While Android devices are smart enough that regular maintenance isn't necessary, it's still a good idea to perform a digital tune-up every once in a while.

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

Here are the best cleaner apps for Android phones and tablets you should try.

1. Files by Google

Google's official Android file manager has easy tools that make it the first Android junk cleaner anyone should try. Fire up the app and switch to the Clean tab at the bottom to access these options.

Here you'll see several areas that the app identifies as wasting space. These include Junk files, Duplicates, Old screenshots, and Unused apps. Select an option to look at what's taking up the most space, check what you want to remove, and confirm; the app will take care of the rest.

While you can also use the Browse tab to explore your phone's storage manually, letting the app weed out the biggest space hogs with these automated checks is more efficient.

As we'll see, a lot of the following apps have handy cleaning features but also cram in RAM optimizers and other nonsense you don't need. Google Files is a good answer to these; it's one of the best ways to clean Android with a simple, truly free app that isn't bloated with unnecessary extras.

Download: Files by Google (Free)

2. CCleaner

The same well-known desktop app for reclaiming disk space is also available on Android. As you may know, CCleaner isn't an essential app for Windows anymore; it's gone downhill somewhat since Avast acquired the service. And while the Android app isn't perfect either, it's better 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 space. The main function is the cleaning feature that can wipe cache data from apps, purge empty folders, and delete various histories.

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

No root is necessary and it's free, although you can upgrade to the Pro subscription for a few extras. It may be a bit light on features, but it does the job if all you need is a quick way to reclaim your phone's storage space.

Note that Avast Cleanup and AVG Cleaner are not on this list because they are extremely similar to CCleaner—given that these apps are all owned by the same company, this isn't a surprise. Give Avast or AVG's offerings a look if you prefer a slight alternative to how CCleaner works.

Download: CCleaner (Free, subscription available)

3. SD Maid

SD Maid wants to be "at your service" as the digital cleaner for your Android phone. It keeps the experience simple; opening up the app gives you several quick actions you can use to "tidy up" your device.

The first, 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 use this feature, however, you'll need to upgrade SD Maid Pro. There's also a Databases area to help optimize any app databases in use. In our test, it cleared 40MB from Spotify this way.

There are also tools for storage analysis (to help you find and delete big files) and mass app removal if you're considering a bigger phone tune-up. Take a look at what's on offer to see if upgrading to the Pro version is worth it for your needs.

Note that at the time of writing, SD Maid 2 is also available. While it has a more modern look than the original, the developer notes that this app is still early in development. We'd thus recommend the original version for reliability until the newer one replaces it.

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

4. Norton Clean

As mentioned above, most of the biggest Android cleaning apps come from one place: the same company owns Avast, AVG, Avira, CCleaner, and Norton. While we didn't want to include near-identical apps on the list, and Norton's app hasn't been updated in a few years, we include it because it at least has a different look.

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 help you quickly remove any unused apps you have installed. The Manage Apps section lists all your apps, letting you sort them by last use, installation date, or how much storage they use.

The app takes a simple approach. Compared to some apps like SD Maid, Norton Clean has a cleaner and brighter interface. Everything you need is one or two taps away, meaning you don't have to be an Android pro to figure it out.

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

Download: Norton Clean (Free)

Are These Really the Best Android Cleaning Apps?

You might notice that our list of cleaning solutions for Android is fairly short, which is for a few reasons.

First, as mentioned, three of the biggest apps in this sphere (CCleaner, AVG, and Avast) are almost the same, meaning it would be redundant to list them all out. Second is that a lot of the popular Android cleaner apps have so much other bloat shoved into them that we don't recommend using them. It's not worth installing a heavy app that runs an antivirus and foists a VPN subscription on you, just to clean up a few junk files.

Finally, previous picks like Droid Optimizer and All-in-One Toolbox have since been removed from the Play Store, which means the big players cover more of the market. All told, this means that if one of the above apps doesn't work for you, we recommend freeing up space on your Android phone manually. This isn't as hard as it sounds—the OS now has options built-in, and you can easily remove the low-hanging fruit without much effort.

These apps still have their place, but if you have to constantly run them to make free space, it's probably time to upgrade to a new phone with more storage.

A Warning on Android Task Killers

A lot of cleaner apps for Android offer RAM boosting (also called memory optimization) and task killing as a feature. However, these are counterproductive, as task killers harm your device's performance. In fact, starting with Android 14, Google is actively cracking down on task killer apps.

On Android, full RAM usage is not necessarily a problem. In fact, Android purposely keeps its RAM usage high to maximize performance. The Android OS is smart enough to know how to juggle open apps for optimal performance. Interfering with that process can cause Android to work harder than it needs to, which ultimately slows down your device—especially if you're closing background system apps.

Most modern Android apps shouldn't impact your battery performance that much either. If they do, Android should alert you to the problem (assuming you have a current version of the OS). You might need to look at how to extend your Android battery life if you run into continued problems here. You can do this by limiting background usage using Android itself, not with a task killer or apps with task-killing features.

These apps are useful for removing old files and wiping cache data, but you should be wary about letting them control apps or services running on your device. The Android landscape has moved past these "all in one" optimization solutions. Devices are faster and Android is better at managing system 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 Phone Cleaners With Care

Regular maintenance isn't necessary for most Android users, but it can help to keep your device running smoothly in some cases.

That's the truth: your device will keep running even if you don't spend time clearing out junk. Most modern Android devices have plenty of RAM and device storage to cope with anything you have installed or saved. You shouldn't need to spend your days clearing the app cache on a schedule, either.

That said, if you notice there's a problem with your Android device, an Android cleaner could perk it up a little. You can take further action later if needed.