Question Android storage giving wildly inaccurate figure

[Dave Rado]

As you can see in the attached screenshot, Settings/Device Maintenance./ Storage is claiming that I have used up 30.8GB out of 32GB, leaving only 1.GB free. But below that it breaks down the storage that is actually being used, including by my apps, and that only comes to just over 14GB.

So where has the missing 16GB gone???

Dave

 

[mustang7757]

That's not an option unless you're offering to pay. Plus I object strongly on principle to built-in obsolescance. My laptop model was released in 2013 and it works fine with Windows 10. The S7 was released in 2016. It's immoral and extremely damaging to the environment for an expensive phone to intentionally be designed to have to be thrown away in less than 10 years.

The fact is that I'm only using 14GB of my 32GB storage for my apps and data and the OS should only be using 8GB - so I should still have 10GB free. Even after clearing my cache I now only have 3.5GB free according to settings - down from 4.7GB when I posted last November. So how can I find out what the other 6.5GB is being used for, and also why the amount of unaccounted for storage is increasing so rapidly?

Please could you restrict your comments to helping me to find the answer to my question.

PS - the reason I didn't see your reply before is that I'm not getting email notifications when people reply to this thread. Is there any way of turning that facility on? I can't see any option to do that. I'm "watching" this thread, but that isn't giving me email notifications when people reply.

From the site go through your profile settings to get email notifications or Tapatalk app you can do this for notifications on your device

 

[mustang7757]

Try total commander in the play store to see what storage it gives you.

 

[B. Diddy]

I tried installing SD Maid but can't see anywhere in the app that would give more insight into this - please could you clarify?

I just tried SD Maid myself and couldn't find an option to show how much space the system was taking up -- sorry.

But I did just try the Samsung My Files app, and there's an option there that should help. Assuming your phone can run the current My Files app, scroll down to Analyze Storage, and see if it tells you how much System is taking up.

 

[B. Diddy]

Plus I object strongly on principle to built-in obsolescance. My laptop model was released in 2013 and it works fine with Windows 10. The S7 was released in 2016. It's immoral and extremely damaging to the environment for an expensive phone to intentionally be designed to have to be thrown away in less than 10 years.

Regarding this, I understand why anyone would be disappointed, but the reality is that tech advances very quickly, and therefore gets obsolete more quickly than most other kinds of durable goods. Just think about Moore's Law. These devices aren't being intentionally designed to become obsolete fairly quickly -- that's just the nature of the beast. If you want to continue using an obsolete device, you have to accept its limitations in relation to today's software requirements.

 

[Dave Rado]

Back in November, I advised you to install and run Data Size Explorer from the Playstore. Obviously, you did not. Your initial post, as explained to you by B Diddy, did not include system files.
What more do you expect when you are not following even initial steps? Good luck

If I search the Play Store for Data Size Explorer the Play Store doesn't find it. Has it changed its name?

 

[Dave Rado]

Regarding this, I understand why anyone would be disappointed, but the reality is that tech advances very quickly, and therefore gets obsolete more quickly than most other kinds of durable goods. Just think about Moore's Law. These devices aren't being intentionally designed to become obsolete fairly quickly -- that's just the nature of the beast. If you want to continue using an obsolete device, you have to accept its limitations in relation to today's software requirements.

I do accept that it doesn't have the latest features as long as it works at all. Same with my much older laptop which has no problem running Windows 10.

 

[Dave Rado]

I just tried SD Maid myself and couldn't find an option to show how much space the system was taking up -- sorry.

But I did just try the Samsung My Files app, and there's an option there that should help. Assuming your phone can run the current My Files app, scroll down to Analyze Storage, and see if it tells you how much System is taking up.

Screen capture of my My Files app attached, after scrolling down - I can't see "Analyse Storage" there?

 

[Dave Rado]

That's why you have to mention, can't just say it's been flashed many times , why would you need to flash it so many times , think once is enough, No?

It's quite common for phones and PCs to gradually accumlate junk over time and stop operating normally and have to be flashed. In case of phone. I know loads of people who've had to flash their phone. Typical symptoms are battery life shortening, perfomance reduction, media players suddenly jumping to another track in the middle of playing, or just aborting, and all sorts of other anomolous behaviours, all of which have been resolved in the past by flashing my phone.

I thought flashing my phone might also resolve this issue of unaccounted for storage space, but it didn't, so I posted here.

 

[mustang7757]

It's quite common for phones and PCs to gradually accumlate junk over time and stop operating normally and have to be flashed. In case of phone. I know loads of people who've had to flash their phone. Typical symptoms are battery life shortening, perfomance reduction, media players suddenly jumping to another track in the middle of playing, or just aborting, and all sorts of other anomolous behaviours, all of which have been resolved in the past by flashing my phone.

I thought flashing my phone might also resolve this issue of unaccounted for storage space, but it didn't, so I posted here.

Well you came to the right person for Flashing Samsung devices, in rare cases would you attempt to do that it from what you mentioned, usually flashing stock firmware from carrier version to unlock or vice versa and maybe an update that's out and want to flash if OTA didn't come through besides rooting and other thing this where flashing comes handy.
When you get cache build up normally you clear cache in recovery that will delete build up files, a fresh factory reset without transfer data can give a better understanding of your storage then slowly transfer data you can do this from a backup Samsung Smart switch PC which I highly recommend or Google's cloud back up also and the Samsung PC Smart switch can restore data anytime not just factory reset.

 

[Dave Rado]

Well you came to the right person for Flashing Samsung devices, in rare cases would you attempt to do that it from what you mentioned, usually flashing stock firmware from carrier version to unlock or vice versa and maybe an update that's out and want to flash if OTA didn't come through besides rooting and other thing this where flashing comes handy.
When you get cache build up normally you clear cache in recovery that will delete build up files, a fresh factory reset without transfer data can give a better understanding of your storage then slowly transfer data you can do this from a backup Samsung Smart switch PC which I highly recommend or Google's cloud back up also and the Samsung PC Smart switch can restore data anytime not just factory reset.

I back up using Smartswitch, then I take it into a Samsung-approved shop to get it flashed, then I restore using Smartswitch. As I say it has always resolved the problems I described above in the past. It's not a matter of clearing cache.

 

[methodman89]

If I search the Play Store for Data Size Explorer the Play Store doesn't find it. Has it changed its name?

DataSize Explorer Pro - Apps on Google Play

Easily find and manage the biggest files/apps of your storage with a dynamic UI

play.google.com

 

[mustang7757]

I back up using Smartswitch, then I take it into a Samsung-approved shop to get it flashed, then I restore using Smartswitch. As I say it has always resolved the problems I described above in the past. It's not a matter of clearing cache.

I'm trying to save you unnecessary steps but if you have in your head the way you want to do things then I'll let you do it the way you want to do it, your asking for help not me .

 

[B. Diddy]

Screen capture of my My Files app attached, after scrolling down - I can't see "Analyse Storage" there?

That's not entirely what my version looks like. It's probably because your old phone doesn't have the most up-to-date version, which is 14.5.00.21. What version is yours?

 

[Dave Rado]

DataSize Explorer Pro - Apps on Google Play

Easily find and manage the biggest files/apps of your storage with a dynamic UI

play.google.com

 

[Dave Rado]

That's not entirely what my version looks like. It's probably because your old phone doesn't have the most up-to-date version, which is 14.5.00.21. What version is yours?

Are you asking about my version of My Files? If so I don't know where to look it up.

My Android version is 8.0.0.

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you asking about my version of My Files? If so I don't know where to look it up.

My Android version is 8.0.0.

Open the My Files app, then open the app's settings menu. There should be an "About" option. If not, then it should be somewhere in the Settings menu. I'm guessing it's a very old version of the app, which doesn't have the Analyze Storage option.

 

[methodman89]

I had it on my S7 last November, available as the free standard version.

I currently have the free version on my S9, working fine, running Android 10 ver 2.5. which, when I go to the pro version I posted, gives me the same error now as you have screenshot from your phone.

Unfortunately, for you, things changed from the developer since your op, last year.
Such is life.
Have you thought about using an SD card?
Good luck

 

[Dave Rado]

Open the My Files app, then open the app's settings menu. There should be an "About" option. If not, then it should be somewhere in the Settings menu. I'm guessing it's a very old version of the app, which doesn't have the Analyze Storage option.

Yes, 5.0.11.2

 

[Dave Rado]

I had it on my S7 last November, available as the free standard version.

I currently have the free version on my S9, working fine, running Android 10 ver 2.5. which, when I go to the pro version I posted, gives me the same error now as you have screenshot from your phone.

Unfortunately, for you, things changed from the developer since your op, last year.
Such is life.
Have you thought about using an SD card?
Good luck

I do use an SD card. The only data on my phone is data that can't be stored on an SD card, such as WhatsApp images etc.

 

[B. Diddy]

Really really old version.

Go back to the Settings>Device Maintenance>Storage screen and tap the 3-dot button at the upper right. What options do you see there?