How To Solve Galaxy S3 Insufficient Internal Memory Problem

A lot of users confuse internal memory with RAM that’s why when “Insufficient Internal Memory” problem occurs in their Galaxy S3, they don’t know what to and where to look. Although we have covered this problem from our previous publication, many of our readers emailed us asking how to solve this error. If you are one of the owners of the S3 and have been bugged by this problem, continue reading below as we will provide you with information that may just help you when it occurs again.

The most common reason for the lack of memory space is due to the photos and videos stored on the phone.  The easiest way to solve is this to sign up for Amazon’s Prime subscription with 30 day free trial, all member will get unlimited storage for photos saved onto the cloud.  Once set up correctly, you can have all photos automatically saved onto the cloud and you can safely delete all photos on your phone to clear the memory space.  Oh, and be sure to check out all the other perks that comes with an Amazon Prime account.

Overview of the Problem 

The Insufficient Internal Memory error may occur when you are an extensive downloader and that you save everything in your phone. It could also be a result of mismanagement of files or of some services that download files without your knowing it. Fortunately, this problem can easily be resolved by simple procedures. But before we go any further, let us try to isolate things.

Types of Memories 

In Samsung Galaxy S3, there are three types of memories you would come across with. They are as follows;

1. RAM (Random Access Memory) – majority of smartphone owners know what “RAM” is. For the benefit of users who may not have known it yet, RAM is refers to the memory allocated for system to use. All apps and services will cache some data when they are used and those data will be saved in there so the next time the system calls on them, they can be jump-started quickly. The Galaxy S3 has 1GB of RAM but around 800MB can be used by users. The remaining space is allocated for Android.
2. Internal Memory – this is often referred by many as “built-in memory” because it comes built-in with the device. This is the primary storage unit Android would use in saving downloaded apps and their data. The Galaxy S3 has three capacity variants; 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Whichever variant you pick, there would always come a time that you’d run out of space that’s why Samsung made it a point to make the S3 expandable.
3. External Memory – this refers to the microSD card you’re using in your phone. Storage units that can be taken out of the device are considered “external memories.” Prior to Jelly Bean update, S3 owners may find this memory very helpful as they can transfer apps into it. But ever since JB updates have been rolled out, the external memory in the Galaxy S3 can only be used for files and not for apps.

Problem Isolation 

We just want to make it clear that the “Insufficient Internal Memory” means there is not enough space left for the system to save data in the built-in memory. It’s not the same as lacking RAM or something. So for this, we have some steps that we’ll recommend to remedy the problem. Since RAM-related problems are also common in the Galaxy S3, we will include a few recommendations on free up some RAM space in your phone.

Solving Insufficient Internal Memory Problem 

This problem can be solved by deleting some data or uninstalling some apps from your device. So, here’s what you’re going to do:

1. Make a list of apps you often use especially games. The more you use the app, the more data it can accumulate. Game apps often save bigger data than any other apps you’re using. Many game apps automatically take screenshots and save them into the built-in memory.
2. Uninstall apps you don’t use anymore. To do that, go to Settings => Application Manager => choose app you want uninstalled => Uninstall.
3. Sync your photos with your computer to make a backup for all of them then delete them from your phone. You would also need to clear data of the Gallery app so all thumbnails will be deleted.
4. Transfer your music and movie files to your external memory.
5. Lastly, try to manage your files and decide which ones stay and which ones need to be deleted or transferred to your computer.

Solving Insufficient RAM Problem 

By going to the Applications Manager, you will know how much RAM is left in your device. However, if you haven’t checked your RAM recently, you would know if you’re running low on it if the phone runs very slow or the overall performance becomes poor all of the sudden. Here’s what you have to do if this occurs:

1. Reboot your device at first sign of performance problem.
2. Go to your Applications Manager and find apps that eat up more RAM. Open their Settings pages and tap on Force Stop button or Disable those that you don’t need for now.
3. Long press the Home button and swipe off apps that were running in the background. Then go to the RAM tab and tap on Clear RAM.
4. If all else fail, a factory reset would solve this problem.

Bottom Line 

These problems can actually be resolved by properly managing your files and apps. While the Galaxy S3 is a powerful device, it has limitations and you should know you couldn’t just stock everything in there. So, delete files you don’t need and uninstall apps you don’t use.

We hope this article can help you. If it does, please share this post with your friends or people who may also need help. If you have other problems, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask questions at [email protected].