Trash on your Android phone can hamper its performance. Temporary files, unnecessary downloads, and poor performance app caches can make your Android device less responsive.
Getting rid of these unnecessary items can improve your Android experience. If you are not sure how to empty the trash files on Android, this is what you will need to do.
Empty Trash on Android
Now Android doesn’t have a Recycle Bin as a desktop operating system. However, there are steps you can take to clear an app’s cache, app data files, and remove other unnecessary items.
Note: Android has a unique experience between devices. The following steps may not be the same on all phones, but they will show you what to look for.
How to clear the cache and data of Android applications
As you use the apps on your phone, they collect files and other data for later use. Clearing an app’s cache or data can help reclaim storage space on your phone.
Clearing the cache of Android apps hasn’t changed much since we initially covered it during the days of Android 4.2. But you probably have a modern phone with a recent version of Android, so it’s worth checking out.
To clear the Android application cache and data files:
- Start by opening your phone and tapping Settings.
- You will have to access the menu Applications. This will vary, depending on your Android device. For example, you may have to press Storage> Other Applications, Storage> Applications, Or simply Applications.
- Tap the app you want to clear the cache from in the menu Applications or from Application Storage, depending on your device.
- You may have to touch Storage in the information menu of the application, depending on your device. Skip this step if it is not necessary.
- Press the button Clear cache to clear the cache files.
- Clearing the cache data does not delete databases, logins, or saved games, for example. To erase everything completely, tap Clear storage (or Delete data).
When clearing application data, it is important to remember that all settings, files, accounts, and more will be removed. Basically it returns the app to the state it was in when you first got it.
How to uninstall unnecessary apps on Android
Another thing that can take up large chunks of storage space on your phone is the apps you install. Maybe you downloaded the latest game and never played it, taking up gigabytes of storage space.
To remove unused Android apps and games:
- Find the application you want to uninstall on the home screen or search for it on your phone.
- Press and hold the application icon and select Uninstall on the menu.
- Then press okay in the verification message that appears on your phone.
How to delete downloaded files on Android
Your Android phone will download a lot of files over time, but most of the time you will forget about them. While they remain in the download folder, they are just wasting space.
To delete downloaded files on Android:
- Open your phone’s file manager. Normally, it is called My files or File Manager.
- You can find your file manager in a list of all your applications. If you don’t see any on your Android device, try the app Files by Google.
- In your preferred file manager application, open the folder Downloads.
- Tap each of the files you want to delete, and then tap the icon for the paper bin on top.
- Verify that you want to delete the items by pressing okay.
How to delete duplicate photos on Android
If you’re an avid photographer, you’re probably looking for the perfect shot when taking photos on Android. That can often lead to multiple duplicate photos and other unnecessary photos.
If you want to delete duplicate photos on your Android device:
- Open the app Google Photos and select Library.
- Long-press a photo in your library until the shots start to move.
- Select all the images you want to delete, and then press the trash can icon on top.
- Photos you delete from the app will be moved to the trash folder. This means that they continue to occupy storage. Go to the main screen of Google Photos and press the button of the Paper bin located at the top.
- From there, you can delete all photos from the Paper bin of a stroke touching Remove all at the bottom of the screen.
- Touch Remove when Google Photos asks your permission to delete photos from your phone.
How to use Files by Google to clean your Android phone
The Files by Google app performs most of the manual steps shown above with a single tap. It is also an alternative file manager app for your app if your phone doesn’t have one.
To use Files by Google:
- Download and install Files by Google on your Android device.
- Launch the application and press the Cleaning on the bottom.
- The app will scan your phone and present you with a complete list of Cleaning tips. The first is to clean the temporary junk files. The list will also contain an option to delete large files, recorded media, downloaded files, and more.
- In the section of Junk files, press the button Clean up and give permission to delete them.
- However, it does not automatically remove other files from the list. Instead, the app will point to the large files on your phone. Work through the list and get rid of the items you don’t need.
Perform regular Android maintenance
The above steps should help you empty your garbage on Android. If your Android phone or tablet is starting to feel sluggish and slow, getting rid of junk and other unnecessary files can improve responsiveness.
