Nothing OS is clean and close to stock Android, so freeing space on your Nothing Phone comes down to clearing app caches, offloading photos and videos, and emptying hidden trash. There's no bloatware-heavy cleaner to wrestle with.

Short answer:

  • Open Settings > Storage to see the breakdown by category.
  • Clear app caches at Settings > Apps > [app] > Storage & cache > Clear cache (safe, temp files only).
  • Use Files by Google to clean junk, then back up media and empty every trash folder.

See What's Using Your Nothing Phone Storage

Because Nothing OS stays close to stock Android, the storage menu is clean and clear.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Storage.

You'll see a usage bar split into Photos & videos, Apps, Games, Audio, Documents & other, and Trash. Tap any category to drill in. On most Nothing Phones, Photos & videos and Apps lead the list. For an app-by-app view, open Settings > Apps > See all apps and sort by size.

Clean Junk With Files by Google

Most Nothing Phones include Files by Google, the smartest, safest way to find reclaimable files. If it isn't installed, grab it free from the Play Store.

  1. Open Files by Google.
  2. Tap the Clean tab.
  3. Review the cards: Junk files, Downloaded files, Large files, Duplicate files, Old screenshots, Memes, and Backed-up media.
  4. Tap Select files, review the list, then confirm.

The Backed-up media card safely removes photos and videos already in Google Photos, freeing local space while keeping them in the cloud. Always check the selection before deleting.

Clear App Cache on Your Nothing Phone

App caches are temporary files apps store to load faster. Clearing them is safe and the cache rebuilds on its own.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > See all apps.
  2. Tap the app, for example Chrome or Spotify.
  3. Tap Storage & cache.
  4. Tap Clear cache.

Key distinction: Clear cache removes temporary files only and is safe. Clear storage (Clear data) resets the app to a fresh install, signing you out and deleting offline downloads, drafts, and settings. Always use Clear cache first. For Spotify specifically, you can clear cache without losing saved songs, see clear Spotify cache without losing songs. For the general rule, see clear cache vs clear data on Android.

Offload Photos and Large Videos

Media is the usual reason storage fills, and this is where the biggest reclaims live.

  • Confirm backup is on in Google Photos, then tap your profile > Free up space on this device to delete local copies already in the cloud.
  • In Photos, remove blurry shots, bursts, and duplicates.
  • Target oversized clips, a few 4K videos can equal hundreds of photos. Our large videos cleanup guide shows the fastest path, and screenshots cleanup clears the screenshot pile.

Clear Downloads and Empty Trash

Two quick wins people often miss.

  • In Files by Google, open Downloads and delete finished installers, old PDFs, and stray attachments.
  • Empty trash everywhere: Settings > Storage > Trash, the Trash in Files by Google, and the Bin in Google Photos.

Until you empty these, "deleted" files still count against storage. Clearing them can instantly recover several gigabytes.

Uninstall Apps and Games You Don't Use

Because Nothing Phones don't ship with a microSD slot, every unused app counts against your fixed internal storage. Games are the usual culprits, a single title can occupy several gigabytes between the app and its downloaded assets.

  1. Open Settings > Apps > See all apps.
  2. Sort by size so the largest apps appear first.
  3. Tap an app you no longer use and choose Uninstall.

Uninstalling clears the app and all its data at once, often freeing more than a cache clear. Review the list monthly, it's easy to accumulate apps you installed for a single task and forgot about. Keep cache clearing for the apps you use daily, and reserve uninstalling for the ones you genuinely don't.

Keep Your Nothing Phone Lean

A short routine keeps storage healthy on a clean OS:

  • Open Files by Google > Clean every couple of weeks.
  • Keep Google Photos backup on and run Free up space periodically.
  • Clear caches for your heaviest apps monthly.
  • Empty Downloads and all trash folders regularly.

Files by Google is great, but it won't catch every near-duplicate photo or oversized video, and clearing them manually is slow. A review-first tool like Cleanor for Android scans on-device and surfaces large videos, duplicate photos, and junk so you confirm before anything is deleted. For more, see the free up Android space hub and the best phone cleaner apps comparison.

With Files by Google, cache clearing, and Photos offloading, your Nothing Phone stays fast and spacious, no reset required.

Want the fast version? The Cleanor app finds your largest videos, duplicate photos, and heavy caches in one on-device pass — nothing uploaded. For the full routine, see the free up phone storage guide.

FAQ

Does the Nothing Phone come with a cleaner app?

Nothing OS is close to stock Android with no bloatware-heavy cleaner, but most Nothing Phones include Files by Google. If it isn't installed, you can grab it free from the Play Store and use its Clean tab to find reclaimable files.

Can I clear Spotify's cache on my Nothing Phone without losing saved songs?

Yes. For Spotify specifically you can clear the cache without losing saved songs; in general, Clear cache removes only temporary files and is safe, while Clear storage (Clear data) resets the app to a fresh install and deletes offline downloads and settings.

Why does unused-app cleanup matter more on a Nothing Phone?

Because Nothing Phones don't ship with a microSD slot, every unused app counts against your fixed internal storage. Games are the usual culprits, since a single title can occupy several gigabytes between the app and its downloaded assets.