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Engadget Guide: How to Reclaim Storage on an Android Phone

Engadget's guide explains how Android users can reclaim storage by removing or archiving apps, backing up and deleting media, and clearing duplicate, large and cached files.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-18 04:42

Engadget recommends going to Settings > Device Care > Storage > Apps to see which applications occupy the most space, then tapping an app and selecting Uninstall. Users who want to keep login information and personal settings can choose Archive instead, which removes core software files and temporary data but retains the account data needed to resume using the app after redownloading it, according to the guide.

Android also offers auto-archive, which can automatically archive rarely used apps when storage is low. Engadget says a pop-up about the feature appears when a user tries to install an app on a phone with no space, and users can turn it on then or later through Google Play by tapping their profile photo, going to Settings > General and enabling Automatically archive apps. Google says auto-archiving can free nearly 60 percent of an app's storage space without removing the app presence or users' data from the device, according to Engadget.

For photos and videos, users who do not need backups can delete all or selected items in the gallery or through Settings > Storage > Images or Videos. Those who want to keep the files can use Google Photos, which backs up images and videos to a Google account. Engadget notes that all Google accounts include up to 15GB of free cloud storage shared across Photos, Drive, Gmail and other Google services, and that users may need a Google One subscription for more capacity; Google One costs $2 a month for 100GB or $3 a month for 200GB, the guide says.

Once media is backed up, users can open Google Photos, tap their profile image and choose Free up space on this device to delete items that are already in the cloud at the selected quality, according to Engadget. The images will no longer appear in other gallery apps but remain viewable in Google Photos. The guide also says users can turn on Smart Storage, where available, through Settings > Storage > Free up space, then the menu and Settings, to automatically clear images that have already been backed up.

Engadget says less obvious files can also take up significant space. In Settings > Device Care > Storage, users can tap Duplicate files and Large files to review and delete selections, and scroll down for suggestions such as old media files, old downloads, pre-edit image backups and app caches. The guide adds that users can open Storage details and tap Other files to remove forgotten items, and that clearing caches in streaming and social media apps can free gigabytes. It also recommends emptying the Trash or Recycle bin folder under Settings > Device Care > Storage.