Can't download any apps - "insufficient space on device" error keeps coming up

[Springtime79]

So I originally tried to update one of my apps that I've been using for awhile when I got the "insufficient space on the device" error message, so then I uninstalled it and tried to download it again and still get the error message.

The app is 20.09MB in size and I currently have 445MB of available space on my Samsung Galaxy S5.

I went through and uninstalled a bunch of apps that I just don't use anymore as well as moved a bunch over to my SD card and yep still getting the message so I don't understand what's going on?

I also tried downloading other apps just to see if it was something within that app or if it's my phone but I get it no matter what so if someone can help that would be great!

 

[Brian_Blaire]

Settings>Application Manager>Google Pay Store & Services> Clear cache and data

Posted via the Samsung Galaxy S5

 

[Shadowhawk]

I've seen what sounds like a similar situation with my Galaxy S5 (Verizon). I also have about 450 MB free in the internal storage.

I noticed that I also have a /Apps/Download manager/Cache directory that seems ridiculously large, currently at 1.425 GB. I've seen that at 1 GB, and as low as .7 GB.

Could that be related? I'm currently trying to find a way to manage it, clear it, or at least understand what it's doing for me right now, aside from taking up space.

UPDATE: I posted a separate thread about that Download Manager cache, and wound up finding the answer myself and posting it as a response (basically, clear the cache under: Settings > Applications > Application Manager > All > Download Manager):
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...manager-taking-up-1-4gb-what.html#post4335865

Does that have an effect on the "insufficient space on device" problem? I'm not sure, as I cleared the Google Play Services cache, the Google Play Store cache, and this Download Manager Cache pretty much one right after the other.

I've since been able to download and install a couple of apps that were both failing before.

 

[paul1701]

You are wonderful for sharing this info. I have been aggravated by lack of storage for two months, deleting high storage apps and moving some storage of apps to SD card where allowed. The time I lost with continuously bumping up against a low storage with every app update. Could not believe I had 3.45GB of cache tied up by the download manager. Now I'd really like to get rid of some of the Verizon bloatware that I do not use but takes up about 100MB. Seems I can only disable but not remove...

 

[Dr Claw]

I really wish Verizon sold the 32GB version of this phone. It's a good phone absent the bloating and carrier BS. but internal storage, while better than phones from 2011-13 that restricted app space, still lacks, esp. with the amount of room "system memory" takes up.

Thankfully, the Note 4 and Note Edge exist as well as this model having SD card options, but not everyone may be into the "big phone".

 

[micbur54]

Solved my issue with clearing cache in download mgr.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[LoneWulf-LV]

Thanks guys...I had over a gig of cache tied up....i can reinstall all the apps that I deletednton"free up space".

 

[KJ78]

You can also move apps to the SD card to free up space.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Hugh Jundies]

I found another way to free up storage on Android 5.1.1

Go to settings/ storage / used Space/ downloads then get rid of any downloads you don't need because I had more than 7gb of downloads I didn't need.

 

[Rukbat]

You can also move apps to the SD card to free up space.

You aren't really moving the apps to the SD card, you're moving pieces of them and leaving links to the pieces in internal storage (which is where Android looks for them). So if the app is written in a lot of small pieces, you can actually end up with less free space by moving" an app to the SD card. Even if it's written in a few large pieces, you won't save as much space as the entire app.

And if you move the card to a new phone, you first have to move the apps back to the phone, install them on the new phone, then move them to the card on the new phone. The new phone won't have the links to the card even if you put the card into it.

The best way to do it - if you don't mind buying a new card every few years, because they're not meant to be written to constantly - is to root the ROM, then run an app like External 2 Internal SD (Root) so the card is actually mounted as the "internal" storage. (The card has to be larger than "sdcard" on the phone for that to increase your storage space, of course.) Then installing an app normally installs it to the card, and "sdcard" (the internal storage) becomes your external" storage. (In Linux terms, Android uses sd0 as "internal" storage and sd1 as the card. They can be mounted the other way at boot, but the phone has to be rooted to make that change.)

 

[louwrite]

THis does not work. I've done it over and over. Thanks, anyway.

 

[K Hollywood]

Thank you so much brian!! :d

 

[Scott S7]

Thank you so much brian!! :d

Another thing I have found out if the cache cleaner does not work is remove the SD card and then download the app, then replace the card. This worked for both of my girls tablets.

 

[rowrob]

Hi all, download Norton Clean via Play Store. Will solve your problem. Cheers Engineer Rowrob.

 

[B. Diddy]

Can you explain why you think Norton Clean will solve the problem? "Cleaner" apps are generally not helpful (and often carry hidden adware or worse). The helpful things they can do can typically be done from the system settings anyway.

 

[Rukbat]

NEVER INSTALL ANY "CLEANER" APP ON A PHONE! You have no idea which files it will "clean". I lost all my .iso files doing that once. (Of course I always have backups, but still.)

 

[methodman89]

Hi all, download Norton Clean via Play Store. Will solve your problem. Cheers Engineer Rowrob.

Are you an engineer for Norton? You're only post is to use it, but as just stated, unlike 3 years ago when this op appeared, it's not needed or recommended. The os can do it through settings.

 

[GaryFink1]

I have the same problem with my phone. I'm trying to install some apps on my phone and I keeps telling telling me that I don't have enough of space to install an app and to uninstall apps to make room. I moved all the installable apps to the SD card which has size of 250 Gigabytes. I moved all the apps except for the appts that came with the phone. Those apps cannot be moved. I freed up the internal shared storage to over a Gigabyte of free space which is over 10 percent of the internal shared storage. The total of 16 Gigabytes. I have plenty of space and there's no reason why I should be having this problem. I used a utility app to delete all the junk files and deleted the cache for the internal shared storage. It made no difference. But I found the solution to the problem. So I went through the Google apps and I deleted the data for some apps and I disabled those apps to prevent them from further creating any data. These apps I don't need or use. The Google apps I did this to is Google, Google Drive, Cloud, Google Camera, Google Movie's and TV, Google Duo and Google messaging apps.
After I have done this I no longer have any more problems with installing apps to my phone. I no longer have a limit of how many apps I can have. Please share and pass this information on any who can use this information.

 

[B. Diddy]

I have the same problem with my phone. I'm trying to install some apps on my phone and I keeps telling telling me that I don't have enough of space to install an app and to uninstall apps to make room. I moved all the installable apps to the SD card which has size of 250 Gigabytes. I moved all the apps except for the appts that came with the phone. Those apps cannot be moved. I freed up the internal shared storage to over a Gigabyte of free space which is over 10 percent of the internal shared storage. The total of 16 Gigabytes. I have plenty of space and there's no reason why I should be having this problem. I used a utility app to delete all the junk files and deleted the cache for the internal shared storage. It made no difference. But I found the solution to the problem. So I went through the Google apps and I deleted the data for some apps and I disabled those apps to prevent them from further creating any data. These apps I don't need or use. The Google apps I did this to is Google, Google Drive, Cloud, Google Camera, Google Movie's and TV, Google Duo and Google messaging apps.
After I have done this I no longer have any more problems with installing apps to my phone. I no longer have a limit of how many apps I can have. Please share and pass this information on any who can use this information.

Welcome to Android Central! Thanks for your tip. Realistically, though, a device with 16 GB of internal storage will be very frustrating to use these days, since apps have gotten so big. Keep in mind that an app will often need more space in storage than the reported size of the app in the Play Store (because it needs room for its own data), and also that the system usually won't let every single kilobyte of storage be used, since it needs to keep a certain amount free for caching and other system use. Modern Android won't let an entire app be installed to an SD card either -- typically just the data portion can utilize the SD card -- so a big SD card won't really add much.

 

[GaryFink1]

Welcome to Android Central! Thanks for your tip. Realistically, though, a device with 16 GB of internal storage will be very frustrating to use these days, since apps have gotten so big. Keep in mind that an app will often need more space in storage than the reported size of the app in the Play Store (because it needs room for its own data), and also that the system usually won't let every single kilobyte of storage be used, since it needs to keep a certain amount free for caching and other system use. Modern Android won't let an entire app be installed to an SD card either -- typically just the data portion can utilize the SD card -- so a big SD card won't really add much.

Thank you! Your welcome! A bigger SD card is faster than smaller one. MY SD card has transfer rate of 150 MB a second. The faster the transfer rate the less delay you have when you run an app off of the SD card. I also use a lot space in data. So far I used 66 Gigabytes of space. I have over 20 Gigabytes of Pictures. About 20 Gigabytes of videos. Over 8.4 Gigabytes of apps and over 15.6 Gigabytes of documents.