Today I received a question in our comments section about the Text message memory full error message that seem to be common on the Android device these days. When you are receiving this message, you won’t be able to receive text messages.
The Messaging app doesn’t use SD card storage space to store messages. It uses the internal memory where apps and app information is stored. You will need to free some space using these steps.
Option 1 – Remove Apps
To free this space up and prevent this message, you can navigate to “Settings” > “Applications” > “Manage applications” and uninstall apps you don’t need, or move the apps to the SD card. Doing this with one or two apps should provide enough internal memory space to receive text messages again.
Option 2 – Move Apps to SD card
navigate to “Settings” > “Applications” > “Manage applications“, then swipe over to your “Downloaded” apps. From there, pick some apps and see if you can select the “Move to SD Card” option. Not all apps have this selection, but many will, and you can easily move them to the SD card and free some space.
Option 3 – Delete Pics and Videos
Open the “Gallery” app and see if you can lose some pictures or videos. Also check the “Messaging” app to see if you can delete some pictures or videos that have been sent and received. You can usually tap and hold an individual message to reveal the “Delete” or “Remove” option.
These are the best options for freeing space on your device. Do you have better ideas? Share them in the comments section.
Nick says
My Energyzer Powermax P20 cannot access messages stored in phone memory. The phone storage is not full, the phone is new and has very few messages. Only messages stored in the SIM card can be accessed. The messages in phone memory can only be read, once u read they disappear, they don’t get stored in the phone memory. What can I do? I have tried to do factory reset in vain.
Audrey says
If you keep getting that your storage is full, if you’ve deleted a bunch of videos, messages, etc., you have to empty the trash. These will still be in trash and taking up space. Once you empty the trash, it should clear up the space
kat says
How can I see those messages that didn’t displayed because of memory full?
Bapi says
Msg memory full
Normandie says
No. This didn’t help. I have deleted everything that I can think of and I still get the error message. I’ve gone into device maintenance, memory and cleaned that up multiple times; go back in again and clean up some more! Re-booted the phone many, many times. That is only a temporary fix. Actually, nothing much on my phone works, at this point. Tried to follow your instructions but they haven’t solved the problem. And, it seem like many people out there are experiencing the same issue(s) and there’s no solution. Pretty disappointed in Android. I need a new phone. I’m considering jumping the Android ship for iPhone…
Ric says
No, a brand new phone with 12gb free internal memry and 62gb sd card empty and still
get non stop sim is full msg. Never had this on old zte.
Nancy says
I am not able to read my messages on my phone. Am told App cannot open
Mike says
I have deleted ALL the optional apps from my phone and only store media on the SD card. I keep getting the message that my phone is full and I won’t be able to receiving any more text messages. Even deleting text messages doesn’t always help. Sometimes rebooting the phone helps but the problem keeps popping up again. Do text messages have an “empty trash” function I need to run? Is there anything I can do? I don’t understand why my phone has so little space – I used to be able to install apps on it, but it slowly ate up all the space over the 3 or 4 years that I’ve had it.
Monalis says
I am facing a peculiar problem. I sent two photos to one of mt friend via Truecaller. As soon as that person saw the msg, I just can see the empty photo frame and when I long press the message it’s showing the media doesn’t exist. Why is it showing like that?
Sharron Wilcock says
I still don’t know what to do.i am getting messages that. I need to free up space On my messages but I have only had this phone for 2 weeks. How could my no phone be full?
Fidelis mwanashimpande says
I freed the phone but still saying memory full infinix zero 5 pro what can I do I think almost everything is almost removed but still people help if you can
Deborah says
I did all of that. I never had many apps and I deleted all text messages and pictures, all old emails. I’m still getting the message.
Jeanine says
All of my sent text messages to my people on my messenger are saying error they were open already and they are saying here and I can’t listen to them their mind the other people
Johnny says
Same problem. SiM card full cannot receive messages. I deleted over 1GB from internal memory and still the same thing. What can i try now?
Bethel says
I have some free space on my phone but still I get the notification message memory full please help me. phone :Techno k7
Kelly says
I’m having same problem sim card says full.i deleted all my messages and I am getting text messages like 24 hrs later.wtf?????
Paul McAleer says
Yes, it was helpful. My issue is that lately I (all of a sudden get a ton of text messages from the previous day. This has happened 2 or 3 times lately. I’m going to try “all” of the above, and see if That will help. I didn’t get a text message full alert. Just having delays in getting all messages.
Baraka says
I have free some space on my phone but still I get the notification massage memory full and I can’t receive any SMS
Phone:tecno k7
gina says
i went so far as to factory reset my phone nd it did not help! (this time) this is my second go round with this same problem… didnt help this time
Joyce says
Please help me my phone says internal storage is full and i dont know what im suppose to do
Caroline says
How do I receive a text, that couldn’t be due to full memory, after I’ve freed up space on my phone?
Mike says
So I was unable to receive a text message due to my memory being full. Is there any way to retrieve this message?
Alfred Norman Fry says
I need some help How delete some of this like Mike does his phone to work like my phone . I need some help , please !
Alfred N, Fry says
I’m trying to get rid of internal storage to Free up some space in order to start download and sending more messages in my phone again.
melissa says
thank you!
Hasti says
Hello, i free up my storage after i received the memory full message rejected message, now, is there a way to find out that anybody messaged me or not while my memory was full?
Ashok says
I am having a Micromax A116 phone. Since some days it pops up a error that message memory full. But I have 325 MB phone storage, 615 MB Internal SD Card Memory and 12GB External Memory free. I already deleted most of the messages, so left with 50 odd messages. But still shows message memory full. Please suggest me how to set the problem.
Michael says
What if we have 8 GB of space still left?
Zack says
What I did was – on the application manager, I select any of the downloaded programs and clear data. It works like magic, my alerts on ‘not enough storage capacity’ and ‘message storage capacity’ – GONE!! Anyway thanks for the tips…
Antonio says
Thanks ,,,,,alot