Auto delete features on Galaxy phones and tablets

If you’re concerned about some of the data stored on your Galaxy phone or tablet, you can enable automatic deletion features to clear out your browsing history, files, and messages. These options are easy to enable, so you can let your device take care of your old files for you.
Hand holding a Galaxy phone displaying the 'Delete browsing data' menu, with options for browsing history, cookies, and cache
Hand holding a Galaxy phone displaying the 'Delete browsing data' menu, with options for browsing history, cookies, and cache

Auto delete features on Galaxy phones and tablets

Note
Files that are manually deleted in apps such as My Files, Gallery, Messages, and Calendar are moved to the trash and automatically deleted after 30 days.

Messaging app features

You can set Samsung Messages to automatically remove old text messages, and set Android Messages to remove one-time passwords after 24 hours.

Samsung Messages

  1. Open the Samsung Messages app, then tap More options (the three vertical dots), and then tap Settings.
  2. Tap More settings, and then tap the switch next to Delete old messages. This will delete your older messages to make room for new messages after 200 texts or 20 multimedia texts are reached.
    Galaxy phone screen showing 'More settings' in a messaging app with 'Delete old messages' option enabled

Android Messages

  1. Open the Android Messages app, then tap your profile icon, and then tap Messages settings.
  2. Tap Message organization, and then tap the switch next to Auto-delete OTPs after 24 hours.
    Galaxy phone screen displaying 'Message organization' settings with 'Auto-delete OTPs after 24 hrs' option turned on
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Web activity features

Google can automatically remove your web and app activity every several months. Although Samsung Internet doesn’t support an automatic delete function, your personal browsing history can be manually removed instead.

Google

  1. Navigate to and open your device’s Settings, then tap Google, and then tap Manage your Google Account.
  2. Tap the Data & privacy tab, and then swipe to History settings.
  3. Tap Web & App Activity, and then swipe to Auto-delete (Off).
  4. Tap Choose an auto-delete option, and then tap Auto-delete activity older than. Select 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Tap Next.
  5. Review the information, and then tap Confirm.
  6. Tap Got it on the Preference saved screen.

Samsung Internet

  1. Navigate to and open Samsung Internet, then tap the Tools menu (the three horizontal lines), and then tap Settings.
  2. Tap Personal browsing data, then tap Delete browsing data, and then select Browsing history. You can select additional data and files as well.
  3. Tap Delete data, and then tap Delete to confirm.
    Galaxy phone screen displaying a pop-up to confirm deletion of browsing history with a 'Delete' button highlighted
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Quick Share features

Files that are received and sent via Quick Share can be automatically deleted.

 

Navigate to and open your device’s Settings, then tap Connected devices, and then tap Quick Share. Tap Auto delete expired files, and then select from Off, Received files only, or Received and sent files.

Galaxy phone screen showing file sharing settings with 'Auto delete expired files' option highlighted

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