Free up storage on your Android device
To download more apps and media, or help your phone run better, you can clear space on your phone.
- Storage is where you keep data, like music and photos.
- Memory is where you run programs, like apps and the Android system.
Important: Some of these steps only work on Android 14 and up. Learn how to update your Android version.
Find your storage usage
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Storage.
- Select a category.
Free up storage
Automatically free up storage
To automatically clear backed-up photos and videos when your device's storage is almost full:
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Storage 👁 and then
Free up space. - Tap Menu 👁 Image
👁 and then
Settings 👁 Image
. - Turn on Smart Storage.
Manually free up storage
To pick from a list of photos, videos, and apps that you haven't used recently:
- Open your device's Settings app.
- Tap Storage 👁 and then
Free up space. - Scroll to the category you want.
- Tap Select files.
- If the category isn’t listed, tap Browse.
- Select the files you want to delete.
- You can also select all files in the list.
- To delete the selected files, tap Move files to Trash.
To pick from all data:
To delete content from Google TV:
- On your Android device, open Google TV 👁 Image
. - Tap Library.
- Next to the downloaded video, tap Downloaded 👁 Red check mark
👁 and then
Remove.
To delete content from YouTube Music:
- On your Android device, open YouTube Music 👁 Image
. - Tap Library.
- Next to the song, album, or playlist you want to delete, tap More 👁 More
👁 and then
Remove download.- To remove all downloads:
- Tap your Profile photo 👁 and then
Settings 👁 and then
Downloads & storage. - Tap Clear downloads.
- Tap your Profile photo 👁 and then
- To remove all downloads:
To delete content from other sources, delete from the app that you used to download it.
Close apps that don't respond
You don't usually need to close apps. But if an app isn't responding, you can try to close or force stop the app. Learn how to troubleshoot apps that aren't working.
Uninstall apps you don't use
If you uninstall an app and need it later, you can download it again. You don't have to buy the app again if you paid for it. Learn how to uninstall apps.
Clear the app's cache & data
You can usually clear an app’s cache and data with your phone’s Settings app. Settings can vary by phone. For more info, get help from your device manufacturer.
- Clear cache: Deletes temporary data. Some apps may be slow the next time you open them.
- Clear storage: Permanently deletes all app data. Try to delete the data within the app first.
Your device can automatically archive apps you don’t use often to free up space for new apps. When this setting is on, the apps you don’t use often will be removed, but your personal data on the app will be saved. The app’s icon will remain on your device. You'll be able to download the app again, as long as it's available on Google Play.
If you try to install an app but don’t have enough space, you’re notified to automatically archive apps. To set how your device automatically archives apps:
- Open the Play Store app 👁 Google Play
. - Tap your Profile photo 👁 and then
Settings 👁 and then
General. - Turn Automatically archive apps on or off.
Tip: You can also manually archive unused apps. Learn how to manually archive unused apps on Android.
Delete downloaded files
To save space, you can delete downloaded files you don't need.
Copy files to a computer
You can move files and folders to a computer with a USB cable, and then delete them from your phone or tablet. Learn how to transfer files between your phone and computer.
Check & free up memory
You don't usually need to close apps. But if an app isn't responding, you can try to close or force stop the app. Learn how to troubleshoot apps that aren't working.
Tip: If you think an app is using too much memory, you can delete the app. Learn how to uninstall apps.