You may be uninstalling Android apps all wrong! Do this instead

It may not look hard to uninstall an Android app on a Android phones and tablets, but there may be left-over files and folders that could be a problem. Here's how to cleanly uninstall apps.

So what is the problem with uninstalling Android apps? It is similar to the problem you have uninstalling apps on Windows PCs and Apple Macs, and there could be files and folders left behind after the software is removed. Junk files from apps you have removed builds up over time and this leads to loss of storage space and file system clutter.

This will not worry you if you have a top end phone with 128 GB or more of storage, but people are keeping their phones longer these days and you might have an older specification device with limited storage that is nearly full. When you remove an app you should also clean up all the files it leaves behind too.

Keeping an old phone running smoothly requires a bit of time and effort, but it is worth it.

1 Clear running apps

When you run an app and switch to a different one or return to the home screen, it is suspended in the background. This is so that it is quicker to switch back and the app can be restarted more easily and quickly without having to reload it.

Use the app switcher button or swipe up and hold from the bottom of the screen to display the list of suspended apps on your phone and then swipe them away or tap the Close all button at the bottom of the screen. This is to make sure that the app you are uninstalling is not suspended in the background.

2 Go to phone Settings

Although Android apps can be uninstalled by long pressing an app on the home screen and then tapping Uninstall in the menu that appears or by dragging it to the trash (depends on the Android version), do this instead.

Find the Settings app in the apps drawer (the screen that lists all the apps), or pull down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon. Go to Apps or Application Manager (the name varies from device to device).

3 Find the app to uninstall

Swipe through the list if apps that is displayed until you locate the one you want to remove and tap it. I am going to remove Investmate. It is a great app, but I have used it enough and it is time for something different. No matter what app you are removing, the process is the same.

4 Force stop the app

Apps can be uninstalled simply by pressing the Uninstall button and it will work even if the app is running. However, I prefer to stop an app before it is uninstalled. Tap the Force stop button. Some apps refuse to stop, which is an irritation, but not a problem. Don't worry if this happens, just continue with the next step.

5 Clear app caches and data

Tap Storage on the app info screen and it shows the app, data and cache usage. This app does not use a lot and some use much more than this. Tap the Clear cache button followed by the Clear data buttons to delete all the files the app has created and recover all the used storage.

Data and cache are temporary file storage that apps use when they are running. If you ever need to completely reset an app, clearing these two items put the app back the way it was when it was downloaded. Some types of problems with apps can be solved by clearing the data and cache, which is like an app reset. Here, we just want to remove all the app's files before uninstalling it.

6 Uninstall the app

Finally, with the app stopped and the cache and the data cleared, the Uninstall button can be pressed. This removes the app, so go ahead and tap OK. This isn't over and there is still more to do.

6 Clear the app left-overs

Surely we have deleted everything? Maybe, but maybe not. Some apps create folders in the phone's storage and they store files outside of their own personal space and the data and cache storage. To be really sure everything has gone you must check for left-overs.

This Samsung phone has a My Files app that can be used to browse the phone's internal storage. Basically it's like Windows Explorer or macOS Finder and it lets you see the files and folders on the drive.

If you do not have an app that lets you see the files and folders on the phone's internal storage, search the Google Play Store for 'file manager' or 'file explorer'. There are lots of them.

Look for folders with the same name as the app or some variation of the app or developer's name. Many apps don't create folders and files here, but a few do and they can be deleted to free up space.

If you have never browsed the storage before, you may find folders and files from apps you uninstalled a long time ago. They can be deleted too. Look in the Downloads folder because some apps, such as podcast players, download files.

Take care and only delete items when you are 100% certain they were created by the app you just uninstalled. Don not delete anything you are unsure of because it could cause problems. If in doubt, skip this step.