How To Locate And Delete Your Trash Files On Android
On modern operating systems, "deleting" a file isn't exactly deleting a file. Even setting aside the mechanics of how it's often possible to "un-delete" a file with specialized software, because it's still technically on your storage drive but not being pointed to anymore, the first step is always going to be moving files to a "Trash" or Recycle Bin" that stores files to be prepped for deletion. Depending on the operating system and your own system preferences, that garbage receptacle may need to be manually emptied or set to automatically empty itself at set intervals.
One operating system that behaves this way is Android in its various flavors. If you try to delete files using the Files by Google file browser, they're not immediately gone forever. Instead, they're moved to a Trash folder just like the one you see in macOS and the similar Recycle Bin in Windows. If you're looking to clear up space on your Android phone, you want to do it right away, which means that you want to know how to empty the trash as well. Thankfully, it's pretty simple, so let's go over what you need to do.
Emptying the Trash on Android step-by-step
As alluded to above, we're going to assume that you're using Files by Google as your file manager for the purpose of these instructions. If your phone came preloaded with a different file browser, then you can download Files by Google on the Google Play Store. To empty the Trash folder and permanently delete your files for any reason, including to free up more space on your Android, here's what you need to do:
- Open Files by Google.
- Tap the Menu button (the three parallel lines) in the top-left corner of the screen, then select Trash.
- Select the files that you would like to delete.
- Tap the Delete button at the bottom of the screen.
- When asked to confirm your choice to delete the files, tap Delete.
That's it! If you were looking to reclaim some space so you could shoot videos or download massive games to your heart's content, then you've successfully freed it up by emptying your Trash.