How to Clear Cache on Android Device

Nowadays, smartphones are more than just a device for making phone calls. We use them to take and store photos, send and receive documents, and play our favorite music. The downside is that these devices offer little storage space. This can mean that you often have to free up space on your phone for it to work properly.

If you are facing this issue with your Android device then you have come to the right place. In this article, we explain how to empty the trash on Android and give you some easy options to do so.

How to Clear Cache on an Android

Improve Performance by Emptying Trash on Android

You may find that apps on your device are running slower than usual or that you don't have enough space to create new videos or store photos. In the latter case, your Android device will ask you to "free up storage space".

Removing items from your phone not only allows you to store new stuff, but also frees up memory, which helps your device run more efficiently.

There are different solutions to erase files from your phone to free up space. We'll take a look.

Clear cached data

Cached data is information stored on your device once you visit a website. This data allows you to have a faster browsing experience and helps sites load faster the next time you visit them. However, this cached data also takes up space on your Android device. Removing it will help free up memory. Here's how to clear cached data:

1. Go to your "Settings" icon on your home screen and tap it.
   
2. Open the "Storage" tab in the "Settings" menu.
   
3. Locate “Cached Data” and tap on it. You will have the option to delete cached data. Choose this option.
   

You also have the option to clear cached data from specific apps. This is handy for programs that cache a lot of information, like social media apps. Here's how:

1. Go to "Settings" on your device and open the icon.
   
2. In the menu, choose “Applications”.
   
3. Select the app from the list and tap on it.
   
4. Scroll down the app info menu to find "Storage" and tap it.
   
5. Tap "Clear cache".
   

You can repeat this method for different apps on your phone to free up memory.

Uninstall unused apps

The apps you install on your Android device take up more space than you think. Deleting all unused apps is a great way to free up space on your device. Follow these steps to uninstall all unwanted apps:

1. Locate the "Settings" icon on your device and tap to open it.
   
2. Look for the "Applications" option and select it.
   
3. Choose the app you want to remove and tap on it.
   
4. Select the "Uninstall" option at the top of the screen.
   

You can repeat these steps for each of the apps you no longer need.

Delete unwanted download files

Deleting downloaded files is another way to empty trash on Android device. If you scroll through your downloaded files on your phone, you might find that there are a lot of them that you don't need or maybe even forgot about. Items such as restaurant menus, old PDF files, work documents, forms all take up space and can be saved in other locations.

Deleting downloaded files is simple:

1. Navigate to the "My Files" icon on your device and open it.
   
2. Tap on the “Downloads” option.
   
3. Scroll through your downloaded files to find the ones you want to delete. Then press and hold on one of them. This will check the file and allow you to select more at the same time.
   
4. When you have selected all the files you wish to delete, press the "Delete" icon.
   
5. A pop-up will ask you to confirm your choice. Choose “Delete”.
   

Remove duplicate photos

Another way to free up space on your device is to delete any duplicate or unwanted photos. Often, if you take a photo on your device's camera and then share it on WhatsApp or Instagram, the device creates a duplicate of that image. Deleting these images requires a few quick steps:

1. Head to "Gallery" on your device and select the photos you no longer need.
   
2. Tap "Move to Trash".
   
3. From the main gallery menu, tap the three-dot icon at the top of the screen.
   
4. Choose "Trash" from the drop-down menu.
   
5. At the top of the screen is the “Empty” option. Press it.
   
6. A pop-up window will ask you to confirm your choice. Select "Empty Trash".
   

If you don't want to empty all the photos in your trash at once, you can follow these steps:

1. In the "Trash", press and hold an image you want to delete. This will select the image and allow you to select others that you want to remove.
   
2. When you have chosen the images to delete, press "Delete".
   
3. A pop-up will ask you to confirm your choice. Choose “Delete”.

Use an SD card with your Android device

If your Android device allows it, using a removable SD card can be beneficial. It adds extra storage space to your phone. This lets you save additional photos, videos, and other documents without slowing down your device's operations. Many (but not all) apps allow you to store app data on the SD card, which frees up more space and memory on the device. Using an SD card is also convenient because you can transfer it from one device to another.

Backup files to a different location

Backing up your files to a different location allows you to delete files from your device and create more space. Some of these locations include Google Drive, Samsung Cloud, or even your PC. In this way, you can keep your photos, videos, documents and audio files without affecting the efficiency of the device.

Cache emptied!

Deleting unwanted files, pictures, and other stuff from your Android device can be a challenge because there's no trash folder to empty. But, if you use the simple instructions in this article, you will find that creating more space and freeing up your device's memory is not as difficult as it may seem. Soon, your Android phone will be clean and working optimally.

Have you ever emptied the trash of your Android device? Did you use a process similar to those provided in this guide? Tell us about it in the comments section below.