How do I delete files from internal storage?

What is Internal Storage?

Internal storage refers to the built-in storage in an Android device that is used to store apps, photos, videos, settings, cache, and other data (source). It is the primary storage space available out of the box, as opposed to external or removable storage like SD cards.

The amount of internal storage varies across Android devices, but is often between 16GB to 128GB. Some common file types stored in internal storage include:

• Photos and videos
• Installed apps and app data/cache
• System files and settings
• Downloads
• Music

Internal storage is built into the device hardware, making it faster and more secure than external storage options. However, internal storage capacity is finite and can fill up quickly, especially with high-resolution media files. That’s why it’s important to actively manage your internal storage space.

Locating Files in Internal Storage

To locate files saved to your Android device’s internal storage, you’ll need to access the My Files or File Manager app. The My Files app comes pre-installed on most Android devices and allows you to view downloads, images, videos, audio files, and documents stored internally.

To access My Files, swipe up from your home screen to view all apps, then tap the “My Files” app icon. This will open the file manager. Tap “Internal storage” to view folders containing various file types (source).

Alternatively, you can install a third-party file manager app from the Google Play Store, like ASTRO File Manager or File Commander. These apps often provide more file management features and tools for browsing internal storage content.

Once My Files or your file manager app is open, you can browse and search folders and files saved to internal storage. Tapping a file will usually give you the option to open, delete, move, copy, or share the file.

Deleting Individual Files

The simplest way to delete files one by one is to long press on the individual file you want to delete and select the “Delete” option. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Files app on your Android device to view your files in internal storage.
2. Navigate to the folder containing the file you want to delete.
3. Long press on the file. This will bring up a menu of options.
4. Tap “Delete” in the menu.
5. Confirm that you want to move the file to the trash bin by tapping “Delete” again.

Deleting files individually by long pressing and selecting “Delete” moves them to your trash bin. They won’t be permanently deleted right away in case you change your mind. You can restore files from the trash bin if you deleted something by accident.

To permanently delete files that are already in your trash bin so they are gone forever:

1. Open the Files app and select “Trash” in the sidebar.
2. Long press on the file(s) you want to permanently delete.
3. Tap the “Empty trash” button.

Deleting Multiple Files at Once

If you want to delete multiple files at once on your Android device to free up storage space, there are a couple of ways to do so:

One way is to use your Android device’s File Manager app to select and delete multiple files. First, open the File Manager app on your device and navigate to the folder containing the files you want to delete. To select multiple files, tap and hold on the first file, then tap the menu icon and choose “Select all” to select all files. Or, you can tap and hold on a file then tap other files one by one to select multiple files. Once your files are selected, you can tap the delete icon to delete all the selected files at once.

Another way is to use your Android device’s storage settings to delete cached app data or other files from multiple apps. Go to Settings > Storage and tap the type of storage to be cleared, like Cache or Downloads. Tap Free up space to choose and delete files from apps to quickly free up space. This deletes multiple temporary or downloaded files from apps at once.

Being cautious of what you delete is wise, as accidentally deleting important files could result in data loss. But deleting unnecessary files in bulk can quickly free up needed storage space.

Emptying the Recycle Bin

When you delete files on your Android device, they don’t immediately disappear. Instead, they go to the Recycle Bin on your device’s internal storage. This Recycle Bin acts similarly to the recycle bin on your computer – it stores deleted files for a set amount of time before permanently removing them to free up space.

To permanently delete files from your Android device instead of temporarily storing them in the Recycle Bin, you can empty the Recycle Bin. Here are the steps to empty the Recycle Bin on your device’s internal storage:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Tap Storage, then tap Storage used.
3. Towards the top of the page, tap the Free up space button.
4. On the “Storage Recommendations” popup, tap Recycle Bin.
5. Tap Empty Recycle Bin at the bottom of the page.

This will permanently delete any files that were stored in the Recycle Bin. Going forward, any files you delete will be immediately and permanently removed rather than going to the Recycle Bin first.

If you want to restore any files before emptying the Recycle Bin, tap on individual files to restore them back to internal storage.

Using the Storage Setting

The Storage setting on Android phones provides an overview of how your storage space is being used and tools to help free up space. To access it, go to Settings > Storage.

The Storage setting shows a graphical breakdown of what types of files are taking up space. This includes apps, photos, videos, audio, and cached data. Tapping into each category shows the largest files, with options to delete items or clear cached data.

Deleting cached data for apps you use often can free up a significant amount of space without deleting anything important. Tap the application name, then tap “Clear cache” or “Clear data” if the app has stored unneeded files.

You can also tap on categories like “Large files” or “Files” to browse all files stored on your device, then delete anything you no longer need. Media like photos and videos tend to take up the bulk of space.

Overall, regularly checking the Storage setting and clearing any cached or downloaded files you don’t need is an easy way to free up space from system settings (source). Just be cautious not to delete anything important.

Deleting App Cache/Data

Here are the steps for deleting cache or data for specific apps in Android:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Go to Apps or Application manager.
3. Select the app you want to manage.
4. Tap Storage & cache (or Storage depending on device).
5. Tap Clear cache/Clear data to remove cached or stored app data.

Here is an alternative method to clear app cache directly from the app’s info screen. You can also use dedicated app cache cleaner tools to wipe cache for multiple apps.

Using File Manager Apps

Third-party file manager apps can provide more robust tools for bulk deleting files and freeing up storage space compared to the default file manager on Android.

Apps like Amaze File Manager and Solid Explorer allow you to easily select multiple files or even entire folders to delete at once. This can save time compared to deleting files one by one.

Some key features of file manager apps for bulk deleting include:

• Selecting multiple files/folders
• Sorting and filtering file listings
• Searching for files by name or type
• Emptying the recycle bin in one click
• Deleting app cache/data files

File manager apps also often have additional tools like cloud storage integration, zip file support, and root access for advanced users. Using a dedicated app can make it much faster and easier to find and delete unneeded files.

Being Cautious When Deleting

It’s important to be very cautious when deleting files from your Android device’s internal storage, as deleted files can be challenging to recover. Here are some tips:

Before deleting anything, it’s wise to back up your files, especially photos, videos, documents, and other media you don’t want to lose. You can back up files by copying them to a computer, cloud storage service, external hard drive, or SD card. Popular cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive have Android apps that make backing up files easy.

When selecting items to delete, carefully review each one before confirming deletion. It’s easy to accidentally select the wrong files. Going through and deleting items individually, rather than selecting a huge batch, can help avoid mistakes.

Note that when you delete files on Android, they get sent to a Trash or Recycle Bin where they can be recovered. After a certain amount of time, they will be permanently deleted. Check this location and restore anything deleted by accident before they are gone for good.

If you do realize you’ve deleted something important, act quickly to recover the files before they are overwritten by new data. Specialized data recovery apps like Wondershare Dr.Fone can help retrieve deleted files on Android as long as they haven’t been permanently overwritten.

By taking precautions, you can avoid accidentally losing valuable files and photos stored on your Android device.

Other Storage Management Tips

Here are some additional tips for managing your phone’s internal storage to free up space:

Use cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox to store files and photos. Uploading files to the cloud frees up space on your device.

Back up photos and videos regularly to a computer or external hard drive, then delete them from your phone’s internal storage.

Use streaming services like Spotify to listen to music instead of downloading songs to internal storage.

Consider purchasing a phone with more internal storage if you find you consistently run out of space.

Delete unused apps that are just taking up space. You can always reinstall them later if needed.

Enable Android’s Storage Manager feature to automatically remove backed up photos and videos after 30 days.

Regularly check your Downloads folder and delete files you no longer need.