How to Clear Storage Space on an Android Phone or Tablet
Free up space by checking large downloads, removing unused apps, and clearing backed-up media.
Find the largest storage category
Open Settings and search for Storage. Review Apps, Images, Videos, and Downloads to find what takes up the most space. Pick a category that you can clear without losing files you need.
Remove downloads and offline media
Sort your Downloads folder by size. Copy important documents to a computer or cloud storage before deleting them. For offline playlists, podcasts, and shows, open the app that downloaded them and remove the saved copies there.
Clean up unused apps and temporary files
Under Settings > Apps, open an app and look for Storage or Storage & cache. Clear cache removes temporary files. Clear storage resets the app's local data and can remove sign-ins, settings, and offline files. For apps you rarely use, consider uninstalling or using your device's app archive option if available.
Free space used by photos and videos
In Google Photos, verify the account and check that backup has finished. Use Free up space on this device to remove copies that have been backed up. Open Storage again to see how much room you recovered.