Phone is showing storage full when it's not

[Android Central Question]

Last night I got a warning on my phone that the storage is full and functions may no longer work. When I looked at storage details it showed me that 70GB of storage is taken up by apps. There are 77 apps on my phone, meaning they'd have to average nearly a gigabyte each to take up this much space, and there's only one that comes anywhere close. Looking deeper, I see that "Media Storage" shows as an app taking up just over 60GB - equivalent to the actual media that's on the device. It looks like this is being counted twice (as media and as an app) causing the phone to think it's full when it's not.
Phone details:
Model: One Plus 9
Android Version: Android 11
Build Number: Oxygen OS 11.2.8.8.LE5AA
Kernel Version: 5.4.61-qgki-g3cfe691
Android Security Update: 2021-07-01

 

[SpookDroid]

App file sizes aren't the only thing that makes up an app, though. Temporary downloads, media files (for games, for instance... those don't show as 'media' on your phone, but aren't part of the game install size), etc. OS also takes up space.

 

[Plics1998]

App file sizes aren't the only thing that makes up an app, though. Temporary downloads, media files (for games, for instance... those don't show as 'media' on your phone, but aren't part of the game install size), etc. OS also takes up space.

I'm accounting for all of those things.
When I look at the space used by a given app, it shows me App size, User data, and Cache. One of the system apps is "Media Storage" and the User data for that app is all the media I have stored (the number exactly matches and changes if I add or remove media). The OS is counting the size of that app (all three parts as I've just described) and is also counting stored media towards the total used storage on the device.

 

[Javier P]

I'm accounting for all of those things.
When I look at the space used by a given app, it shows me App size, User data, and Cache. One of the system apps is "Media Storage" and the User data for that app is all the media I have stored (the number exactly matches and changes if I add or remove media). The OS is counting the size of that app (all three parts as I've just described) and is also counting stored media towards the total used storage on the device.

Welcome to the forums. Clear the trash in the Gallery app and see if it makes a difference. It can be found at the bottom of the Collections tab.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ArtemR/status/1429172474894176256

 

[Plics1998]

Welcome to the forums. Clear the trash in the Gallery app and see if it makes a difference. It can be found at the bottom of the Collections tab.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ArtemR/status/1429172474894176256

I have disabled the Gallery app on this device because I use a different photo organizer (whose cache I have cleared). I enabled it to see if there's any trash to clear, but there isn't.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, welcome to AC!

What size memory your phone has?

 

[Plics1998]

Phone is 128GB.

Storage breakdown shows 68 GB of apps.
When I click on that, set it to show system apps, I find a total of 7.3 GB of apps + 60.78 GB of "Media Storage". I've seen it stated elsewhere that "Media Storage" is a purely virtual number and doesn't actually occupy space, but here I see it included in the total storage used by apps.
I also see 2.7 GB of photos, 57 GB of music, and .9 GB of files for a total of 60.6 GB. I assume there's some rounding error that accounts for the other .18 GB.
That means that Media Storage is being counted twice and showing my device as full when it is not.

 

[mustang7757]

Can u post a screen shot just block any personal information, your not rooted?

 

[Plics1998]

Can u post a screen shot just block any personal information, your not rooted?

What exactly do you want to see a screenshot of?
It is not rooted.

 

[mustang7757]

What exactly do you want to see a screenshot of?
It is not rooted.

Your storage Information

 

[Plics1998]

Here's a screenshot. It shows the same information I just described.

 

[mustang7757]

Here's a screenshot. It shows the same information I just described.

Thank you , when u tap on other apps does it take you to another menu ?

 

[Plics1998]

Yes. It takes me here.

 

[mustang7757]

OK music and audio is legit 57gb correct?

Now we have to figure why other apps showing so much .


Try this app from play store and see if it says same or finds other folders .


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

 

[mustang7757]

Media storage shows in apps 60gb , but you have music and audio 57gb strange

 

[Plics1998]

Media storage includes photos and videos and files. As I've shown above, it adds up.

 

[mustang7757]

Also check in your stock file manager any duplicate with media files , maybe try copy or move ?

 

[Plics1998]

DiskUsage shows this:

 

[mustang7757]

Media storage includes photos and videos and files. As I've shown above, it adds up.

OK, but why it goes over to apps section, so double check files manager

 

[mustang7757]

The photo organizer you use does it have trash bin ?