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How to Check How Much Space Your Apps and Files Use on Your SD Card

By
January 7, 2012

 

Aside from the processor, battery life, RAM, and Android version of your phone, the phone’s internal storage is one of the most crucial parts of an Android phone. How can you actually save your files, apps, photos, videos, and other data without having enough storage?

Unless you delete some files on your phone, you won’t be keeping enough space on your internal disk. However, uninstalling apps from your phone may also leave some data behind. These data will begin to accumulate and will consume your phone’s storage space over time.

To make sure those data are totally eradicated from your phone’s internal storage, you will be needing an app that can help you keep watch.

DiskUsage is an Android app that visually represents files and folders that are taking space on your mobile phone’s internal storage. Compared to other data monitoring apps on the Android Market, its visual representation makes it easier for ordinary users to understand which files and folders are taking space–and how much–on their devices.

When you launch the app, it scans your /sdcard and displays storage space statistics in a chart. Each directory and file is represented by a rectangular bar. The bigger the space occupied by the file or directory, the bigger the bar will be.

Take, for example, this screenshot:

The left-most portion represents the root directory. The segmented vertical bars to its right represent the files and directories inside the root directory. The image shows that the DCIM directory is taking up the most space. What files and directories inside the DCIM directory are taking up the most space inside that directory? The next segment beside the DCIM directory shows the files and directories inside it, of which the Camera directory is the biggest space consumer (with 386 MB used).

For better viewing, you can also tap on a bar to let it occupy your phone’s entire screen. Likewise, tap it again to zoom out. Press the Menu button to initiate actions such as re-scanning your SD card.

The DiskUsage app is easy to use and visually appealing to users. If you’re planning to keep a watchful eye on the storage use on your device, then you’ll know what app to use.

Download DiskUsage for free from the Android Market and use the app to visualize the space consumption of the files and directories on your phone’s SD card.

Do you find visual statistics (like the one provided by this app) better for your needs? Or would you rather look at numbers?