Battling Android Phone Lag? How To Free Up Space | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

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Android phones are an excellent option for users who value having lots of file space because, unlike their iOS counterparts, many models offer expandable storage. However, one of the drawbacks of knowing a device has sizeable room for apps, photos, videos, and other downloads is that the awful out-of-space alert can come out of nowhere and potentially hit a user when they least expect it. This is incredibly annoying for Android owners who have phones that don't have external storage capabilities. In that case, there are usually a few quick and easy things that can be done to free up needed space immediately.

Note that even though Android phones are available at different price points and are incredibly versatile, they don't necessarily share a uniform look in terms of the user interface. For example, executing the processes that'll free up space may differ slightly in menu arrangement but should be similar enough to recognize what option to tap. When in doubt, utilize the 'Search settings' feature built into most Android phone devices' Settings folder and type keywords of the needed action.

Google suggests doing at least two things to help a lagging Android device recover better performance: free up memory and free up storage. Phone memory is where programs and apps are run, while storage is where data like photos, videos, and music are kept. Even the latest Android smartphones with a big enough memory capacity need regular upkeep to maintain smooth phone functionality. Even though it's unnecessary for a phone to work, habitually closing apps not being used helps free up memory and keeps apps from not responding.

Biggest Android Phone Space Eaters: Apps, Photos & Downloads

The first step in the quest to free up phone space is Android's built-in tool that does exactly that. To get to it, head to Settings and tap 'Storage.' The summary page will detail how much space is used by different types of data on the phone. Somewhere on the page should be a button that clearly says something like 'Free up space' or 'Clean up' (again, the phrasing differs depending on the smartphone brand). Tapping it will launch cleaning suggestions within Google's Files app and earmark things that users can delete to free up space, like screenshots, unused apps and temporary files. High-resolution photos, which the newest Android phones with the best cameras tend to produce and automatically save in large files, could also appear in the suggestions for deletion to save on space. Tap on each suggested category to check which items are erasable.

Also within Android's Storage menu is the Apps page, another culprit for most space used in smartphones. Tap on apps that are taking up the most space. There will be two options that a user can do to free up space instantly. 'Clear cache' simply deletes temporary files associated with the apps and is usually safe to do, so tap that first. 'Clear data' or 'Clear storage' permanently deletes all the data related to the app—this is a lot more complex and will need further investigation to ensure critical files aren't being deleted. This option is most useful for apps requiring users to download big files that they forget to delete after use, video apps like Disney+ (for movie downloads) or audio apps like Spotify (for offline playlists). Note that clearing data on an app means starting from scratch, so signing in again and re-downloading files may be necessary.

The most effective step for freeing up storage space? Delete! If photos and videos take up the most real estate on an Android phone, back them up with Google Photos or move them to a computer using a USB cable and delete the copies saved on the device. Next, remove downloaded movies, music, and other media from apps that allow saving files offline. Finally, delete apps that haven't been used in six months or more (download them again if needed). Going through the files and apps saved on the smartphone and externally backing them up on a different device is a surefire way to free up space on any Android phone.

Next: How To Use Android's Nearby Share To Quickly Send Photos To Another Phone

Source: Google

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About The Author

Jam Kotenko (6 Articles Published)

Jam Kotenko is a long-time freelance writer based in Seattle with a focus on cool tech, social media, entertainment, and lifestyle. Her bylines have appeared in publications such as Digital Trends, The Daily Dot, and Bustle and was often tapped to test and review new mobile apps, compile best-of lists, and share details on her OKCupid success story. Additionally, she has also written personal essays about her experiences relating to marriage, motherhood, and everything in between. She recently contributed articles relating to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for Nautilus Magazine. She is a full-time stay-at-home mom to two rambunctious boys and a nap-loving dog. Along with her husband, she is currently on a health and fitness kick and is hoping to run her first marathon in late 2022.