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Why does the phone write that there is not enough memory though. How to clear your phone's internal memory of unnecessary files. How to clean your phone from junk files

What can stop you from installing a new application from Google Play? Is it just a lack of memory? Suddenly your Android smartphone says “Not enough memory”, although there is space.
What to do? You see that there are enough free megabytes both on the Micro SD card and in the internal memory. But how to explain this to a smartphone?

1. When memory is really low

To be fair, it must be said that sometimes the smartphone is right. For example, if you are focusing only on the space on the map, and installing the application there is not provided. Or if the application requires additional space to run.

Then like it or not, you will have to free up space. There are several proven ways to do this:

  • Remove unnecessary applications. This is a question exclusively for you: perhaps old games are no longer so interesting? Or do you have several applications installed that duplicate each other?
  • Move apps to Micro SD card whenever possible. On this topic we have.
  • Clear the cache using special utilities (for example, CCleaner). Sometimes it takes up a surprising amount of space, being, in fact, unnecessary.
  • Clear memory manually using Root Explorer or another file manager. This approach is very effective, but requires knowledge. Deleting the wrong files will make your smartphone inoperable. Therefore, before manual cleaning, be sure to make a backup.
  • Reset the entire system and reinstall applications via Titanium Backup. This is a slightly more complicated method. For it you need to have the Titanium Backup application installed. Make backup copies of all settings apps. Reset the system completely. Install Titanium Backup again and restore applications from copies. This method does a good job of cleaning the system from garbage and often adds several hundred megabytes to free memory.

2. When there seems to be enough memory

There are situations when a smartphone or tablet refuses to install an application not only on the memory card, but also in the internal memory. At the same time, there is sufficient free space. How to force Android to face reality and still install the application?

There are several ways that might work:

  • Clear Google Play and Google Service Framework application cache. Open the Settings menu, select these two applications and clear their cache. After this, restart your smartphone. If there is free space, the device will now be able to use it.
  • Uninstall Play update. To do this, you need to go to Settings, find the Applications item there, and Google Play in the list. Tap on it and in the page that opens, select the “Uninstall updates” button. It is recommended to do this if clearing the cache did not help.
  • Clear Dalvik cache. Turn off your smartphone and turn it on in Recovery mode (to do this, you usually need to hold down the power button and the volume button). Select Wipe cache partition from the menu. If you have not encountered this before, then we will give you a hint: the touch display does not work in this mode; you need to select using the volume buttons. At this point, select the Advanced Options sub-item, and in it – Wipe Dalvik Cache. This action will reset the Dalvik cache and not only free up some space, but also help the system work efficiently with what it already has.

To avoid such problems in the future, you can use the Link2SD or Folder Mount utilities, which will help you virtually combine Micro SD and internal memory into a single array. Remember that in this case the memory card becomes virtually non-removable, so before this operation, get a sufficiently large Micro SD.

Any smartphone user sooner or later faces one problem - there is not enough space in the memory of the Android device, how to fix this? After all, it would seem that there are devices with built-in memory of 16 GB or even more. But no matter how much there is, in the end it is always not enough. What's wrong? Where can it go and what to do with the overflowing device?

The owner of the phone should know something - he will never have full access to the internal memory. This is due to the fact that part of this very memory is occupied by the operating system and all those applications, and sometimes games, that the manufacturer considered necessary to install by default. In this regard, the Android memory, which remains at the user’s disposal, is always 2-3 GB less than that required for the normal functioning of the device. And therefore, if you have 4-8 GB of memory, there is very little of it left.

What affects the amount of free space and where does it go?

  1. As already written above, first of all, part of the memory is lost due to the fact that the system itself uses it.
  2. Next, it is filled with various applications that a person installs on his mobile phone or tablet.
  3. Also, each program, and especially a game, gradually fills the space with a cache, which, although it speeds up loading in the future, often takes up a lot of space on the phone.
  4. It happens that the cache of deleted applications does not go anywhere, and therefore also becomes the cause of the problem, because usually new applications are installed on top, and old files are not cleared.
  5. I can say with confidence that not all phone owners immediately worry about where photos and videos will be stored when setting up their phone - in the internal memory or on a flash drive.
  6. And don’t forget about various viruses, which, being malicious, are also good at stealing free space.

Methods to free up memory

Basically, we find out that there is not enough memory on the device when we are about to install a new application. At the same time, the error “Phone memory is full” or “Not enough free memory” pops up, Android offers to get rid of unnecessary and rarely used content.

A conscious smartphone owner always has installed utilities that can monitor the device for overflow and offer appropriate solutions to this problem. It would be a good idea to independently monitor the state of the device’s memory, for which it would be enough to go to the “Memory” section in the settings and see if free space may be running low.

Another signal that there is not enough memory can be considered when the phone suddenly slows down; the speed of response to user actions becomes significantly lower.

Removing unnecessary programs

This is possible using both installed utilities and simply the Device Manager. To do this, just go into it, find the desired program or game, click on it and then select “Delete”. The same method of reducing clogged space includes stopping the operation of built-in programs that cannot be removed without granting root rights. This can also be done using the Dispatcher.

This video shows an example of the main ways to free up space on your device.

Clear cache

Using the same Device Manager or special programs, we delete the cache of any application, while not forgetting about the already deleted ones, a trace of which still remains. Simply empty folders will be deleted immediately. Even if there is nothing there, then why do we need them on our gadget at all?
This should also include anti-virus programs, which, in the presence of pests, can also help free up space.

Transferring files to a flash drive or any other storage device

In the case when the memory is filled with a large amount of music, photos, videos and just pictures, you can free it up by simply moving the files through Explorer to a flash drive in your phone or computer. For Android users there is an additional and very convenient function - Google Drive. Thanks to it, you can store up to 15 GB of information in the cloud, while deleting its copies from your device.

You can also move some applications and games to a removable memory card. True, this can not be done on all models and only using the Android Assistant program, or rather one of the functions - App2SD.

There is a place, but the error does not disappear

What should you do if the error about lack of free space still pops up, although there is memory? You can try to fix the situation by deleting the Google Play Market cache. Pi necessary - and its updates (via Device Manager).
The last way is to delete the cache in Recovery mode. To do this you need:

  • turn off your phone or tablet;
  • turn on while holding the button to enter the mode (it differs for different brands and models, but often it is the power button + volume rocker + Home button);
  • select Wipe cache partition;
  • if there is an Advanced item, then select it, and in it - Wipe dalvik cache.

To summarize, I will say that there are many ways to increase the amount of free space on your device, but it is better to resort to the one in which you are confident. Just to avoid damaging your device even more.

Often, users, despite the power of their smartphones, are faced with the fact that when downloading the desired application they receive an error like: “Your phone does not have enough memory space.” Naturally, such a message will not please anyone, especially those who still have plenty of memory, but the phone stubbornly refuses to accept it. A similar problem, as a rule, appears while using the device; some are “lucky” to get an error in the first days of working with it. Well, let's figure out why there is not enough space on the phone and what to do in this case.

Not enough phone memory space: reasons

Often, when a message about low memory appears on the smartphone screen, users begin to blame the system for everything, without even checking whether there really is free space.

This leads to the first reason for lack of memory -you've used it all up.

Fortunately, checking how many megabytes or gigabytes are left free is very simple:

  • go to the “Settings” of your device (look for the gear in the application menu or notification shade);
  • find the item “Memory”;
  • Having opened it, we see how much memory we have in total, how much is free, what tasks it is used for);

Often, users receive a message that they say there is not enough memory on the phone, but at the same time there is enough for at least a couple of applications. As a rule, this happens when you want to install something from the Play Market, an application store for. It is famous for its unstable operation and abundance of errors, so such problems will sooner or later reach every admirer of the “green robot”. However, this system has not yet been studied by a single user, and almost every error has been identified.

So, reason number 2 -errors in services Google .

These are the two most common reasons why the out of memory error appears. Now let's move directly to solving the problem.

Let's make room. Instructions

In most cases, the problem is solved by simply deleting unnecessary applications, old songs and photos. Not every user has a smartphone with such storage capacity that it is possible to forget what is installed there. Therefore, if you are actively installing new games, regularly remove those that are no longer needed.

It's very easy to do this:

  • go to “Settings”;
  • find the “Applications” item;
  • choose the one that is no longer needed;
  • Click the “Delete” button.

As you can see, everything is very simple, so you can free up precious megabytes in a matter of minutes.

Transferring applications to a memory card

One more the easy way Free up space on your phone's internal storage by transferring installed applications and games to a memory card (microSD).

Please note that by default you will not be able to move every application. In addition, it is not possible to transfer pre-installed programs using standard means. To get more features you will have to get ROOT rights (superuser rights). Some devices do not have such a function at all.

Transferring applications is very simple:

  • open the settings menu;
  • go to installed applications;
  • select what you need;
  • look for the “Go to SD card” or “Move” button;
  • A warning window will appear in which we need to confirm the transfer by clicking “OK.

If you suddenly need to transfer the application back to internal memory, then we do the same.

Removing files and garbage

For the vast majority of users, space on the phone is occupied by files that have not been needed for a long time or various garbage that remains after deleting applications. To get rid of all this, you will have to turn to third-party applications, since standard cleaning products are not enough.

You can install Clean Master from the application store. Once installed, launch it and follow a few simple steps:

  • on the main screen we see a diagram that shows the percentage of free space, as well as icons of available features;
  • First, go to the “Trash” item (trash icon);
  • the utility will begin searching for temporary, unnecessary, and files that have been in the phone’s memory for a long time;
  • The search process will take some time, please wait;
  • as a result, the application will present us with a list of files that can be deleted without harm to the system;
  • if you don’t really want to figure it out, then just click “Clear”;
  • if you don’t mind deleting something else, then scroll through the list, checking the boxes next to unnecessary files.

So, the garbage has been cleared. If you still don't have enough phone memory or decide it's time to do some spring cleaning to free up more space, you can delete old photos. To do this, we will use a file manager.

Most modern smartphones have a built-in manager - look for it on one of the desktops. If you are the owner of an older smartphone model, you will have to download a third-party application. We recommend third-party utilities even if you have a file manager - they are much more functional. There are a lot of similar programs, but our advice is ES Explorer.

ES Explorer can be downloaded from Play Market, where to date it has collected millions of downloads and thousands of positive reviews. So:

  • launch the utility;
  • on the main screen there are icons for phone memory and micro-SD, as well as icons for other functions;
  • select the location where music, photos, videos, etc. are stored (internal storage or memory card);
  • find the desired folder;
  • let's start deleting;
  • you can delete the entire folder or individual files;
  • mark unnecessary items by holding your finger on the icon;
  • To delete, use the trash can icon at the top of the screen.

Thus, you can free up up to several gigabytes of memory simply by getting rid of unnecessary files.

Clearing the cache

It’s one thing when you really don’t have enough memory, it’s completely different when you have memory, but you can’t install anything. As already noted, users often encounter the error “Not enough space in phone memory” when trying to install an application from Google Play. Naturally, anyone will ask the question: “why can’t you install the program if there is plenty of memory?” There are many reasons for this error to appear, but the problem can be solved very simply - by clearing the Google Play application cache. We only need a few minutes of your time:

  • go to the “Settings” of the device;
  • further – the item “Applications”;
  • find the application here Google Play Market or ServicesGoogle Play(the name depends on the version of the operating system);
  • Going to the application, click on the “Clear (erase) data” button, then “Clear cache”.

In most cases, this method helps to get rid of the obsessive low memory error. However, you should understand that it is only suitable for those users who have enough memory for the installation, but still have an error. If you really don't have enough memory, then only manual cleaning will help, as we discussed above.

So, the methods presented above did not help you? Don't rush to get upset! In the vastness of various forums, we found a couple of tips that helped a number of users. Maybe they will help you too.

Clear the application cache

Programs and games create a so-called cache during operation. It is a temporary storage that contains application files that are most often needed for work. In other words, with the help of a cache we can access any part of the application faster. However, over time, so many unnecessary files are stored here that there is simply no room left for other applications. So, cleaning is very simple:

  • go to “Settings”, then – “Applications”;
  • We go through all installed applications in order;
  • in the windows that open, look for the “Clear cache” item;
  • Cleaning usually takes a few seconds.

Pay special attention to applications that you use very often. Don't forget about browsers that love to upload various files to the cache.

This advice is for those who seem to have memory, but can’t install anything. This is often due to the latest updates that the Google Play Store application receives. That's why:

  • go to “Settings” – “Applications”;
  • we find Google Play Market or ServicesGoogle Play ;
  • Click the “Uninstall updates” button.
Let's reset the settings

Let's move on to a radical method, which is recommended to be used only if the above methods do not help. In rare cases, messages about low memory on the phone are caused by various errors in the system. Resetting the settings will help solve them.

Attention! A factory reset deletes all user data and returns the phone to the state in which it arrived from the factory. The function allows you to leave the memory card untouched, so transfer important data to it in advance.

Now to reset:

  • go to “Settings”, where we look for “Restore or reset” (the name may differ slightly);
  • We see the item “Reset phone settings”;
  • click and confirm the action;
  • We wait until the phone reboots.
Bottom line

The error about lack of memory on the phone is a fairly common problem, but it can be solved. In order not to experience constant problems with memory, we recommend using microSD, and of the highest class, which provides better operating speed. For users who are thinking about buying a new smartphone, we advise you to choose a model with at least 16 GB of internal storage, as application requests increase with each update. Even if today 32 GB seems like a lot to you, there is no reason to refuse such a volume.


The Android operating system is installed on most mobile devices. It's no secret that smartphones and tablets can easily replace a computer or laptop in their capabilities thanks to powerful hardware and a large amount of memory. There are a huge number of applications for this OS. According to official statistics, almost 2 million programs have been downloaded on the Play Store. Many owners of portable devices, especially inexperienced ones, install a lot and store a large number of photos, videos and other files. Over time, the peculiarities of the mobile operating system lead to the appearance of an error indicating that there is insufficient free memory. As a result, it is almost impossible to use a smartphone or tablet, since the speed of operation slows down, and it is simply impossible to save any file or update installed programs.

There is nothing wrong with the “insufficient space in device memory” error - it can be easily resolved

What can you do when this error appears on Android, despite the fact that there is actually still free space left? Let's find out why this message appears and also look at ways to solve the problem.

Reason for the message

If you have one, most likely it has a decent amount of internal storage. Best choice Devices with at least 16 gigabytes of memory are considered. However, not everyone can afford to purchase such a “capacious” device, so they have to be content with 8 or even 4 gigabytes. And if someone has an old gadget, the storage capacity can even be measured in megabytes. Obviously, the more space the better. But even if you have enough internal memory, this does not mean that you will never have such a problem. Most likely, you will encounter it a little later.

The Android operating system is designed so that apps and temporary files use internal memory first, even if you have an SD card installed. Latest version The operating system generally has a problem with full support for flash drives. Apparently, Google wants to follow Apple's path by abandoning memory cards altogether.

For the first time, you may encounter the “insufficient space in device memory” error on the very first day of work, after trying to install a large number of programs from the Play Store. If you managed to avoid this, during operation the entire application cache (temporary files) will gradually occupy the device memory.

Even if you transfer applications to the card, some of the files necessary for work will still be stored on the internal drive. The more often you use programs, the faster you may run out of free space. The leaders in memory consumption are games, especially modern and demanding ones, as well as browsers and various instant messengers. For example, if you actively communicate through WhatsApp, popular in Russia, chats and received media files will gradually fill the free space. Some applications are not transferred to an external drive at all, since the developers did not provide this option.

So, what can you do if the system writes that there is not enough free space, although in fact there is?

How to free up memory

You can free up the memory of your Android device using various means, both built into the system and third-party utilities. Let's consider each of the options.

Clearing temporary files

The most accessible option to fight for free space on your device is to remove temporary files using the settings menu. To do this, go to Settings and open the Memory section. You'll see how much space is left, how memory is allocated, and how much space each type of content takes up. To clear the cache, click on the corresponding item in the menu. After a few seconds, the system will show how much space is available.

Some mobile device manufacturers install additional utilities that cannot be downloaded from the Play Store, equipped with a system cleaning function. Study the capabilities of the built-in software, and if necessary, use it for its intended purpose.

Using special cleaning utilities

There is a whole section in the Play Store dedicated to applications for deleting temporary files and monitoring system status. Log in to the Play Market, enter Cleaner in the search bar and download the required utility. The leaders in popularity are Clean Master and SD Maid. They give control over the system and allow you to free up a significant amount of device memory. Some functions will require . To clean, launch the application, select the appropriate menu item, mark the files that need to be deleted, and wait until the process completes.

Clearing cache via Recovery

Sometimes it turns out that cleaning Android using standard system tools, as well as third-party programs, does not bring results - the error still appears. In this case, you can try clearing the system cache. Put your Android smartphone or tablet into Recovery mode. To do this, you need to simultaneously hold down the power and volume up buttons. The key combination may differ for some brands and models. You can find information on how to put your device into Recovery mode on our website.

In the main recovery menu, select the Wipe Cache Partition section, and after the process is completed, reboot in normal mode. As a result of the procedure, personal data will not be affected, and memory will be increased, since all temporary files will be deleted.

Transfer apps and files to SD card

One more effective method It may be possible to transfer applications to a memory card. This may reduce the speed of applications. It should be remembered that some manufacturers deprive the user of the function of transferring programs using standard system tools. In this case, you will need to obtain root rights and use third-party utilities.

Let's immediately look at the process of transferring to a flash drive using standard means. Go to Settings - Applications. In a few seconds, you'll see how much space each program takes up and can sort by that parameter. Find the application you are interested in in the list, click on it. If transfer is possible, you will see an active “Transfer to SD card” button. Transfer the largest programs, and then do not forget to clean the device using the appropriate programs. You will get more free space on your internal storage.

If some application cannot be transferred, get root rights and try to transfer data using the Link2SD utility. Remember that you will use such software at your own peril and risk, and if they do not work correctly, you will be responsible for the damaged device.

Remove unwanted or rarely used apps

Despite all your efforts, you still don't have enough memory? Review the installed programs on your Android device. Perhaps you have software that you use very rarely or not at all, and it takes up precious space. Open application settings, select the program that you do not currently need, and uninstall it. If you are actively using social networks, we advise you to use mobile versions of the site through a browser, instead of installing clients. The same Facebook can take up to 400 megabytes.

Reset application settings

With prolonged and active use of some applications, their size can grow to indecently large. Such a sin has been noticed in many programs. We advise you to periodically delete data from the most “gluttonous” programs. This will free up precious megabytes and improve Android stability. To do this, go to Settings - Applications, select the desired program from the list, and then click on “Clear data”. All settings will be reset.

In some cases, only resetting all programs can help, especially when, due to full memory, the system is unstable, producing other errors at the same time. To do this, open Settings - Applications - All, press the menu button and select “Reset settings”.

Reset system settings to factory defaults

Well, the extreme, but the most effective remedy- reset device settings to factory settings. You will lose all your data, but your device will work like new. You can perform a reset either through the settings menu or through Recovery mode. In the first case, you need to go to Settings - Backup and reset - Reset settings. In the second - set the device to , select wipe data / factory reset. After that, go through the procedure of setting up your Android smartphone or tablet from the very beginning.

Conclusion

Obviously, the low memory problem is popular among Android device owners. This problem can be solved in several simple ways, but in most cases it will not be possible to completely get rid of it. We can only hope that Google, in its future operating system updates, will make sure that the internal storage is not clogged with all sorts of junk.

Do you often encounter this problem? Share your experience of dealing with it in the comments.

Manufacturers of Android devices have one significant advantage over Apple products - the ability to use any amount of memory, both physical and RAM. If the manufacturer is lazy about optimizing the operation of the device, then it simply increases gigabytes of RAM. If you don’t want to install expensive flash memory, you can always install a memory card reader in your smartphone - modern devices already support working with terabyte-sized memory cards. True, using memory cards does not always work as it should.

If you look at all the Nexus and Pixel smartphones, you will see that they do not have memory card support. This was done for two reasons. Firstly, Flash memory, although expensive, provides higher data processing speed. If the system stores some information on a memory card, then each access to it will require a certain time, which will lead to a decrease in the overall speed of the system. Secondly, by depriving users of the ability to install memory cards, Google is pushing them to use their own cloud services for storing data, photos and music.


However, most Android device manufacturers do not hesitate to use memory cards in expensive and budget models. This is especially true in devices of the lower price segment, where the manufacturer can reduce the cost of the device by using 4 or 8 GB of internal memory, but allowing the user to install a memory card.

Although Android displays the total free memory as a single unit, the system actually separates internal and external memory. Therefore, the appearance of the “Not enough free memory” error means that you are running out of the amount of built-in memory necessary to install applications. In this case, there may be at least a terabyte of free memory on the memory card.

In this case, it is necessary to carry out work to optimize the built-in memory: remove unnecessary applications, clear the cache and garbage, enable cloud data synchronization so as not to store unnecessary information on the device, specify camera and music in the application settings as the default storage directory, not the internal memory, and a memory card. It's also worth looking at the apps you're using. Unscrupulous developers may not adapt their software to store data on external sources, clogging the internal memory of the device. This is especially true for games that load cache, which can sometimes weigh gigabytes. Most applications can transfer data to the SD card manually; this can be done from the Applications menu in the device settings. You can also install third-party software from Google Play for this procedure.


The second possible reason for the “Not enough free memory” error to appear is a lack of RAM caused by incorrect Android behavior. Under normal conditions, the system itself monitors how RAM is used, leaving applications running in the background or closing them if there is not enough memory. If you have a powerful modern device, then you can easily open several tabs in the browser, launch a heavy game, and then return to the browser. In this case, the pages that you opened earlier will remain in their place. On devices with little RAM, the system will forcefully close the browser, and when you access it again, the pages will load again. This is why everyone loves expensive flagships so much and suffers when using budget smartphones.

If you are facing low RAM on your device, then Android is not good at regulating RAM usage. In this case, you should try the following:

– Close running applications yourself. This can be done from the multitasking menu.

– Prevent applications from running in the background. Android freely allows all applications to run in the background, so they can wake up from time to time to update data. If you rarely use a particular application, you can prevent it from updating in the background in Settings > Applications.

– Install third-party software to automatically close processes. There are many applications in the Google Play catalog that allow you to manage RAM device and unload all applications from memory in a few clicks. But do not forget that such applications themselves take up space in RAM.

– Clear browser cache, Google Play store and Google Services