Error displaying internal storage memory left

[Android Central Question]

Hi guys, so I'm having trouble understanding why my LG K4 keeps displaying the internal storage capacity wrong. When I open the main Storage option (the one displayed in the configuration option), I get that I'm using 7.80gb from the 8gb that the system has. However, when I check the folders through the phone's folder navigator, it shows that I only have 3.91 total internal storage, with 200mb available.

I understand that some storage is needed by default to keep the system running, but 4gb? And the TreeSize scan I did from my computer only expands my doubts, as it shows 1Gb of storage being used!

Appreciate any help

 

[electricmonsoon]

link with the storages displayed in different forms

https://imgur.com/a/uok9JMS

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The OS and any preinstalled bloatware is taking up about 4 GB of your total internal storage -- this is normal. So you only have about 4 GB of usable internal storage, which gets used up pretty quickly these days, considering how big apps are getting. Nowadays, you really need 16 GB of internal storage at the barest minimum, and preferably at least 32 GB if you want to install a decent number of apps on your phone.

 

[electricmonsoon]

whoa that sucks... Is there a way to substitute that bloatware? Maybe if I reinstall a lighter OS or firmware? Thanks for the reply btw!

 

[B. Diddy]

The only way to get rid of uninstallable bloatware is to root the phone. The forums at XDA-Developers.com is a good resource for that sort of thing. If you can't or don't want to root the phone, then the next best thing is to Disable whatever bloatware that you can (although some bloatware can't be disabled), by going to Settings>Apps, selecting the app, and tapping Disable. This will revert the app to its factory version and prevent it from being updated (or opened), which in itself can save a bit of space, since updated versions of the app are often significantly bigger.

 

[Rukbat]

It's not so much the bloatware as the way Android partitions the storage.

Install a terminal app, like Terminal Emulator for Android. Type

df

and Enter.

The last line you get should be usedata (or storage/emulated, or something similar). If you scroll up you'll see the headings - including Used and Available. That will allow you to figure out how much space you have to start with (Used + Available). It's in 1k blocks, so move the decimal 3 places to the left for MB, 6 places for GB.

That's all the space you have to put your apps and data in to begin with.

 

[Rukbat]

The "normal built-in firmware is in a different partition. Caches will normally be in the user partition, but they can be cleared, and normally don't take up that much space. (If you use the back button to end apps, instead of the home button, which leaves the app running, most apps clear up their own cache, so you might end up with a few MB of cache being used after a few days - and that's hardly significant.)