Android Storage Cleanup: Apps, Photos, Caches and Forgotten Files

Engadget has published a walkthrough for Android users who keep running out of room even after clearing photos and files. Its focus is the less obvious storage hogs: apps, cloud-backed media, duplicate files, large downloads, caches and recycle bins. The guidance is a set of user instructions rather than an independent test, so its practical value depends on whether a device exposes the same menus.

App cleanup and archiving

According to Engadget, Settings > Device Care > Storage > Apps shows which apps take up the most space; tapping an app and then choosing Uninstall removes it. The same area offers Archive, which Engadget says strips core software files and temporary data while keeping login information and settings, allowing a later reinstall to restore the app.

The guide also describes Android's auto-archive feature. It can archive infrequently used apps when storage is low, and a prompt may appear when a user tries to install an app without enough space. Engadget says the option can be enabled through the Play Store by opening the profile photo, then Settings > General > Automatically archive apps. Google, as cited by Engadget, estimates that auto-archiving can recover close to 60 percent of an app's storage footprint without removing the app's presence or user data. That figure is Google's claim, not an independent measurement.

Photos and video

Users who do not need local copies can delete media from the gallery or through Settings > Storage > Images or Videos. For those who want to keep memories, Engadget points to Google Photos for cloud backup. It notes that every Google account includes up to 15GB of free storage shared across Photos, Drive, Gmail and other Google services, and that Google One plans cost $2 a month for 100GB or $3 a month for 200GB. After backup, the Photos app's profile menu offers "Free up space on this device," which removes already backed-up items at the chosen quality while leaving them viewable in Google Photos. The guide also mentions Smart Storage, if available, under Settings > Storage > Free up space, then the menu and Settings, to automatically clear backed-up images.

Less obvious files

Engadget returns to Settings > Device Care > Storage for Duplicate files and Large files, and for suggestions such as old media, old downloads, pre-edit image backups and app caches. Storage details and Other files can reveal forgotten items. The guide adds that clearing caches in streaming and social apps can free significant space — potentially gigabytes — and that emptying the trash or recycle bin should become routine.

Interpretation

The article is a practical checklist, not a comparative review. It does not benchmark storage savings, test every phone brand, or independently verify Google's 60 percent estimate. Readers should treat menu labels and available features as device-dependent until checked on their own handset.