See what is using storage before you free up space
Find out which categories and apps are using your phone's storage, then free space using Android's own storage screen and the Files by Google clean-up suggestions — without deleting anything you cannot identify.
Reviewed 9 Nov 2026
Who it suits
- Your phone says storage is full or nearly full
- You want to see what is using the space before deleting anything
- You can open Settings and the Files by Google app
Who it doesn’t suit
- Your phone will not switch on, or the storage screen itself will not open
- You want to recover files you already deleted — this method does not recover anything
- Your SD card may be failing; that is a different problem and needs a different check
Start guided mode or read all 7 steps below — guided mode is never mandatory.
Before you start
Preparation
- Charge the phone or plug it in, so it does not switch off while you work.
- If your photos and videos are not backed up anywhere, back them up first or leave them alone in this method — deleting is permanent.
- Nothing here needs a computer.
▲ Caution — possible effects
- Files you choose to delete in Files by Google are permanently deleted, as Google's help states.
- Clearing junk (temporary) files does not change app settings, but an app may feel slower the next time it opens while it rebuilds its temporary files.
- Uninstalling an app removes its data stored on the phone, unless the app keeps that data in an online account.
⬢ Stop if…
- Stop before deleting anything you do not recognise — an unknown folder or file may belong to an app you use.
- Stop if a deletion asks about photos or videos that are not backed up anywhere.
- Stop if the storage figures change every time you look, without you deleting anything — that can point to a deeper fault; note what you saw and seek repair help.
Original sources
- Free up storage on your Android device — Android Help (Official documentation — accessed 9 Nov 2026)
- Clear your junk files — Files by Google Help (Official documentation — accessed 9 Nov 2026)
Steps
Open the storage breakdown
Open Settings and tap Storage. Android shows how much space is used and breaks it down into categories such as Apps, Images, Videos and Audio, so you can see what is actually taking the room before touching anything. Write down the amount of free storage shown before making any changes. You will compare it with the amount shown after cleanup.
Tap a category to see the details
Tap the biggest category to see the apps or files inside it. Note the two or three biggest items — freeing space is usually about a few large items, not hundreds of small ones.
Open Files by Google and go to Clean
Open the Files by Google app, tap the menu, then Clean. The app shows cards with suggestions, such as junk files and apps you have not used, based on what is actually on your phone.
Clear junk files
On the Junk files card, tap the Clean button and confirm with Clear. These are temporary files that apps stored; Google notes that app settings are not affected, but the files themselves are permanently deleted.
Caution: Junk files are permanently deleted when you confirm — they cannot be recovered afterwards.
Review the other Clean suggestions one card at a time
Look at each remaining card — for example unused apps or large files — and open it before deciding. Only select items you recognise and no longer need, and skip anything you cannot identify.
Caution: Clearing from these cards is permanent too, and uninstalling an app removes its data stored on the phone. Open each card and check what will go before you confirm.
Move or back up big personal files instead of deleting them
For photos, videos or documents you want to keep, move them to a computer first: connect the phone, copy the files across, and confirm they open on the computer. If your phone offers this instead, an SD card or a cloud account can hold them the same way. Only remove the copy on the phone once the copy in its new home definitely opens.
Caution: Confirm the copies open in their new home before you remove the phone copy — deleting the only copy loses the file for good.
Go back to Settings → Storage and check the result
Return to the storage screen and compare the free space with what you noted in step 1. If the free space has grown and the storage warning has gone, you are done.
How to check success
Finishing the steps is not the same as fixing the problem. You are done if these practical checks pass:
- Check: Does Settings → Storage now show more free space than when you started?
- Check: Has the 'storage full' or 'storage space running out' warning stopped appearing?
- Check: Can you now do the thing that failed before, such as taking a photo or installing an app update?
If it fails
- If you have removed everything you can identify and storage is still nearly full, the remaining space is often one app's own data — for example a messaging app's stored media. Open that app's own storage settings, back up what you need from inside the app first, and only clear its data if you understand exactly what will be lost.
Evidence, review and results
- Source
- Official documentation
- Testing
- Not team-tested
- Reports
- No reviewed results yet — be the first to record yours.
An official source means the maker documents this procedure — it does not mean our team has run it, and one person’s success is not a guarantee for everyone. Public counts appear only when reviewed reports exist; none are published yet.
Record your result
Recorded in this browser
Your result is saved in My Attempts on this device only. Download a copy to keep it safe:
Report an error in this method
About this method
Change note: First published version. Where one team did the writing, reviewing and (when done) testing, the same name appears in each role — we say so rather than invent separate people.