Help newbie questions...

[DWFII]

(1) What is device storage? I have 1.3gb being used and 660mb+ free.

(2) What is USB storage? I have 12gb total and 8gb free.

(3) Is there anything I can do to free up device storage?

(4) Also...same theme (maybe?)...what is data usage and why am I getting a 50gb warning? I hardly use this device except as a phone and for taking photos & uploading them to Google drive.

If it is related, I am supposed to have unlimited text and data with my plan. So I am confused about the data usage warning.

Sorry for the many questions...answers to (1), (2), (3) or (4) individually or all at once equally appreciated.

 

[Bg260]

1. That is your internal storage. It contains you system and data partitions, and all the other important directories. You cannot access it without root. You can reduce it by uninstall in applications that you have downloaded or by wiping application data.

2. I assume that is USER internal storage.

3.Answered in #1

4.Data is what connects you to the internet when wifi is unavailable. If you are uploading photos without a wifi connection then data is being used. If you upload a 10Mb picture that is 10Mb data usage.

Also, that being said 50Gb seems a bit extreme.

 

[DWFII]

Thanks for taking the time...

2) no, my phone says USB storage.

4) I was told today by a "expert" on setting up phones that it was a bogus warning that some service companies (Virgin Mobile) display. Not sure what that's all about, didn't quite understand the explanation but was slightly reassured.

 

[Bg260]

If you are referring to your SII, then yes it says USB storage, but it is your USER portion of the internal device storage this was a feature of Kit-Kat I believe or maybe earlier, Gingerbread. It is called USB Mass Storage. Meaning you can access it via a USB cable. This changes in later versions of Android to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). Just to be sure, you have a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II? Codename Hercules? SGH-T989?

 

[DWFII]

Virgin Mobile Galaxy SII 4G. I don't know the code name.

So...USB Storage on this device is the same as USER Storage?

 

[Bg260]

Yes. Media storage mostly. Photos, music, videos, cached user data is stored in the Android directory... All the things that will not harm the device if inadvertently deleted.