How To: Clean Up the Clutter on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with This Virtual Maid for Android Systems

For most of us regular folk, the only opportunity to relish in the conveniences of a maid is during hotel stays. Personally, I would love to have a maid around to help fold my clothes and sweep up those crumbs that accumulate in the corners of my kitchen, but sadly, I currently live in reality and can't afford that luxury just yet. In real life, I'm on my own.

However, when it comes to cleaning up the mess on my Samsung Galaxy S3, there is an real and affordable option.

SD Maid for Android

SD Maid by Android dev Matthias (aka D4rken) is a utility tool that looks to help clean up the mess left behind by unused files on your smartphone or tablet. Deleted apps can leave behind data and the Google Play Store can also bog down your GS3 with temporary files, but with SD Maid you can get rid of all that.

But that's not all it can do. SD Maid functions as a root-enabled file manager, too. There's an overview of your files and how much space each one is taking up on your device. You can also remove your Play Store search history and freeze and unfreeze applications.

SD Maid is designed for rooted devices, but it does work with non-rooted Android devices. Obviously you won't have access to the root-only features, but you can still do all the basics.

Exploring & Search for Files

With SD Maid, you have access to all of your phone's files through the Explorer, or you can use the Searcher tool if you already know what you're looking for.

With the non-rooted version, you can select files and open up a small menu of options. With a rooted phone you will be able to freeze, uninstall, or reset a file back to default, among other options.

Finding the Biggest Files

If you want to see what files or applications are taking up the most storage space, you can slide over to the Biggest Files section and search your GS3.

Tap the refresh button in the center to get a fresh list of your biggest storage hogs.

Viewing Recent Changes

If you know a recently installed or modified file is causing problems, you can find it using a special search for files modified in the last x number of minutes.

If you've been running into issues after installing an application or downloading a file, you can use the search to find those items and go to their location with the option of deleting.

Upgrading to a More Advanced Maid

Again, as I mentioned earlier, there is an SD Maid Pro available on Google Play for $2.25 that unlocks features like duplicate file cleaning and general app cleaning. The CorpseFinder helps find dormant files and directories, and the SystemCleaner will scan and filter any unnecessary files in your directories.

If you want to upgrade, you have to already have the free SD Maid installed on your device. The pro version is actually just an unlocker that enables the additional features on the free app.