How to Free up Space on Android Using Google Files

There are a lot of things that can take up space on your Android device. You have pictures, videos, documents, junk files, and more. If you don’t regularly get rid of files you know you don’t need anymore, you’re going to see how the performance of your Android device is affected.

Google has a handy app to help you get rid of files you may have forgotten you had on your device. It keeps things organized, separating those files into different categories, so you know what you’re erasing exactly.

Quickly Get Rid of Junk or Unwanted Files on Any Android Device

First, you’ll need to install/open the Files app on your Android device. To start using the app, you’ll need to give the app permission to access your files. You’ll see three tabs at the bottom: Clean, Browse, and Share.

Tap on the Clean tab (if the app doesn’t already have it open), and you’ll see that your files are separated into different categories such as WhatsApp, MeMes, Download, Duplicate Files, and more. At the top of the app, you’ll see how much storage your Android device has and how much you’re using. If you have an SD card installed, the app will also give you storage details on that too.

Tap on the Select and free up button and choose the files you want to erase. When you’re done choosing your files, tap on the delete button at the bottom. If you want to remove any of the suggestions the app places, tap on the dots to the right. Choose to erase it permanently or for seven days.

Erasing Junk Files

It may not always be there, but when you open the app, Files will also show you how much space you can save by erasing junk files. To avoid erasing files, you may need, tap on the see junk files option to browse through the files the app considers junk to see which ones you may want to keep. The app will ask you to confirm that you want to erase those files, just in case you want to give the files you chose a second look.

Also, by refreshing the app, you can make the junk file option appear.  You can refresh the app by swiping down from the center of your display. It won’t always make the option appear, but if there are any junk files that need erasing, it’ll appear at the top of the app.

If you have any pictures that Google Photos has already backed up, you’ll see a suggestion to erase those files. There will also be a suggestion to uninstall apps that you haven’t used in four weeks. You can uninstall the apps directly from the Files app.

Conclusion

When you use your Android device a lot, you can’t avoid filling it up with files you might not use again. A review of what files you can get rid of will help you free up space and make room for more important files.