My Samsung Galaxy S25+ has 256 GB of storage, and about 218 GB is currently used. Device Care says apps are taking up around 105 GB, even though I haven't installed many personal apps. I also regularly have to move photos and videos to cloud storage to free up space, which makes me nervous because I don't want to lose them. There are many apps listed in Settings, and I don't recognize most of them, so I'm worried that apps may be getting added during updates. Device Care also shows 12 GB of memory with 7.8 GB in use, and I don't understand how that differs from storage. What can I safely remove or clean, and how can I figure out what's really using my space without damaging the phone?
2 Answers
The 12 GB with 7.8 GB used is RAM, or working memory. It helps apps run and is not the same as your 256 GB storage. The 218 GB figure is the one that matters for running out of space. Android will normally use a large amount of RAM, so 63% usage is not a problem by itself.
For storage, open Settings > Battery and device care > Storage, then open the Apps category and sort the list by size if that option is available. Check the largest apps and look at their storage details. Often the space is app data or downloaded media rather than the app itself—for example, videos saved by streaming apps, offline music, browser data, or large messaging attachments.
Do not uninstall or disable random system apps. For ordinary apps you recognize, you can usually clear the cache safely, but avoid tapping Clear data unless you understand that it may remove downloads, settings, or locally stored account information. The phone is not normally installing dozens of new apps whenever it updates, so finding the largest individual entries should reveal what is actually happening.
Your photos and videos may be contributing heavily even if they don't appear under the category you expect. Check the Gallery and Google Photos storage tools, as well as the Downloads folder and messaging apps. In Google Photos, make sure the backup has completed before using the option to remove backed-up copies from the phone. It is also safer to keep a second backup, such as a computer or external drive, for anything important.
The built-in cleanup suggestion is generally meant to remove temporary files or unused items, but review what it has selected before confirming. Start with cache files, duplicate downloads, offline videos, and large attachments. Leave system components alone unless the phone specifically identifies them as safe to remove.
That helps clarify the memory number. Since apps are listed as using 105 GB, I'll check the individual app sizes and look for downloaded files or stored media before removing anything. I was treating RAM and storage as the same thing.