How to free up space on Android

1. See what is using the space

1. Open the Settings app and tap Storage. On a Samsung, it is Settings → Battery and device care → Storage.
2. Tap a category to see what is in it.

2. Clear what you haven't used recently

1. In Settings, tap Storage → Free up space.
2. Scroll to a category and tap Select files, or Browse if the category isn't listed.
3. Select the files you want to delete, or select all of them.
4. Tap Move files to bin.

3. Let Android clear backed-up photos for you

1. In Settings, tap Storage → Free up space.
2. Tap the menu, then Settings, and turn on Smart storage. When the phone is almost full, it clears photos and videos that are already backed up.

4. Photos and videos

If you back up with Google Photos, you can delete the copies on your phone: the backed-up copies stay in the app. Duplicates, similar shots, screenshots and long videos are worth clearing first, and chat apps such as WhatsApp save every photo and video you are sent (see the WhatsApp guide below).

5. Downloads, apps and their caches

• Delete downloaded files you don't need, and remove downloads in the app they came from: in Google TV, Library → Downloaded → Remove; in YouTube Music, Library → More → Remove download.
• Uninstall apps you don't use. You can download them again later without paying again.
• Clear an app's cache in Settings, under the app's storage. This deletes temporary data, and the app may be slower the next time you open it. Clear storage deletes all the app's data, so try deleting inside the app first.

Questions

How do I free up space on my Android phone?

Open Settings → Storage → Free up space, pick the photos, videos and apps you don't need and move them to the bin. Then delete photos already backed up to Google Photos, old downloads and apps you don't use.

Does clearing an app's cache delete anything important?

No. Clearing the cache deletes temporary data, and the app may be slower the next time. Clear storage is different: it deletes all the app's data.