Running Out of Internal Storage

[popeye304]

I received notification that I am running low on storage space. I checked the FAQ and it mentioned that we can't install applications to the SD card. It's not like I am running a ton of applications... so what are my options besides removing applications?

Internal Phone Storage = 29.5MB

SD Card

Total Space 19GB

Available Space = 2.8GB

 

[twistedlim]

Wow you have a lot of stuff on your phone. You can get a bigger card and move more apps to it via titanium backup if you are rooted. Clearing your browser cache should help. Maybe even download cache cleaner and clear all your caches but that will slow things down until the caches you use a lot are rebuilt.

 

[BigRedGonzo]

I'm not sure what you read, but with 2.2 you can move apps to the SD card. You just go to menu>settings>applications>manage applications and tap each app. On the info page that pops up there is a button that says Move to SD. If the app allows running from SD, the button will be available and will allow you to move the app. I have about 50 or 60 apps installed on my phone and only about 6 or so allow installation to SD. I understand that it is the dev's task to make the app "SD ready."

If you don't have many apps installed, you may want to go through each app and clear its cache. You may also want to check and make sure you aren't storing stuff, i.e., pics, video, docs... in your main memory. Some apps require that you specify a storage space and if you don't, they default to internal memory. With all the apps that I have installed, I still have about 120MB free in internal storage.

Hope this helps, but I'm certainly not an expert.
BigRedGonzo

 

[smacky]

Clean your cache?

 

[popeye304]

Really, I have a lot of stuff on my phone? I have only used default settings when installing applications.

i can move some of my applications to SD, not all of ocurse you I just moved a few and I have cleared my cache, so let's see how this has helped:

Was: Now:

Internal Phone Storage = 29.5MB 41.25MB

I just a couple of apps to the SD card and cleared my cache... I'll do that now when exiting my browser.

I won't list all my apps but, I really woouldn't call these an excessve amount.

Thank you guys... I appreciate the help!

 

[bleedGreen]

I received notification that I am running low on storage space. I checked the FAQ and it mentioned that we can't install applications to the SD card. It's not like I am running a ton of applications... so what are my options besides removing applications?

Internal Phone Storage = 29.5MB

SD Card

Total Space 19GB

Available Space = 2.8GB

Try this too:SDWatch - Android app on AppBrain

It AUTOMATICALLY lets u know if it can be moved once an app is installed

 

[Lock-N-Load]

-root and then move 95% of your apps to the SD card via TitBU
-clear caches: and really watch News & Weather, Dialer, Browser
-delete SMS and MMS messages (this can be a HUGE one)
-delete apps you dont use

 

[popeye304]

I don't know anything about rooting, the pro's and con's/ Maybe one day I will investigate.

I did move a couple applications to the SD card... Stitcher was one... worked beautifully except it seemed to slow the Droid's navigation application... significantly.

 

[publicanimal]

I prefer not to move apps to the SD card, and so far I haven't needed to. If you're rooted you can use CacheMate to automatically clear your caches at an interval of your choosing (every 6 hours, 12, daily, etc). It's not just your browser, many apps use caches and they can fill up a lot of precious storage space.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

I use CacheMate and I have not seen it clear News & Weather - which can get huge. I even emailed the dev about it.

 

[publicanimal]

I use CacheMate and I have not seen it clear News & Weather - which can get huge. I even emailed the dev about it.

Good call, it isn't on the list of apps it clears caches for. Right now my Cache is only 440kb for that app but that's probably because I just flashed a new ROM yesterday (Miui - it RULES). I'll have to remember to check on it every so often.

 

[smacky]

I just use CacheMate which has a widget. Tap it and it clears all the caches you want it to.

 

[bleedGreen]

I prefer not to move apps to the SD card, and so far I haven't needed to. If you're rooted you can use CacheMate to automatically clear your caches at an interval of your choosing (every 6 hours, 12, daily, etc). It's not just your browser, many apps use caches and they can fill up a lot of precious storage space.

I would like to know, if I clear cache on my apps(and actually which ones wold you suggest to clear) wouldn't that then actually slow don those particular apps b/c it has "built" up optimal operating speed b/c of caches. I am sooo asking, I do not claim i know.

 

[publicanimal]

I would like to know, if I clear cache on my apps(and actually which ones wold you suggest to clear) wouldn't that then actually slow don those particular apps b/c it has "built" up optimal operating speed b/c of caches. I am sooo asking, I do not claim i know.

They might have to recache certain things, so theoretically it might. It hasn't been a noticeable issue for me.

The benefits of clearing caches outweigh the potential costs IMO. I use CacheMate and clear about everything it gives me the option to clear on the regular setting, and I also set it to clear AdMob/Google Analytics and Temporary caches. I don't set it to do the "experimental" data clearing and I don't have it set to the PowerClear option.

 

[bleedGreen]

They might have to recache certain things, so theoretically it might. It hasn't been a noticeable issue for me.

The benefits of clearing caches outweigh the potential costs IMO. I use CacheMate and clear about everything it gives me the option to clear on the regular setting, and I also set it to clear AdMob/Google Analytics and Temporary caches. I don't set it to do the "experimental" data clearing and I don't have it set to the PowerClear option.

I will trust trust your opinion(not meaning it "meanly") BUT, what is AdMob/Google Analytics? Will it clear anything important that would "slow" my phone down?
Is the PowerClear like swiping the whole phone?

 

[publicanimal]

Some apps have Google Analytics running. My understanding is that Google collects data about your usage of that app and then relays that data back to the developer. AdMob is a mobile advertising company that is now owned by Google.

Clearing this data should not slow down your phone.

Not exactly sure what PowerClear does but no, it doesn't swipe the whole phone. I never really investigated it I just figured the normal cache clearing settings were good enough.

 

[PhilosoRaptor]

I've been having probs with my phone running out of storage too. What I don't understand is that my phone will absolutely stop receiving SMS/MMS messages if my internal storage drops below 25 MBs when it tells me there's no more storage space available..?

I've moved as many apps (that natively support it) to my SD card as I can. I didn't know TiBu lets you move installed apps to the SD card and let you run them off of it, even though they don't support it.. did I understand that correctly (I have the paid version too)? The largest app I have installed K9 mail, it takes up around 25 MBs and clearing cache doesn't help.

So why does the phone lock up when internal storage goes below 25 MB? It doesn't use the internal storage as RAM too, does it? That's the only sense I can make of it because I've read that apps can only take up to ~24 MBs of RAM, but I've always known that internal storage and RAM are 2 diff things. If only I could solder an extra 256 MBs RAM and ~8 GBs internal storage to this phone, it would be perfect (no, I don't want a D2 or DX either ).

 

[publicanimal]

I've been having probs with my phone running out of storage too. What I don't understand is that my phone will absolutely stop receiving SMS/MMS messages if my internal storage drops below 25 MBs when it tells me there's no more storage space available..?

I've moved as many apps (that natively support it) to my SD card as I can. I didn't know TiBu lets you move installed apps to the SD card and let you run them off of it, even though they don't support it.. did I understand that correctly (I have the paid version too)? The largest app I have installed K9 mail, it takes up around 25 MBs and clearing cache doesn't help.

So why does the phone lock up when internal storage goes below 25 MB? It doesn't use the internal storage as RAM too, does it? That's the only sense I can make of it because I've read that apps can only take up to ~24 MBs of RAM, but I've always known that internal storage and RAM are 2 diff things. If only I could solder an extra 256 MBs RAM and ~8 GBs internal storage to this phone, it would be perfect (no, I don't want a D2 or DX either ).

If you opening your messaging app, hit the menu button and then tap settings, do you have the first option to delete old text messages selected? That might help you free up some memory.

 

[DaretoDroid2]

Are there any apps that you would definately not move to the SD card?

 

[publicanimal]

Are there any apps that you would definately not move to the SD card?

Widgets, apps that you use regularly, etc. I would personally consider moving apps to the SD card a last resort option.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

I see no reason to wait to move apps as a "last resort". if an app can be moved native - and it does not have a widget, move it. why not? I have 105 apps, most all are on my SD card. only ones I did not move are ones with widgets THAT I USE. Some have widgets, but if I do not use it, I move it. Others I don't move are things like Quadrant as it seemed I wanted the speed testing app on my phones memory. But I have even moved over that Flash hog - no problems thus far.

But since I am rooted, I went through each and every 105 apps and opted to move most all. For example, I have apps that do 1 thing only - Scorer or Tip-it and do nothing special, have no widget, but are not native to be moved. what not move those? just because a dev has not taken the time to make an app possible to move to the SD card does not mean it cannot or should not. certain judegment calls need to be made. but I am all about moving everything I can.

now doing this has shown me only 1 downfall, and I can live with that. That is, my phone can be kind of slow to boot as the apps on my home screens are generic icons until the SD card it loaded up and the app can be found. Once I get past that, all is well.

 

[publicanimal]

I see no reason to wait to move apps as a "last resort". if an app can be moved native - and it does not have a widget, move it. why not? I have 105 apps, most all are on my SD card. only ones I did not move are ones with widgets THAT I USE. Some have widgets, but if I do not use it, I move it. Others I don't move are things like Quadrant as it seemed I wanted the speed testing app on my phones memory. But I have even moved over that Flash hog - no problems thus far.

But since I am rooted, I went through each and every 105 apps and opted to move most all. For example, I have apps that do 1 thing only - Scorer or Tip-it and do nothing special, have no widget, but are not native to be moved. what not move those? just because a dev has not taken the time to make an app possible to move to the SD card does not mean it cannot or should not. certain judegment calls need to be made. but I am all about moving everything I can.

now doing this has shown me only 1 downfall, and I can live with that. That is, my phone can be kind of slow to boot as the apps on my home screens are generic icons until the SD card it loaded up and the app can be found. Once I get past that, all is well.

What's the advantage of having over 100MB free of internal storage space? Seems like overkill to me. From where I stand it seems like you have chosen to slow down your phone with no appreciable benefit besides having beaucoup unused (wasted) storage space.

I could be wrong.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

what's the disadvantage?

I find it odd someone would even question the value of free space availability on a phone with such limited internal space, even more so when you have an avenue provided to you to make said free space.

theoretically, it is more of an advantage to have room than not. think about it. more room on the phone is more room - like a computer - for processes and/or apps and growing data that NEEDS the room to have it when needed. Why have apps that have no value on the phone be on the phone? sure, some apps really need to be on the phone and can't - or should not - be on the SD card. but many others, not the case, which is why the whole move 2 sd card option was even devised - so why not use it. so, if you take your logic, and do not move apps actively and don't really care, you WILL run out of room at some point. At some point you must address this - if not now, later - and that means (1) stop creating data (2) stop downloading apps (3) delete data/apps OR (4) start moving stuff off and using the SD card and apps2SD ability that was designed.

I am curious, if 100+ is "overkill" and we know around the 20-30 range you will start to get warnings, data will not sync - where do you think the sweet spot is then? and how are you arriving at it? totally arbitrary it would seem?

with my logic, I am on it at all times, saving room for apps and data that MUST be on the phone, moving off stuff that does nothing but clog internal memory and, technically speaking, slow things down as there is no room to move.

ps - the only place I have "slowed down" my phone is at boot up time.. no biggie as that 1 con is worth the other pros and I clearly stated as much and stand by that.

 

[publicanimal]

I would claim the "sweet spot" is ANY amount above where you start getting low memory warnings. As far as me needing to address it at some point, I have by using CacheMate and deleting un-needed apps. When/if that is no longer good enough, I will move as few apps to SD as necessary.

Also I have the 32GB sd card which apparently is slower than the 16 GB. So slow down would likely be more noticeable for me.

Looks like we'll just have to agree to disagree.

EDIT: Are processes really running on the phone's hard drive? I thought that took place on the CPU.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

"I would claim the "sweet spot" is ANY amount above where you start getting low memory warnings."

huh?

so wait.. 20-30 you start getting warnings. then with your logic, 31mb is good?

in 1 day, with web browsing and maps and searching & sms/mms, call logs you can get easy get 10mb cache files alone not to mention data that is not cached that you want to keep. so you want to play that line that close every single day?

I dont even see the logic there. I would not want to daily address those alerts and chance having it not save or sync data.. easier to just be preemptive about it and do what the devs and phone was designed to do.. move off apps and data.

BTW, for a fact CacheMate - I use also - does not get all caches. I have had emails with the dev as such. it's good, but not 100% as I find caches often it does not clear. plus clearing caches.. that is only going to get you so far for rooms savings. And then I wonder, why are you even doing that if it does not really matter as long as you have "ANY amount above where you start getting low memory warnings." - just let it ride.

also, do you move any apps to SD card? if so, why? why not leave them all? why move any? and if you move just 1, why not move everyone that is logically possible if your willing to move just 1? you move just enough to stay above that warning level??

so okay.. we can agree to disagree. but at some point, you will run out of phone internal storage and I will not as I will keep moving apps - and their associated data and caches - every chance I get to the SD card that has vastly more room.