What is this mysterious “Other Storage” on my phone and how can I get rid of it?

I totally get what you're going through! I had a similar issue with my PC; after exhausting all options, I ended up doing a factory reset and regained over 100GB of space. But, make sure you back up your important files first, like photos and such, before you go that route.

You should check your app settings because some apps, like WhatsApp or Google Maps, might be saving offline content that contributes to that "Other" storage. Make sure to go through their storage options and clear out anything unnecessary.

"Other" storage is like Android’s junk drawer—holding app caches, offline data from streaming apps, media from messaging apps, and sometimes bloated app leftovers. Here are some steps that might actually help before resetting:
- For messaging apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram), go into storage settings and clear media and cache (avoid clearing chats).
- Clear downloaded content from streaming apps like Spotify, Netflix, and YouTube.
- Clear cache and site data from your browser (like Chrome).
- Use an app like Files by Google to find hidden junk.
- Make sure to reboot your phone after clearing things out so it recalculates "Other."
If that doesn’t do it, unfortunately, you might have to consider the reset option.

"Other" storage is generally a mix of cache files and background data that the system can't clearly categorize. Start by closing any running apps, restart your phone, and clear cache for any apps eating up space. Often, updates to apps can clear some of that out too, but it may need a reboot first to recalculate.

Check if you're using the "Secure Folder" feature, as files stored there might be appearing as "Other." That's definitely something to keep in mind!