Most people only think about cleaning up their phone when something starts to become wrong. Android devices are smart enough that regular maintenance isn't necessary, but it'south still a practiced idea to perform a digital tune-up every once in a while. Don't underestimate the bear on of staying digitally organized and having costless space when you need it.

The trick is finding phone cleaner apps that actually live upward to their promises. At all-time, a bad cleaner app wastes storage space; at worst, information technology could infect you lot with malware and spam you with ads. Non all Android cleaner apps are useless, however.

Here are the all-time cleaner apps for Android phones and tablets yous should try.

1. Files by Google

Google'south official Android file manager has easy tools that brand information technology the showtime Android junk cleaner anyone should try. Fire up the app and switch to the Clean tab at the bottom to admission these options.

Here you lot'll see several areas that the app identifies as wasting space. These include Junk files, Duplicates, Backed up photos, and Unused apps. Select an option to await at what'due south taking up the most space, check what you want to remove, and confirm to have the app take care of the residuum.

While you can also apply the Browse tab to explore your phone's storage manually, letting the app weed out the biggest space hogs with these automated checks is more efficient.

As nosotros'll see, a lot of the following apps have handy cleaning features only also cram in RAM optimizers and other nonsense you don't need. Google Files is a good respond to these; it's one of the all-time means to make clean Android with a simple, free app that isn't bloated with unnecessary extras.

Download: Files by Google (Free)

2. Droid Optimizer

Droid Optimizer is i of the best-known Android cleaner tools, with over a one thousand thousand downloads on the Google Play Shop. It's unproblematic to use, especially for newbies, with an introduction screen that walks you through permissions and features.

Information technology offers a "ranking system" designed to motivate y'all to go along your device in tip-summit shape. If you don't heed having your own device shame you lot into better habits, Droid Optimizer is i of the best Android cleaner apps for you.

Ane tap is all yous need to begin a telephone cleanup. You lot'll see your stats at the top of the screen; free infinite and RAM bear witness next to your "rank" score, where you receive points for your cleanup deportment.

If you'd prefer to set and forget, Droid Optimizer allows you lot to set regular, automated cleaning. This motorcar-cleanup will clean your cache, stop groundwork apps, and delete any unnecessary files. Information technology too comes with a "good night scheduler" to conserve energy, automatically disabling features like Wi-Fi when no connections are active.

Droid Optimizer can as well mass-delete apps—useful if you're looking to quickly make some infinite.

It's not the most attractive app, but it works. If you're looking for a skilful Android telephone cleaner and don't want to practice much of the work yourself, Droid Optimizer should exist on your shortlist.

Download: Droid Optimizer (Free, in-app purchases bachelor)

3. CCleaner

The same well-known desktop app for reclaiming disk space is also available on Android. We've discussed why CCleaner isn't an essential app for Windows anymore, as it'southward gone downhill somewhat since Avast caused the service. And while the Android app isn't perfect either, it's better than a lot of the other spammy cleaner apps for Android.

Indeed, CCleaner on Android is a multifunctional app that does its best to analyze and clean up devious files taking upwards your precious space. The main part is the cleaner feature that can wipe cache information from apps, purge empty folders, and delete various histories.

It besides has an App Manager, which offers a simple interface that lets y'all choice multiple apps for uninstallation. Lastly, the Organization Info page monitors your phone's resource (CPU, RAM, device details) then you can see what'due south going on at a quick glance.

No root is necessary and it'south free, although you can upgrade to the Pro subscription for a few extras. It may exist a bit low-cal on features, but it does the chore if all you need is a quick way to repossess your phone's storage space.

Download: CCleaner (Free, subscription available)

Cleaning your phone of unnecessary files is only one part of the maintenance task. What near monitoring your battery health, your CPU temperature, and those pesky mobile ads? The appropriately named All-In-One Toolbox is here to do it all.

It's capable of cleaning temporary files on your Android device, wiping your cache, and deleting empty folders and orphaned files. It but takes one tap to analyze your device, then another tap to delete, and you're done. It's a like procedure with other areas of the app likewise.

The Boost function cleans your arrangement enshroud and closes groundwork apps, again with two taps. You can set this automatically with the Boost+ part if you'd prefer, but doing so requires an in-app purchase. If you're running out of juice, the Battery Saver section is another background task killer (see beneath for a alarm on this), but it also provides your electric current bombardment statistics.

If that wasn't enough, in that location'due south also a mass app deleter, avant-garde file cleaning tools, and Wi-Fi analysis. As its name promises, All-In-1 Toolbox tries to do it all. Like Droid Optimizer, there's also a ranking organization to encourage regular use.

Download: All-in-One Toolbox (Costless, in-app purchases available)

5. SD Maid

SD Maid claims to be "at your service" as the digital cleaner for your Android phone. It keeps the experience simple; opening upwards the app gives you lot several quick deportment you can use to "tidy up" your device.

The first, CorpseFinder, searches for and erases any orphaned files or folders left over from deleting an app. SystemCleaner is some other search-and-delete tool, this time looking for mutual files and folders that SD Maid believes it can safely delete.

If you similar the sound of this, AppCleaner performs the same action for your apps. To use this feature, withal, you'll need to upgrade SD Maid Pro. There's also a Databases area to assist optimize whatsoever app databases in utilise. In our exam, it cleared 40MB from Spotify this way.

There are besides tools for storage assay (to assist y'all find and delete large files) and mass app removal if y'all're considering a bigger phone tune-up.

Download: SD Maid (Gratuitous, in-app purchases bachelor) | SD Maid Pro ($iv)

6. Norton Clean

Bated from CCleaner (owned past Avast), none of these cleaner apps come from top-tier security firms. The search for the all-time cleaning app for Android thus can't conclude without mentioning Norton Make clean, offered by the famous Norton Antivirus from Symantec.

Norton claims to "remove the ataxia" from your Android device. Much similar the other entries, it'll search for and wipe your cache, remove any junk files, and help yous quickly remove any unused apps yous take installed. The Manage Apps section lists all your apps, letting y'all sort them by last use, installation date, or how much storage information technology uses.

The app takes a uncomplicated approach. Compared to the other entries, Norton Clean has one of the cleanest, brightest, and most modern-looking user interfaces. Everything you need is one or two taps away, significant y'all don't have to be an Android pro to figure it out.

This ane is also calorie-free on features—it's only a file cleaner and app deleter, with prominent ads for other Norton apps. If you're worried about infinite, still, Norton Make clean is an easy enough manner to assistance you reclaim it. And it doesn't take any in-app purchases or subscriptions to worry about.

Download: Norton Make clean (Costless)

A Alert on Android Chore Killers

A lot of cleaner apps for Android offer RAM boosting and job killing equally a feature—fifty-fifty some on this list, like CCleaner. Still, these are counterproductive, every bit job killers really harm your device operation.

On Android, full RAM usage is not necessarily a problem. In fact, Android purposely keeps its RAM usage high to maximize performance. The Android OS is smart enough to know how to juggle open apps for optimal operation. Interfering with that process can crusade Android to work harder than information technology needs to, which ultimately slows down your device—specially if you lot're closing background system apps.

Most modernistic Android apps shouldn't impact your battery performance that much either. If they do, Android should alert you to the problem (assuming yous have a mod device). You might need to look at how to extend your Android battery life if that'due south the case. You can do that by limiting background usage using Android itself, not with a task killer or apps with task-killing features.

These apps are useful for removing one-time files and wiping enshroud data, but you should be wary well-nigh letting them control apps or services running on your device. The Android landscape has moved past these "all in one" optimization solutions. Devices are faster and Android is ameliorate at managing system resources.

To larn more, see what actually makes Android run faster and why you lot shouldn't constantly shut Android apps on your phone.

Use Android Phone Cleaners With Care

Regular maintenance isn't vital for nigh Android users, just it can help to keep your device running smoothly in some cases.

That'south the truth: your device will go along running even if you don't spend time clearing out junk. Most modern Android devices accept plenty of RAM and device storage to cope with anything you have installed or saved. You shouldn't need to spend your days clearing app cache, either.

That said, if yous find there's a problem with your Android device, an Android cleaner could perk information technology upwards a little. If that doesn't work, you lot might need to attempt transmission cleaning side by side.

How to Free Up Storage Space on Your Android Device

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Virtually The Writer

Ben Stegner (1805 Manufactures Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT job to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked back. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more than as a professional writer for over eight years.

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