Help Storage space vanishing for no apparent reason.

[bsheehy94]

I have a huge storage problem with my phone, the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime that I got 3 months ago with 8GB of device storage. This started about 2 weeks ago. I got a notification saying "Storage space running out". I deleted some apps and games, and stopped auto-update apps and my device storage has kept going down even though I'm not downloading anything, it's inexplicable. I haven't done the software update (I think you need 750MB or thereabouts to do this). I literally have no games on my phone, I uninstalled Simpsons: Tapped out (about 650MB), Angry Birds (about 120MB), New Star Soccer and a few others which probably amounted to about 500MB. I unistalled and disabled apps that came with my phone like Google Hangouts and my storage has kept going down for no apparent reason, like it's just vanishing into thin air.

I now have 0.04 MB of free space, nothing basically and I got a notification this morning saying "Device storage full- unable to receive new messages" so I can't receive texts at the moment which is a bit scary actually as someone might need me. I can't load emails any more. This is all while having in my view a very small amount of apps. I saw that 3.03GB of the 8GB was taken by used space (apps, pictures, videos, audio etc) so I counted up each application individually and found that it actually amounts to 1.67GB (see attached)

This all includes data and cache. "Others" refers to a huge pile of apps under 4MB that I just totted up quickly because there were too many to include in this. I have an SD card so that's where most of my media goes, any media on the device takes up minimal space. So how'd they get 3.03GB when apps take up only 1.67GB???

The full breakdown is:
System memory.................3.18GB (Minimum amount of space required to run the system)
Used space.........................3.03GB (which I've already covered)
Cached data.......................13.79MB
Miscellaneous files.............1.78GB

I would've taken a screenshot on my phone but it won't let me anymore. The only thing I haven't addressed yet is 'Miscellaneous files'. I tapped into this and deleted whatever it allowed me to delete which was very little space (a few KBs if I remember). I didn't feel like doing this as I didn't know what I was deleteing and it could've been important. But maybe miscellaneous files is the reason I'm losing space? Maybe this has continued to grow without me noticing? If so is there anything I can do about this? Or maybe my device has a virus which eats storage? To computer geniuses I probably sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. In any case please help me cause I'm finding this very frustrating. I don't want to get a new phone as I'm happy with the phone all round. I had a Nokia Lumia 520 before this which also had 8GB of device storage and I never had storage problems and I had more and larger apps on that than I do on this phone.

I'd appreciate any help, thank you.

 

[vintagedude76]

Sounds like you need to download one of the many cleaner apps out there to try and clean the cache and other invisible stuff out... Otherwise just reset the phone to factory

 

[mslisaj]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and It does the same thing. I run a "clean" phone with no games or other apps. But I am about ready to root this phone to solve the reoccuring problem you are having. You have to spend some time, a few times a week keeping the phone cleaned out as it 'cache's" EVERYTHING. So go go "Applications", "Applications Manager", then swipe right to left to get to "Running" apps. Hit "more" and tap "Show cached Processes". Here you will see a ton of wasted space. Judiciously go through and start clearing that out one at a time. Some things like "TouchWiz home" I have left alone as some of this is important. But you won't know unless you try. The nice thing about starting here is if you mess something up restarting the phone will get it working again. But you will recover a ton of wasted memory. Then swipe "Right to Left" and go to "All". Here you can start working again on insane amounts of saved "data" and "Cache". 0n some of them you can "uninstall updates" and recover more memory. I stay on top of all this and my phone will average 1.15 GB of memory used. I also move everything that can move to the SD card there too. But these phones are insidious for storing and accumulating JUNK. Sprint Zone and "Sprnt Apps" friggn' virus's as You can't delete them but you can stop them and "uninstall updates" and wipe them out and they will turn themselves back on later and reload everything and take away all the progress you just made. As I started out by saying I am going to end up rooting this new phone just to get off these self installing pieces of spyware.

Anyway that is my two cents worth for your question.

Regards,

Lisa