Files app taking up almost 1GB locally+iCloud backup with no large files to be found

[ThatSomeone]

Around July/August 2019 while I was on vacation, I started getting alerts about my iCloud storage running low. I thought I’d only used around 3.5GB on iCloud so far. But when I checked what could've possibly just started using over a gig of iCloud storage, I saw that my iPad's iCloud backup size had skyrocketed for no apparent reason. I checked the backup details, and it said the files app was suddenly taking up ~950MB? And in Settings > Storage, the files app also takes up almost a gig locally.

There 4 folders in the “On my iPad” section in my files app, 3 apps and the downloads folder. All empty or with only a few ~1kb files. I've checked it countless of times for 2+ years now, waiting for it to get purged or fixed in an update, but no luck.. And once again today another 100MB+ of storage disappeared as soon as my iPad tried to back up, leaving so little space I can't even do another backup. The only possible explanation I have is that I tried downloading something to Infuse, but it’s empty in the app and I’ve even reinstalled it to clear its folder in Files.

Have I missed something incredibly obvious or is there a massive phantom file somewhere I can’t access? Sucks having to start paying for storage every month because I can’t delete whatever’s using 1/5 of it.

 

[Slartibart]

You can just delete the Apple’s Files app, wait for the sync with iCloud. And then simply reinstall it from the Appstore.

 

[ThatSomeone]

You can just delete the Apple’s Files app, wait for the sync with iCloud. And then simply reinstall it from the Appstore.

I was thinking of it, but do you recon it’ll work though? I thought the files app was just a browser and didn’t actually store files in itself. Also a bit concerned of what’ll happen to the files that are already in there if I do that..

 

[Slartibart]

I was thinking of it, but do you recon it’ll work though? I thought the files app was just a browser and didn’t actually store files in itself. Also a bit concerned of what’ll happen to the files that are already in there if I do that..

the ones you want to keep you have to backup (NOT SYNC!) beforehand - what device are you using?

 

[ThatSomeone]

the ones you want to keep you have to backup (NOT SYNC!) beforehand - what device are you using?

A 2018 iPad Pro 11” running iPadOS 15.1.
I’m curious to see if the app’s folders contents are intact as you can’t delete them without removing the app. But I’m still a bit hesitant to go ahead and wipe the entire app.

 

[doboy]

Deleting files app doesn’t delete any data except for cache and maybe trash (this can be done separately). I’ve done this numerous times to clear out stubborn cache. If worried, manually backup the data in flies app before deleting.

 

[ThatSomeone]

Deleting files app doesn’t delete any data except for cache and maybe trash (this can be done separately). I’ve done this numerous times to clear out stubborn cache. If worried, manually backup the data in flies app before deleting.

Seems like an incredible oversight to have old cached files as a part of the backup for years with no way to delete it. Seems to have been a thing for a while as well.

I assume reinstalling the app won’t touch anything in iCloud Drive either?

 

[doboy]

Seems like an incredible oversight to have old cached files as a part of the backup for years with no way to delete it. Seems to have been a thing for a while as well.

I assume reinstalling the app won’t touch anything in iCloud Drive either?

Lot of apps have this problem as well and sometimes have to delete and reinstall. Files app doesn’t touch any data stored in the device or on iCloud.

 

[ThatSomeone]

Lot of apps have this problem as well and sometimes have to delete and reinstall. Files app doesn’t touch any data stored in the device or on iCloud.

I wonder why. I know Spotify uses the system cache, which gets cleared by the OS automatically when you’re low on space. And they’ve even got a “clear cache” option in their app.

Reinstalled the Files app and it reduced its “Documents and data” in the storage section down to 8.7mb!
Still takes up the old amount in the iCloud backup, but I hope it goes down within the next few days since I believe iCloud keeps 2-3 previous backups as well.

 

[ThatSomeone]

A few days later, and it’s finally gone from the backup as well! Feels great to not having the “Low iCloud storage” message being spammed everywhere

 

[udance4ever]

man - this drove me nuts for the longest time and realize it’s user error 🙄

I did try to reinstall the Files.app thinking clearing the cache would do the trick and it didn’t.

I finally dropped into iSH, mounted “On My iPad” and ran du on the 3 folders I have in it (Downloads and 2 of my own) and lo and behind I found the folder that was taking up 1/2 the 20GB footprint iPadOS was claiming my files were taking!

Sure enough, after deleting ~10GB of files, “On My iPad” went from ~21GB to 11.2GB

The size of my iCloud Backup also went down from like ~35GB to 25GB and thus my total footprint in iCloud went from like ~46GB to 36GB == sanity back.

morale of the lesson: du never lies 🤓

 

[ThatSomeone]

man - this drove me nuts for the longest time and realize it’s user error 🙄

I did try to reinstall the Files.app thinking clearing the cache would do the trick and it didn’t.

I finally dropped into iSH, mounted “On My iPad” and ran du on the 3 folders I have in it (Downloads and 2 of my own) and lo and behind I found the folder that was taking up 1/2 the 20GB footprint iPadOS was claiming my files were taking!

Sure enough, after deleting ~10GB of files, “On My iPad” went from ~21GB to 11.2GB

The size of my iCloud Backup also went down from like ~35GB to 25GB and thus my total footprint in iCloud went from like ~46GB to 36GB == sanity back.

morale of the lesson: du never lies 🤓

Glad it worked out! The Files app need some serious technical improvements.

Was it a hidden folder?

 

[gcoghill]

man - this drove me nuts for the longest time and realize it’s user error 🙄

I did try to reinstall the Files.app thinking clearing the cache would do the trick and it didn’t.

I finally dropped into iSH, mounted “On My iPad” and ran du on the 3 folders I have in it (Downloads and 2 of my own) and lo and behind I found the folder that was taking up 1/2 the 20GB footprint iPadOS was claiming my files were taking!

Sure enough, after deleting ~10GB of files, “On My iPad” went from ~21GB to 11.2GB

The size of my iCloud Backup also went down from like ~35GB to 25GB and thus my total footprint in iCloud went from like ~46GB to 36GB == sanity back.

morale of the lesson: du never lies 🤓

Can you please explain what “iSH” and “du” are?