Insufficient storage - factory resetted- still no storage!

[gmprit]

My sister -in- law bought my nephew a really naff Susan m5 Chinese android phone at Christmas which basically imitates a Samsung. It's using lollipop with no options to upgrade. It worked fine until the dreaded 'insufficient storage ' started popping up. Iv factory resetted the phone, moved everything possible to the sd card, cleared all cashes, factory reset again, used a different sd card, updated Google play store. Every thread I read says to format sd cards, move apps and clear cashes but nothing else. There is nothing on this phone to take up memory!! Interestingly there appears to be no hard reset feature?!?! I can get it running in safe mode but combinations of vol down+power , vol up+power, vol up and down + power dont produce a hard reset option. (There is no home button per se, just a touch home which iv also bunged into various combination attempts). It did let me download a virus app which produced nothing so i promptly deleted it.
I'm at the point of smashing the phone - I told my sister in law that's she's bought cheap tat and to get a better one but she wasn't best pleased with that option plus it's getting on my nerves that I can't solve it.... any ideas?

 

[webworkings]

With that device, and that version of Android, you are going to be limited to the storage on the phone itself for most apps. You won't be able to change the SD card over to "Internal" storage as that requires you be running at least Android "Marshmallow".

What you can do is move all other files over to the card (some of which you mentioned in your post) and use that as a way to clear out data. Photos, videos, music, etc., all can be moved to the card. And some downloaded apps may be able to be moved to the card as well. You would have to check that (if already on the phone) by going into "Settings" then "Apps". Go to "Downloaded" and then tap the individual app. In here you should see the option to move it to the SD card. Repeat for each downloaded app that will allow.

I would also recommend uninstalling any apps not used (if the phone will let them be removed that is). Then also clearing out the cache and history of many apps. Like browser, Facebook, the phones messenger, etc. All this takes up space.

 

[gmprit]

Thank you for taking the time to answer, unfortunately there's nothing to move - iv wiped it clean. All that's there is what's needed to run the phone.

 

[IronIzzi]

I'm having the same issue. Factory reset, so no additional apps taking up the space. No apps to move elsewhere. And still insufficient storge when trying to update factory apps. Won't install .apk files either. I have ~11GB of 16 GB free and available according to the storage section in my settings.

Please lend gmprit and I some help!