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How To Free Up Space On Android In 3 Easy Steps

Updated: August 29, 2023 by Cassandra McBride | Leave a comment

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re running low on Android storage space and are receiving storage alerts. We get it. Over time, your Android’s memory will fill up, and you may not fancy the idea of deleting anything. Fortunately, we’re here to teach you how to free up space on Android.

So, grab your Android phone or tablet and read through the tutorial below. We’ve included plenty of options to take back control of your storage.

What Are Your Options for Freeing Up Space on Android?

Naturally, you could delete apps, photos, videos, and documents. But for us, that’s a bit counter-productive. We want to keep our data and still have more storage. As experts on the subject, we’ve compiled a tutorial packed with ways for you to have your cake and eat it too!

Let’s go over some things you should know about how to free up space on your Android before jumping into the steps. Take a brief moment to read through the following sections to make the tutorials easier.

Using an SD Card to Free Up Space on Android

For many years, an SD card was the best backup solution before Google Drive took off. You could offload photos, documents, music, and more to your SD card. All of your precious information remained on those tiny little Micro SD cards, and you could retrieve it anytime.

Unfortunately, many smartphone and tablet manufacturers have slowly moved away from SD card slots. But if you still have one available, you can pick up a Micro SD card on Amazon and use it to free up space on your Android.

Using Cloud Services to Free Up Space on Android

If the Micro SD card method isn’t an option for you, you can use cloud services to free up space on Android. Although cloud services are equally secure to Micro SD cards, you may have to pay additional fees to use them.

Of course, a minimal fee is a great price to pay for freeing up storage on an Android. It makes the cleanup process faster, and you won’t lose any data. As a matter of fact, you can clean up storage using the Google Photos app or the Dropbox app on your Android!

We’ll show you how to use cloud services to take control of your Android storage below.

How to Free Up Space on Android – SD Card

A Micro SD card can come in handy in freeing up space on your Android. Insert the SD card (you may need to visit your manufacturer’s website for further instructions), and follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the My Files App

Launch the My Files app on your Android device.

Open your files. — *The My Files app is a native Android app*
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Note: If you don’t have it, you can use the Files by Google app to quickly move items from your device storage to your SD Card.

Step 2: Tap Internal Storage

Now you have two options. You can tap Internal Storage to access all your device’s files (photos, music, documents, etc.). Or, you can tap one of the options near the top to narrow down the file type.

Step 3: Select the Files

Long-press the files you want to move to your SD card by long-pressing them. Then, tap Move in the bottom right corner.

Select your files. — *Select all the files that you want to move.*
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Note: Some older versions of Android may not show the Move option immediately. If you don’t see it, tap the Menu icon and select the option from there.

Step 4: Tap the Back Arrow

You’ll notice the Move Here option doesn’t work just yet. That’s because you have to go back to the My Files main page and select your SD card. Don’t worry, you won’t have to reselect anything as long as you see the collection of files at the bottom.

Step 5: Tap SD Card

You can now select the SD Card option under Internal Storage.

Tap the SD card. — *The SD Card option is under storage.*
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Step 6: Tap Move Here

It’s at this point that your files know where to go. So, select Move Here.

Your files will transfer to your SD card, effectively freeing up space on your Android.

How to Free Up Space on Android – Google Photos

Google gives us many options to free up space on Android devices quickly. You can use Google Photos or Google Drive to store precious information. But since our photos tend to take up most Android storage space, we’ll use Google Photos to clear it up!

Install the Google Photos app and sign into your Google account. Then, follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch Google Photos

The Google Photos app comes pre-loaded on most Android devices. But if you don’t see it, you can download it from the Google Play Store. Then, open it.

Step 2: Tap Your Profile Icon

Sign into your Google Photos app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner.

Navigate to your profile icon and tap it.

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Step 3: Tap Free Up Space

As Google Photos backs up your photos, it will give you a Free Up Space option in this menu. Tap the option to remove photos from your Android storage.

Whenever you’d like to view your photos or videos, you can launch the Google Photos app, and they’ll be there (as long as you’re signed into the right Google account). You can also save videos here as well.

How to Free Up Space on Android – Files by Google

One of the coolest apps to help you free up space on an Android device is the Files by Google app. Rather than going through photo albums and random files all over your phone, the Files by Google app lists them all in one place.

Then, it recommends which files you should delete! You can install the Files by Google app, then follow the instructions below:

Note: This option makes it easier to free up storage, but it doesn’t save it first. Don’t delete anything you want to keep.

Step 1: Tap Clean

You can launch the Files by Google app in the Google Play Store or your Android app drawer (when you swipe up in the center of the screen). Launch the app and tap Clean in the lower left corner.

Tap "Clean Up." — *Scroll down and tap clean to remove unwanted files.*
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Note: If you want to use the Files by Google app to move data to your SD card, tap Browse.

Step 2: Tap Select Files

This new page will show you many options. Choose one of the options and tap Select Files.

Step 3: Select Move to Trash

Choose the files you no longer wish to keep. Then, tap Trash at the bottom.

Note: You can’t undo this after tapping Trash. Be careful not to delete anything you want to keep. If you want to store the files on your SD card, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Then, select Move. Finally, select SD Card at the bottom of the screen.

Wrapping Up

Android is a customizable and versatile operating system. But it becomes a hassle when your device runs out of memory. Fortunately, you can follow any of the methods above to free up some space on your device without losing vital information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is taking up all my space on my Android?

A couple of things can take up all the memory on your Android, and you can easily see how much storage each file type is utilizing. Open the Settings on your Android and scroll down to Storage (you can also type Storage in the search bar at the top). Then, you can see which file types are taking up the most memory.

I freed up space on my Android, but it's still full. What's happening?

If you offloaded data and your memory is still full, or it filled back up again, you probably need to clear the cached files. You can go to the Apps settings on your Android and tap Clear Cache under each app.

Alternatively, try clearing your device’s cache by powering it off and using your manufacturer’s instructions to enter the Recovery Mode. Then, use the volume key to highlight Clear Cache and the power button to perform the task.

Is cloud storage safe?

For the most part, Cloud storage is relatively safe. As long as you protect your password and enable 2FA (when available), your data will remain safe and secure in the cloud.

Are SD Cards more reliable than cloud storage?

SD cards can become corrupted over time, but they do create a hard copy of your data. It’s best to have a backup of all your important data if you prefer to use an SD card.

Cloud storage, on the other hand, is a bit more reliable because you can access it anywhere and at any time. The only way you’ll lose anything in the cloud is if you don’t pay the monthly fee, forget your password, or don’t take the proper security precautions.

Should I use downloadable third-party apps to free up space on my Android?

Some third-party apps can help clean the memory on your phone, but most do not. Third-party apps require access to your files and other smartphone data. They also take up more memory upon installation. Ultimately, it’s best to follow the methods above to free up space on your Android.