Ugh, Android browser is killing the experience. Help?

[Chum]

Background:
I've downloaded 18 apps and moved everything I could (from application management area) to the SD card. This leaves about 70MB of internal phone storage free. Does that seem about right?

I have started to get low disk space warnings and Android reports that the Browser is using the most disk space under ALL, Sort by size. Yesterday, the browser was listed as using 56MB of space.

It seems that the only way to fix this is by going into the browser settings and clearing the cache, history, cookie data, and form data. It is incredibly frustrating to have to do this every day. I don't even use the browser for that many sites (most are really text - Android Central, Boy Genius Report, local news website, Google) so it seems very strange that the browser pulls down over 50MB of data in a day.

This issue recurs even after resetting to the default settings within the browser.

Questions:
Is this normal or should I be able to have more control over these settings? I've searched all the Android menus and all the Browser menus but don't see any other settings. It would be great if I could control that the cache, history, etc. can only take up 5MB. Or, save all this to the SD card.

I am not interested in rooting the device or installing additional apps that claim to move things to the SD card that Android cannot do on its own.

If this is simply an issue with the browser? If so, are there any apps/widgets that can all-at-once clear the browser's cache, history, cookie data, and form data? I'd rather not do it from the apps menu because the clear data button ends up erasing all my bookmarks.

I haven't seen anyone else complaining about this issue so that is why I think something strange is going on. Once again, if this is just a known issue, can anyone recommend a decent browser similar to how the stock one operates that allows for saving everything to the SD card? There are so many out there so a recommendation would be appreciated.

Many thanks!

 

[Droid-One]

I know you said you don't ant to root but that is the only way to get access to some appear that can clean the cache. I personally use cache mate or cache cleaner. I have to admit that its a pain. The browser that I used to alleviate the problem was dolphin browser hd. That browser will allow you to move the cache to sd and no root is needed. Good luck.

 

[trekkie1701c]

Don't have any issues like that myself (right now I show it as using 1.38mb of space, with 1.11mb of that being data).

Honestly don't like Dolphin, when I use it my CPU usage shoots up dramatically to the point where my phone starts to freeze.

 

[DroidXcon]

Background:
I've downloaded 18 apps and moved everything I could (from application management area) to the SD card. This leaves about 70MB of internal phone storage free. Does that seem about right?

I have started to get low disk space warnings and Android reports that the Browser is using the most disk space under ALL, Sort by size. Yesterday, the browser was listed as using 56MB of space.

It seems that the only way to fix this is by going into the browser settings and clearing the cache, history, cookie data, and form data. It is incredibly frustrating to have to do this every day. I don't even use the browser for that many sites (most are really text - Android Central, Boy Genius Report, local news website, Google) so it seems very strange that the browser pulls down over 50MB of data in a day.

This issue recurs even after resetting to the default settings within the browser.

Questions:
Is this normal or should I be able to have more control over these settings? I've searched all the Android menus and all the Browser menus but don't see any other settings. It would be great if I could control that the cache, history, etc. can only take up 5MB. Or, save all this to the SD card.

I am not interested in rooting the device or installing additional apps that claim to move things to the SD card that Android cannot do on its own.

If this is simply an issue with the browser? If so, are there any apps/widgets that can all-at-once clear the browser's cache, history, cookie data, and form data? I'd rather not do it from the apps menu because the clear data button ends up erasing all my bookmarks.

I haven't seen anyone else complaining about this issue so that is why I think something strange is going on. Once again, if this is just a known issue, can anyone recommend a decent browser similar to how the stock one operates that allows for saving everything to the SD card? There are so many out there so a recommendation would be appreciated.

Many thanks!

Happy Holidays,

Try Sky Fire, then once open, at the top right you will see a down arrow select that, go to settings, then go to privacy and security , Check off clear Cache upon Closing

 

[Chum]

Thanks for all the responses. I ended up going with Dolphin Mini and that seems to be pretty close to the stock android browser. I like how it runs off the SD card and I can have the cache cleared with each exit.

I wonder why other Optimus owners aren't complaining about low disk space... I would say that I've been pretty conservative with the number of apps I've installed and still used up a decent chunk of the internal space. I'd think that anyone who uses the browser regularly would have received the same error message about low disk space.

Edit: I did try Skyfire, too but don't need all the social media integration and also didn't like how the social media stuff took up a bunch of screen space.

 

[trekkie1701c]

Could just be how you use the browser/what sites you use, or it could just be a phone specific issue (like my phone locks up every time I try to use the built in media player... but since others work, I don't worry about it). Space-wise I usually have about 90mb free now that I've installed ThundeROM, since I move everything I can to the SD card.

 

[Cyber Warrior]

I have no problem using the stock browser on my DX and I use it constantly. I clear the history and cache and forms about once a week and use an app called History Eraser for clearing the markets search field.
You might want to keep an eye out to see if that's a problem with the Optimus or just your phone. You shouldn't be getting warnings like that.

 

[Ultra50#WP]

Try the Dolphin HD or Mini Broaser both are better than stock.

 

[KSmithInNY]

Try the Dolphin HD or Mini Broaser both are better than stock.

I was once an absolute hater of 3rd party browsers but dolphin mini has turned me. I turned off gestures and all the stuff that i wouldn't ever use but
1) Cache to SD
2) Speed dial page
3) Simplicity of transition from stock to mini

Those things have converted me to be a big fan of dolphin mini.

FYI - I hated dolphin and dolphin HD so to say i absolutely LOVE mini says a lot

 

[nick_danger]

I'm not certain if your issues have been resolved, but I was getting "low memory" warnings soon after getting this phone, too. I would only get the warnings when using the stock browser, however, it was not the browser's fault in my case. Read on.

Soon after getting my Optimus S, I turned off my text message thread limit, so I was keeping every text message. I saw on another forum that this could result in low memory issues. I changed this value down to 100 (even lower than the default 200) per thread and have since not encountered the memory issue once no matter how intense my browsing sessions on the stock browser. It fixed the problem for me.

Why SMS uses so much memory on this phone (or Android in general?), I don't know. My old HTC Touch Diamond stored text messages for two years without deleting... thousands of texts in a single thread with no noticeable impact.

EDIT: I want to add that I was able to replicate the warnings and crashing by letting my texts exceed the default 200 per thread. I think I was at about 400 or so before it started happening.