About people only think about cleaning upwardly their phone when something starts to go wrong. Android devices are smart enough that regular maintenance isn't necessary, merely it'south still a proficient idea to perform a digital tune-upwardly every once in a while. Don't underestimate the impact of staying digitally organized and having free space when you need it.

The trick is finding telephone cleaner apps that actually live up to their promises. At all-time, a bad cleaner app wastes storage space; at worst, it could infect you lot with malware and spam you lot with ads. Not all Android cleaner apps are useless, withal.

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

1. Files past Google

Google'southward official Android file director has piece of cake tools that make it the start Android junk cleaner anyone should attempt. Fire up the app and switch to the Make clean tab at the bottom to access these options.

Hither y'all'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 wait at what'southward taking upwards the virtually space, check what you lot want to remove, and confirm to have the app take intendance of the rest.

While you can also utilize the Browse tab to explore your phone'due south storage manually, letting the app weed out the biggest infinite hogs with these automatic checks is more efficient.

Equally we'll come across, a lot of the post-obit apps take handy cleaning features but also cram in RAM optimizers and other nonsense you lot don't demand. Google Files is a practiced answer to these; it's one of the best means to clean Android with a simple, free app that isn't bloated with unnecessary extras.

Download: Files by Google (Gratis)

2. Droid Optimizer

Droid Optimizer is i of the best-known Android cleaner tools, with over a 1000000 downloads on the Google Play Store. It'southward simple to use, especially for newbies, with an introduction screen that walks you through permissions and features.

Information technology offers a "ranking organization" designed to motivate you to proceed your device in tip-top shape. If you lot don't mind having your ain device shame you into better habits, Droid Optimizer is one of the best Android cleaner apps for you.

One tap is all you lot need to begin a phone cleanup. You'll come across your stats at the top of the screen; costless space and RAM show next to your "rank" score, where you lot receive points for your cleanup deportment.

If you'd adopt to gear up and forget, Droid Optimizer allows yous to gear up regular, automated cleaning. This car-cleanup will clean your cache, terminate background apps, and delete any unnecessary files. Information technology likewise comes with a "good night scheduler" to conserve energy, automatically disabling features similar Wi-Fi when no connections are active.

Droid Optimizer tin also mass-delete apps—useful if you're looking to quickly brand some space.

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

Download: Droid Optimizer (Gratuitous, in-app purchases available)

3. CCleaner

The aforementioned well-known desktop app for reclaiming disk space is as well available on Android. We've discussed why CCleaner isn't an essential app for Windows anymore, as it's gone downhill somewhat since Avast acquired the service. And while the Android app isn't perfect either, it's meliorate 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 stray files taking up your precious infinite. The main function is the cleaner feature that can wipe cache information from apps, purge empty folders, and delete various histories.

It also has an App Manager, which offers a elementary interface that lets y'all option multiple apps for uninstallation. Lastly, the System Info page monitors your phone'southward resources (CPU, RAM, device details) then you can see what's going on at a quick glance.

No root is necessary and it's free, although you lot tin can upgrade to the Pro subscription for a few extras. Information technology may be a bit light on features, but information technology does the task if all you demand is a quick style to reclaim your phone'southward storage space.

Download: CCleaner (Free, subscription bachelor)

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

Information technology's capable of cleaning temporary files on your Android device, wiping your enshroud, and deleting empty folders and orphaned files. It simply takes one tap to analyze your device, then another tap to delete, and you lot're washed. It'southward a similar procedure with other areas of the app likewise.

The Boost function cleans your arrangement enshroud and closes background apps, again with ii taps. You tin ready this automatically with the Heave+ function if you'd adopt, 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 below for a alert on this), but it likewise provides your current battery statistics.

If that wasn't enough, there's also a mass app deleter, advanced file cleaning tools, and Wi-Fi analysis. Every bit its name promises, All-In-Ane Toolbox tries to do it all. Similar Droid Optimizer, there's also a ranking system to encourage regular use.

Download: All-in-One Toolbox (Free, in-app purchases bachelor)

5. SD Maid

SD Maid claims to be "at your service" as the digital cleaner for your Android telephone. Information technology keeps the feel unproblematic; opening up the app gives yous several quick actions you can use to "tidy up" your device.

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

If you like the sound of this, AppCleaner performs the same action for your apps. To apply this feature, however, yous'll demand to upgrade SD Maid Pro. At that place's likewise a Databases expanse to aid optimize any app databases in employ. In our test, it cleared 40MB from Spotify this style.

There are also tools for storage analysis (to assistance you discover and delete large files) and mass app removal if y'all're considering a bigger phone melody-up.

Download: SD Maid (Free, in-app purchases available) | SD Maid Pro ($4)

6. Norton Clean

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

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

The app takes a simple approach. Compared to the other entries, Norton Clean has one of the cleanest, brightest, and near modern-looking user interfaces. Everything you demand is i or 2 taps away, pregnant yous don't have to be an Android pro to figure it out.

This one is also light on features—it's simply a file cleaner and app deleter, with prominent ads for other Norton apps. If you're worried about space, however, Norton Clean is an piece of cake enough way to help you reclaim it. And it doesn't have any in-app purchases or subscriptions to worry nigh.

Download: Norton Make clean (Free)

A Alert on Android Job Killers

A lot of cleaner apps for Android offer RAM boosting and task killing as a characteristic—even some on this listing, like CCleaner. However, these are counterproductive, as chore killers actually harm your device operation.

On Android, total RAM usage is not necessarily a problem. In fact, Android purposely keeps its RAM usage loftier to maximize operation. The Android OS is smart plenty to know how to juggle open up apps for optimal functioning. Interfering with that process can cause Android to piece of work harder than it needs to, which ultimately slows down your device—especially if you're closing background organisation apps.

Most modern Android apps shouldn't impact your battery operation that much either. If they practice, Android should alert you to the problem (assuming you have a modern device). You might need to expect at how to extend your Android battery life if that's the case. Y'all can exercise that by limiting background usage using Android itself, not with a job killer or apps with task-killing features.

These apps are useful for removing quondam files and wiping cache data, but you should exist wary near letting them command apps or services running on your device. The Android landscape has moved past these "all in 1" optimization solutions. Devices are faster and Android is improve at managing organization resources.

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

Use Android Telephone Cleaners With Care

Regular maintenance isn't vital for almost Android users, but it can help to proceed your device running smoothly in some cases.

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

That said, if you notice there's a problem with your Android device, an Android cleaner could perk it upwardly a footling. If that doesn't work, you might need to try manual cleaning next.

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Ben Stegner (1803 Manufactures Published)

Ben is the Editor in Principal at MakeUseOf. He left his Information technology job to write total-time in 2016 and has never looked dorsum. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more than every bit a professional person writer for over eight years.

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