allowing you to upload a file to the cloud via an Internet connection. It goes like this:

  • You open one of the programs designed for cloud storage. For example, the Yandex.Disk application, which can be downloaded from Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.yandex.disk&hl=ru.

    Install the Yandex.Disk application

  • Click on the “Upload file” button and select the one you need.

    Upload the necessary files to Yandex cloud servers

  • Done, now you can delete the file from your phone, it will remain on Yandex Disk until you download it from there or delete it. But be careful, carefully read the conditions for storing the file on cloud servers, as some companies set limits on file sizes and storage periods, after which it will be automatically deleted.
  • We work with third-party programs

    In the Play Market you can easily find many free programs that help you clean your phone in a couple of clicks. Now we will look at the most popular and practical of them:

    Clean Master will free your storage from unnecessary information

    Probably one of the most famous applications, and not only in its category, as it has more than 5,000,000 installations. Clean Master offers a complete cleaning of the device from temporary files, cache, damaged and empty folders, browser history and other garbage. Its capabilities also include automatic closing of unnecessary applications and a built-in antivirus. The application has a nice and convenient interface that allows you to clean your device with just two clicks of the “Analysis” and “Clean” buttons. Installation link from Play Market -

    Install the Clean Master application

    System monitoring in Android Assistant

    Also deservedly located in the top Play Market program (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.advancedprocessmanager&hl=ru), which has a very wide list of features:

  • Constant system monitoring, providing the user with information about system load, memory status, battery temperature and other useful things.
  • A process manager that allows you to manage running applications in a couple of touches of the screen.
  • Ability to view the list of applications that start automatically when the device is turned on and disable them.
  • The App 2 SD function allows you to quickly move installed applications from internal to external memory.
  • And, most importantly, the application will allow you to clear your phone’s memory of unnecessary files with the press of one button.

    Installing the Android Assistant application

  • Total Commander will help you structure your folders and files

    This application is designed to organize all the files on the device. Total Commander will allow you to pack and unpack folders with their contents in rar and zip formats. Its capabilities also include editing and transferring the contents of the phone from place to place or to another device. Installation link from Play Market -

    Installing the Total Commander application

    How to increase internal memory on Android

    If clearing the memory did not solve your problems, then it’s time to think about upgrading your device.

    First, get an SD card. At the moment, their cost depends on the amount of memory. That is, an 8 GB card will cost twice as much as a 4 GB card. Try to buy a card with more memory than you currently need, so that you can move it into a new phone in the future without having to buy a new one.

    Secondly, install the FolderMount application from the Play Market (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devasque.fmount&hl=ru) and the 360root application, which will give your device root rights (download it can be found on the official website of the developer http://360root.ru).

  • Launch the 360root application and click on the button in the middle of the screen. Done, superuser rights have been obtained.

    Press the button to give the phone root rights

  • Open the application. It is designed to increase the internal memory of the device by combining the storage areas located there with an SD card. That is, applications can be completely transferred to an external drive from the phone, accordingly freeing up the built-in memory.

    Open the application

  • We begin to manually combine folders. More details on how to do this correctly are described in the video tutorial.
  • Video: combining folders

    Thirdly, let’s figure out how to increase the device’s RAM. This can be done using special programs that create a swap file. For example, Ram Manager.

  • Download the application from the Play Market - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartprojects.RAMOptimizationFree&hl=ru.

    Install the RAM Manager Free application

  • We give him root rights.

    Give the application root rights

  • Select one of the operating modes.

    Select one of the modes

  • Ram Manager operating modes:

  • Balance - maximum optimization of RAM.
  • Balance (with more free memory) – maximum optimization of RAM for devices with up to 512 MB of memory.
  • Balance (with more multitasking) – maximum optimization of RAM for devices with more than 512 MB.
  • Hard Gaming is a mode for those who like to run serious games on their device that require a lot of resources.
  • Hard Multitasking - this mode will optimize the operation of the device while running several programs simultaneously.
  • Default (Samsung) – this mode is activated in Samsung devices by default, but now it can be used on phones from other companies.
  • Default (Nexus S) – mode for phones and tablets from Google.
  • Default settings of your phone - this function resets the RAM settings to the “default” level.
  • How to avoid cluttering your phone and save system resources

    To avoid problems with free device memory in the future, you should follow simple rules:

  • Download only what you really need. Don't buy into big names and promises of programs that promise to speed up your device several times. They will only clog your memory, which will lead to sad consequences.
  • Make it a rule to transfer photos and videos from your phone to your computer or flash drive once every couple of weeks. This will significantly relieve memory, and it will not run out at the most inopportune moment.
  • Use memory cleaning programs regularly. For example, Clean Master. They will clear the cache and other garbage accumulated on your device.
  • Buy an SD card, which will greatly increase the amount of available memory.
  • The performance of the device directly depends on the free space. If the memory is clogged, then you cannot avoid freezes and reduced phone performance. Remember that any computer device requires constant care and protection from viruses. Only if you are careful and careful with your gadget will it serve you for a long time and with high quality, constantly satisfying your needs.