Unfortunately, some mobile phone manufacturers have saved a lot on the hardware capabilities of the devices to sell cheap Android smartphones. Here are the big problems in the use of these smartphones that not only have little RAM, but above all have little internal memory in which to save data and applications . After realizing that paying a little for the cell phone was, in the end, a mistake or if you have an old smartphone of two or three years ago, if you want to keep that Android smartphone without buying another one, it is worth reading, roll up your sleeves and work to survive and make sure that that phone returns to work well, despite the internal memory is full or even the space is exhausted.
READ ALSO: Solve insufficient space on Android
Uninstall unnecessary applications
The first step to surviving with Android in full memory and without space can be done by uninstalling the apps that we have not used for a long time, so as to recover a minimum of space. In order to proceed in this sense, we open the Settings app, go to the Applications or Apps menu, select the app to be deleted, then use the Uninstall button to remove it. On modern smartphones we can list apps based on usage time (there should be a button at the top to sort the list): by setting Frequency of use as item, we will see the most used apps at the top, while at the bottom of the list apps never used or used very little.
In order to recover a lot of space, we recommend removing all the apps that have not been used for at least 2 months.
Use a microSD card to add memory
Another very effective method to survive with an Android with little memory involves the use of a large enough microSD, so as to increase both the internal space and provide a separate space where to move the larger files (photos and videos in particular).
If our Android phone is compatible with microSD cards, insert one into it, start the phone and then tap on the notification on the new memory unit found. Modern versions of Android will let you choose how we want to use this memory card:
- microSD as internal memory : it will be used as an expansion of the internal memory, so as to increase all the space available for apps, cache and system data.
- microSD as portable memory : it will be used as additional space, where we can save photos, videos and all larger files.
If we have less than 32 GB of internal memory, it is always better to use the memory card as an expansion of the internal one, so as to increase the space available and survive with an Android indicating full memory. In this regard, we can read our guide on How to move Android apps to SD card . If instead we want to use the card as portable memory, we advise you to move the files using the free Files To SD Card app.
Don't we have a microSD for the purpose? We can see the best in our guide Choose the best MicroSD for Android smartphones .
Clear cache and temporary files
Another very effective way to survive on Android with full internal memory or out of space is to periodically clear the cache and temporary files that the system and installed apps generate continuously. In this sense, the free SD Maid app is very useful.
All we have to do is start this app regularly, tap on Scan and, after a few seconds of analysis, clean our phone. Obviously the system will return to generate new cache and new temporary files with the passage of time, so it is better to keep this app handy to start a periodic cleaning (at least every week).
Other similar apps to clean our Android smartphone can be seen in our article on Apps to clean Android from unnecessary files that take up space .
Move data to the cloud
If the space runs out due to the photographs and videos that we take with the smartphone or that we receive on WhatsApp and the like, we can move this type of data to the cloud, so that we can delete them and recover a lot of space.
First we download the Google Photos app to our smartphone, log in with our Google account (already present on the phone), then enable the backup of the DCIM folder (where all the photos and videos shot with the cameras of the smartphone) and the folders in which there are photos and videos, taking us to the app settings, selecting Backup and synchronization and finally tapping on Device folders .
After making the backup, we can use the item Free space on the device (always in the settings of the Photos app), so as to delete in one shot all the photos and videos that are saved on the backup.
All multimedia elements will still be available on the cloud and on the app, so you can view and download them at any time. Photos can also be viewed from a PC, just have the Google Drive synchronization program.
To use other cloud services with photo and video synchronization, we refer you to reading our guide Best Cloud apps for Android and iPhone in which to save files without taking up memory .
Change operating system
Another very effective method for Surviving with a slow and full Android smartphone is to unlock the Android system in the phone and root . Once the mobile phone is unlocked, you can install a lighter custom ROM, which takes up less space: the best currently is LineageOS.
Obviously you will need to follow specific guides depending on the model, have a minimum of familiarity with the use of the computer and courage in carrying out operations that can also cause irreparable damage.
If we are interested in following this path, we advise you to read our guides on How to unlock the Android Bootloader (necessary operations on many modern devices) and on how to use ADB Sideload to install ROM, updates, recovery
Conclusions
The simplest solution would be to buy a new mobile phone, which has at least 64 GB of internal memory and 4 GB of RAM, so as not to immediately suffer from problems related to poorer phones. Unfortunately, our purchases are not always successful, and after a year or less we must be ready to use the tips described above in order to survive just enough to get a new smartphone.
Meanwhile, we can further optimize our device by reading our guide on how to optimize Android, free up memory and terminate processes for a faster mobile phone .
If instead we really wanted to buy a new phone, we can spend little by choosing one of the models described in our guide The best Smartphones for 200 Euros .
