Can't free up memory on Android messenger

[Jingthing]

OK. Maybe this is a basic question but I've been unable to solve it.

My Android phone has minimal memory and now it's so bad I can't even open web pages without crashing.

So checking memory I noticed a lot of memory is used by never deleted messages on the message app built in to the phone app.

In other words when I get a text to my number that's where it goes.

Anyway so as a test I delete a bunch of messages.

Then I use a cleanup app.

Check memory usage again and it appears that instead of trimming the memory it has greatly increased.

Turn off phone to see if that helps. Nope.

Help?

[Jingthing]

Sorry.

Please move to mobile forum.

[bkkmick]

Try Metal to replace Facebook. It saves lots of memory and has messenger built in (as far as I can remember).

[Jingthing]

I don't have FB installed. Talking about the default text message function connected to the phone dialer.

[CaptHaddock]

Welcome to the crap operating system that is Android where memory management is a manual process. The cleaner apps help to some degree, but eventually you have find out where the space is going and delete files. Best app for that I have found is Space Analyzer. If you have an sd card installed you will see both sdcard1 (internal memory) and sdcard0 (the sd card you installed.) At least that is how it looks on mine. You want to select sort by size by tapping on the icon in the upper right hand corner and then drill down looking to see what is eating space. Somee apps like gps map apps take large amounts of space.

If you are willing to become a hobbyist you can root it, install Titanium Backup and migrate some apps from internal storage to the sd card by trial and error.

[Chicog]

(i) How old is this phone/what Android version?

(ii) How many apps have you installed?

(iii) Have you tried moving some of them to the memory card? (see (i).

(iv) Have you tried removing the ones that you inevitably have hardly used since you installed them?

(Otherwise, follow CaptHaddock's advice).

Edited June 27, 2016 by Chicog

[bendejo]

Try App Cache Cleaner. There are several other apps in this category. It is only by frustration that some of us (like me) discover the need for apps like this.

I have a no-name tablet I bought in Panthip 4 years ago, always something going goofy and having to come up with ways to get past them. A few months ago I did a complete system refresh, put a little more care into what I "try out" and the performance of thing has improved to the point where if I didn't know any better I'd swear it was a new machine.

[Aussie69]

(i) How old is this phone/what Android version?

(ii) How many apps have you installed?

(iii) Have you tried moving some of them to the memory card? (see (i).

(iv) Have you tried removing the ones that you inevitably have hardly used since you installed them?

(Otherwise, follow CaptHaddock's advice).

(v) Make sure you don't have numerous apps currently open

I friend at work recently gave me his iPad suffering same issue; as soon as I had it in my hands I found the issue - he had NEVER closed an app or safari tab since he owned it. The app & tabs carousel scrolled forever, I was surprised it worked at all.

[Aussie69]

(i) How old is this phone/what Android version?

(ii) How many apps have you installed?

(iii) Have you tried moving some of them to the memory card? (see (i).

(iv) Have you tried removing the ones that you inevitably have hardly used since you installed them?

(Otherwise, follow CaptHaddock's advice).

(v) Make sure you don't have numerous apps currently open

I friend at work recently gave me his iPad suffering same issue; as soon as I had it in my hands I found the issue - he had NEVER closed an app or safari tab since he owned it. He innocently didn't understand that the concept of closing apps. The app & tabs carousel scrolled forever, I was surprised it worked at all.