On 06/09/2021 at 14:31, nukecad said:<div class="ipsQuote_contents"> <p> That's a question of how much RAM a device has as opposed to how much Data Storage it has. </p> <p> When your phone is saying 'storage full' it actually means that the RAM is full, not the Data storage. </p> <p> All computing devices have 2 types of memory. Data storage memory, which holds all your data, files, photos, downloads, apps, etc. RAM (Random Access Memory) which is what the system and apps use to store temporary data <strong><em>while they are running</em></strong>, they write and read things to and from RAM all the time that they are running. (Some app also 'reserve' RAM they are not actually using now but may want to use later). </p> <p> If you 'Restart' your phone (or computer) it will clear out whatever is in the RAM, the Data storage will not be cleared. (That's what CCleaner clears, the junk in Data storage). </p> <p> With most phones you can add SD cards to be able to store extra data, files, photos, etc. but you are not able to increase the physical RAM. </p> <p> As the running apps all use the RAM how many you can have running at once depends on how much RAM you have in that device. Plus newer versions of apps tend to need more RAM than older versions did. If you run more apps than the RAM can handle at once then the phone slows down or stops altogether. </p> <p> Which is why phones are sold with different amounts of RAM, for example the Samsung S20 comes with either 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM. The 16GB RAM version can run more apps at once than the 8GB or the 12GB. You pay your money and take your choice. </p> <p> The data storage on a S20 is much higher with options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, and you can add extra with a micro SD card, up to 1.5 TB. (Oddly the newer S21 does not have a card slot). </p> <p> With computers/laptops it is fairly easy to swap out the existing RAM chips for higher capacity RAM chips, but phone chips are made differently and you can't do that. </p> <p> With Android phones there are ways to use some of the data storage memory (or some of an SD cards memory) as extra RAM, but it involves 'Rooting' the phone which is a technical process. (And may void your warranty, although that's not usually a worry with an older phone). Also note that it doesn't work with all makes of phone.https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/add-ram-android-device-microsd-card/
<p> PS. On a practical side that might be of more help - I also have an old smartphone with only 2GB RAM. I only open apps when I'm using them and when I'm not I use the Task Manager to stop them running. (On my old Galaxy pressing the centre button opens the task manager and you just swipe running apps off the screen to close them). That way I never have more than 4 or 5 apps open/running at once and the 2GB RAM can cope with that. It's opening another, then another, then another, ...., without closing any and so leaving them all running in the background that takes up the RAM. (I've had friends ask me to look at why their phone is running slow and on looking they have had as many as 30 or 40 apps open at once using all the RAM). </p> </div>
Hi, thank you for trying to assist me with my issue. I knew I don't have this amount of files as my phone states I do, so I took my phone to a tech specialist store for them to have a look. In their opinion my phone's internal system is just messed up because the device itself is already nearly 5 years old and the apps have been updating for so long they've messed up the phone's internal system. A factory reset is an option, but in their opinion I would reach the same state very quickly just because the device is very outdated already. So the best option is to just buy a newer phone. ? And no, they didn't suggest I buy it from them... ??