Is it OK to delete Android files?
You can free up space on your device by clearing these files. App settings are not affected. Important: If you clear junk files or delete files using Files by Google, the data will be permanently deleted.
The file will stay in your trash for 30 days before being automatically deleted. If you're the owner of the file, others can view it until you permanently delete the file. If you're not the owner, others can see the file even if you empty your trash. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
Galaxy devices have a My Files app to access and manage files such as documents, pictures, videos, audio files, and downloads. You can also move files to a micro SD card or a cloud service if the device does not have enough internal memory.
Select the item in your file explorer. Then, tap the trash button or press the three-dot menu and choose Delete. Confirm you understand deletion can't be undone and tap Delete again. This is how you should delete your files on Android.
Even if you immediately empty the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, all your deletion does is earmark the space that file takes up on your hard drive as vacant. Until another file or application comes along to make use of that room, the old data will remain.
- Program files folder. ...
- WinSxS folder. ...
- System32 folder. ...
- Windows folder. ...
- System volume information folder. ...
- Swapfile. ...
- Pagefile.
Conclusion. For the most part, the items and files in Disk Cleanup are safe to delete. But if your computer isn't running properly, deleting some of them may prevent you from uninstalling updates, rolling back your operating system, and more. so they're handy to keep around if you have the space.
Examples of reasons for deleting files are: Freeing the disk space. Removing duplicate or unnecessary data to avoid confusion. Making sensitive information unavailable to others.
Data deletion – "it's a good thing"
The key here is disposing of valueless information regularly. This ensures aging data does not stick around and impact storage and data management costs and cause eDiscovery issues in the future.
- Close apps that don't respond. Android manages the memory that apps use. ...
- Uninstall apps that you don't use. If you uninstall an app and need it later, you can download it again. ...
- Clear the app's cache and data. You can usually clear an app's cache and data through your phone's Settings app.
How do I clean my storage on Samsung?
- 1 Tap Settings.
- 2 Tap Apps.
- 3 Select the desired App.
- 4 Tap Storage.
- 5 To clear App Data, tap CLEAR DATA. To clear App Cache, tap CLEAR CACHE.
The Samsung My Files app is all about utility and managing storage, but users rarely need it unless something goes wrong. If you can't locate a file on your phone, but you're sure it was downloaded, this app can help.

On an Android phone, go to Settings > Storage
Tapping on one of those categories provides more detail, such as which apps are using the most space. If you drill down into the category, you can delete individual files or data. For example, under “Audio,” long-press on one or more files and tap Delete.
Clear the 'digital detritus'
“In Android, go to Settings, then Apps or Applications. You'll see how much space your apps are using. Tap on any app then tap Storage. Tap "Clear storage" and "Clear cache" for any apps that are using a lot of space.
Clear the cache
To clear cached data from a single or specific program, just go to Settings> Applications>Application Manager and tap on the app, of which the cached data you want to remove. In the information menu, tap on Storage and then “Clear Cache” to remove the relative cached files.
Clearing page files on your hard drive will clear any RAM it has stored and help keep your computer running efficiently. You can set this to automatically clear when your computer shuts down, just like the RAM.
You should use the “Remove everything” option when selling a computer or giving it to someone else, as this will erase your personal data and set the machine to its factory default state. Either way, it's a good idea to have backups of your important files before using this feature.
When you delete a file or folder, it goes into the Recycle bin, where you have a chance to restore it.
Junk files are temporary files created so your computer or phone can perform specific tasks and that are now no longer needed. At one time, these files were helpful, because programs, apps, and operating systems need to create temporary files to execute computing tasks.
Junk files are also created by the apps you use. The most common types of junk files on your phone include: Temporary app files are used to install apps, but they're useless after installation is complete. Once the app is installed, these files are no longer needed to make the app run smoothly.
How do I clean up unnecessary files?
- Select Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Open Storage settings.
- Select the temporary files, unused files, files synced to the cloud, or unused apps you want to remove, then select the Clean up button for each section.
To delete a file or folder (or multiple selected files), right-click on the file and select Delete. You can also select the file and hit the Delete key on the keyboard. Deleting a folder deletes all its contents as well. You may get a dialog prompt that asks if you want to move the file to the recycling bin.
- You are harboring a malware on your Android device.
- The file is an important “system file” which should not be deleted.
- The file is write-protected/ read-only file.
"Clear data" clears the files stored inside the data directory of your app. Your pictures are not saved inside the data directory of that app, so rest assured that the images won't be lost.
- Find and Remove Large Media Files. ...
- Delete Downloads From Streaming Apps. ...
- Clear Cache for Frequently Used Apps. ...
- Try Lite Apps. ...
- Use Cloud Storage. ...
- Free up Storage From Google Photos. ...
- Check Storage Manager. ...
- 4 Best Infographics Apps for Android.