Why does my phone keep telling me it has low storage?

Question

My LG Android phone keeps telling me that it has low storage available. I have looked through the apps and have 5 text msgs on the phone.

It seems like I keep deleting and deleting and it keeps coming back!

Why do my actions not work and what can I do?

Answer 1

Many times it is not the apps themselves taking up all the internal storage, but rather data they keep cached (i.e. not your mentioned 5 text messages, but rather things like browser cache, temporary files (though the latter should be gone on reboot), and the like).

Now while you can go to the place mentioned by Narayanan to check all apps separately (Settings->Applications->Storage use) for cache used (and tap the delete-cache button where appliable), and you probably have to start that way as your limited internal storage most likely doesn't allow for additional apps being installed, there are apps around to ease these steps:

• eClean is a high-rated app claiming to automatically care for a lot of cache storage like app cache, search- and browser history and more, and even claims it can do so automatically (starting an on-boot service)
• 1Tap Cleaner is a similar, also high rated app
• 1-Tap Clean Cache has a high rating as well, and cares for your apps cache
• Cache Cleaner is another high-rated app caring for caches and history

Many more apps are available on the play store, but the mentioned four give you a good starting point. Of course, if you are low on internal storage, and run at least Android 2.2 or higher, you could also consider moving some of your rarely used app to SD using App2SD. Moreover, uninstalling apps no longer used is always a good idea.

Answer 2

In a normal usage, low storage warning comes up when the internal memory is getting nearly full. The most likely reason for this is the applications count is on the rise over a period of time. To know what are the applications that occupies more space, you can goto Settings->Applications->Storage use. You can see entire applications that are installed on your phone (both pre installed and that you had installed). Together with the name of the application, you can see its size.

How to get rid of this warning: The only way to get rid of this warning is to free up the internal memory. This can be done in several ways. The best would be to investigate the above said list to spot the applications that you do not need and uninstalling them. The next best option would be to move the application to your SD card. Few applications, they themselves does this during installation and few does not and requires little force. Among the later there are few which are stubborn to work only on internal memory.

There are apps like Link2SD, Apps2SD etc. that will enable you to move apps from internal memory to SD card. I use Link2SD and I would recommend it. It is best to try the application after moving to SD card for its proper working. The system applications are best to be left on internal storage.

SMS/Text messages and contacts do occupy some memory but in par with the applications, their foot print is quite small.

Could you post about the contents of those text messages? Sometimes service provider do send few text messages for APN settings.