iPhone Storage > System taking 19.3GB of space. No idea why. (Update: now 21GB+ and growing)

[Gryfter]

Out of the blue the other day, I get a message saying I'm running out of space. This baffled me as this has never been an issue before. I tend not to have a ton of apps or media. I can't tell you what my total storage typically is, but that also speaks to how much of a non-issue it has been.

Attached is a screenshot of the biggest space hogs is (i.e., Photos @ 3GB, Messages @ 621MB, etc.).

System taking 19.3GB. I have no idea why. I've been on the most recent Public Beta since the day of release. This became an issue as of yesterday. So I have no idea what caused it or how to remedy it.

I've googled and I can't see anyone with a similar issue. Any ideas?

Thank you.

What I do is with updates, I'll backup my phone, download and update hardwired through iTunes. When the software update is complete, I'll set up my phone as NEW. Then I'll redo the software update and set up my phone with my last saved; so you're doing the software update 2X. All the cache, system and app gets cleared this way.

 

[Banglazed]

I had this issue once it probably due to iCloud syncing issue but I wasn't able to confirm it because I did a complete restore. Couple days later, Apple reached out to me for additional information and provide a diagnostic report. Unfortunately, I couldn't provide it. You should report it using the Feedback app and Apple will respond back asking for a diagnostic report which you'll need to install a storage diagnostic profile to compile a more in dept usage report then you will need to upload it to send it to them.

You'll need to sync with iTunes to remove the log files stored so it may get back some space.

 

[Shirasaki]

Well typically when the GM comes out its a full installer which will remove all logs and beta stuff. But thats where PhoneClean comes in. Last year I got over 5GB back from log files from PhoneClean.

It never deletes log files upon any official release. Maybe I will give iOS 11.2.5 a try and see what will happen. Also I am using a watch so I would love to stay away from future beta.

 

[Mlrollin91]

It never deletes log files upon any official release. Maybe I will give iOS 11.2.5 a try and see what will happen. Also I am using a watch so I would love to stay away from future beta.

What? I use phoneclean once a week to delete log files.

 

[Shirasaki]

What? I use phoneclean once a week to delete log files.

Not phoneclean, but the “installing official release will delete log files” thing. The thing is, it does not work.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Not phoneclean, but the “installing official release will delete log files” thing. The thing is, it does not work.

I’m specifically talking about installing X.0 GMs. Installing 11.0 GM did wipe out all diagnotic log files on all 3 of my devices. Just like iOS 5-10 GM did as well. Smaller releases don’t have a “GM”.

 

[Shirasaki]

I’m specifically talking about installing X.0 GMs. Installing 11.0 GM did wipe out all diagnotic log files on all 3 of my devices. Just like iOS 5-10 GM did as well. Smaller releases don’t have a “GM”.

Well, that is different. Guess Apple does not want to provide a feature to delete log files in iOS themselves, even a placebo button. But we never know.
Back to the case, I may give phoneclean another try and see how it goes. I do want to remove all of those logs on my phone.

 

[Banglazed]

Well, that is different. Guess Apple does not want to provide a feature to delete log files in iOS themselves, even a placebo button. But we never know.
Back to the case, I may give phoneclean another try and see how it goes. I do want to remove all of those logs on my phone.

Are you referring to the Analytics Data logs? If you are, you can remove by syncing with iTunes which it will copy the logs and remove it from the device.

 

[Shirasaki]

Are you referring to the Analytics Data logs? If you are, you can remove by syncing with iTunes which it will copy the logs and remove it from the device.

Yes. I do mean analytics logs and no, they are never removed from my device just through syncing. I sync my device twice or three times a day and never see the log removed.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Are you referring to the Analytics Data logs? If you are, you can remove by syncing with iTunes which it will copy the logs and remove it from the device.

Beta diagnostic logs are not removed with standard syncing unfortunately. You need to use a cleaner.

 

[Shirasaki]

Beta diagnostic logs are not removed with standard syncing unfortunately. You need to use a cleaner.

Only official release?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Only official release?

Only with GM of an X.0 release. That has been my experience for years.

 

[Mudodonbond]

Hmm ... I’ve got 8.49GB of System on my my iPhone 7+ ... that’s not counting iCloud data (214GB) because I can also see my un-optimized Photos storage (I want full-res pics and fully downloaded videos stored locally) as taking 153GB of my 256GB phone.

That 8.49GB of System seems a bit excessive to me. Not as bad as the OP but still - that’s a couple of 1080p movies ...

Not excessive that I think is just the OS. I think they made it to where it now shows how much space the OS takes.

 

[Shirasaki]

Only with GM of an X.0 release. That has been my experience for years.

Ok. Sad.

 

[j.applewood]

Is there a fix for this yet? Becoming a problem for me as well. I offloaded a ton of photos from my iPhone into my MacBook and then deleted them from my phone. Instead of the space being freed up on the phone, it instead is being used as Other storage now ... ? Screen shots included.

So now I can’t use iCloud (free level) to backup my phone because is saying there are 16gb being used when really I’m operating somewhere around 2-3gb.

Halp!

 

[pgharavi]

Is there a fix for this yet? Becoming a problem for me as well. I offloaded a ton of photos from my iPhone into my MacBook and then deleted them from my phone. Instead of the space being freed up on the phone, it instead is being used as Other storage now ... ? Screen shots included.

So now I can’t use iCloud (free level) to backup my phone because is saying there are 16gb being used when really I’m operating somewhere around 2-3gb.

Halp!

It actually happened to me again for the first time in a while. I was transferring a ton of music when the app crashed. I had like 10GB of wasted space. I deleted the music app and got my space back!

 

[Keto]

System includes: System caches, health data, diagnostic logs and more. If you are running betas and not regularly clearing out diagnostic logs, they can consume several GB. iOS 10.0 betas consumed over 5GB in diagnostic logs for me. You can download an app on your Computer called PhoneCleaner. Give it a go. Probably get a lot back.

This is the best and most useful app on Iphone, i have ever seen thank you so much! you saved my nerves

 

[souko]

So I tried to set up phone as new, but in the morning system is eating 22GB storage...

I also reinstalled iOS under DFU

Edit: iPhone 6S 64GB

 

[honglong1976]

Same for me, setup a new phone, turned icloud off, photo library off. Using 5.8GB for the system. My iPad uses about 2-3 and has apps installed.

Wonder if it's a memory management thing whereby Apple hides some of the space to think you have no space left and need to upgrade the phone. Mine is a 5S. )
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This is the best and most useful app on Iphone, i have ever seen thank you so much! you saved my nerves

Useless app.

 

[souko]

I even could not use backup, because it filled up the storage with system and after said - there is no space. And it was to the same 64GB iPhone. Even another backup from 32gb iPhone did not work...
iCloud and iTunes, both did not work...

 

[Winterfibre]

I've got a 32GB iphone 7 plus, it was near full as well. I wiped the phone and restored from backup and that give me 13GB back.
That was 3 weeks ago and i still got the space.

 

[freemyheart]

It actually happened to me again for the first time in a while. I was transferring a ton of music when the app crashed. I had like 10GB of wasted space. I deleted the music app and got my space back!

Thank you for this. Deleted my Music app and after I did so, the 60GB "other" disappeared. Now I just have to reinstall the app, and upload my music again. Thanks!

 

[PrnzessAriel]

Out of the blue the other day, I get a message saying I'm running out of space. This baffled me as this has never been an issue before. I tend not to have a ton of apps or media. I can't tell you what my total storage typically is, but that also speaks to how much of a non-issue it has been.

Attached is a screenshot of the biggest space hogs is (i.e., Photos @ 3GB, Messages @ 621MB, etc.).

System taking 19.3GB. I have no idea why. I've been on the most recent Public Beta since the day of release. This became an issue as of yesterday. So I have no idea what caused it or how to remedy it.

I've googled and I can't see anyone with a similar issue. Any ideas?

Thank you.

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I am having that same exact issue with my Phone and I never had this problem before and I’ve cleared all the memory I can think of that can be taking up space but still nothing works
[doublepost=1521824604][/doublepost]

[doublepost=1521823273][/doublepost]


I am having that same exact issue with my Phone and I never had this problem before and I’ve cleared all the memory I can think of that can be taking up space but still nothing works

I just called apple and they said that it’s the iCloud system memory space

 

[LenaBeans]

Has anyone been able to report this to Apple? Like I said, for me Feedback is broken because all my space is taken up.

From the amount of comments, I'd guess it isn't too widespread unless it's building up & going to be hitting a lot of people coming up. But it would be good for Apple to know.

I have spent the last year trying to get this fixed with my iPhone by spending hours on the phone and in person with apple. Every time they tell me "it must be some kind of glitch" and tell me to factory reset my phone and restore from a backup. This is always a temporary solution (it only works for about a day until my phone fills back up with whatever is stored in "other" and "system"). I tell them my 16GB phone has 10GB of storage and they say this is "really unusual" and it should only be 3 or 4GB. I began checking with my coworkers and friends and they all have 15 or 20GB in storage (their phones are mostly 64GB phones) but that is still huge for this vague"system" storage. I don't think this problem is unusual - this is standard. I mean every single one of my friends and coworkers has way more than 3 or 4GB in "system".

This sounds very conspiracy theorist, but I have spent hours upon hours looking into this and I think apple definitely know this is happening on many phones and are intentionally suppressing it. It is very difficult to find help for this issue on apple's support page or their apple question forums, even though I know dozens of people are having trouble with it.

 

[luismedina]

This bug is insane, my system storage currently shows 27.06 GB of used space, and there is no way to clean it, no matter how many times you sync the phone with iTunes.