iPad Safari “Documents & Data” storage stuck with 36GB

[AndrewForeva]

I am having a problem where there are 36GB of space stuck with Safari’s Documents & Data. The data stored is most likely from a google photo dump I made by dragging the photos from the files app to the safari window with Google photos website opened.

I have read post online saying these will be cleared automatically after a few days but it had been 2 weeks and it still hasn’t been cleared.

any ideas how I can have these cleared?

 

[fnsroot]

This bug is so annoying. I have the same problem, however, caused by amazon photos. I upload them through drag and drop via safari.

Currently stuck at 38gb file size, the answers I got where the typical ones: „iCloud backup and restore.“ or „Safari will clear the cache automatically“. Nonetheless, even after a few days of none usage (switched temporally from 11 inch to 12,9), Safari keeps the file in cache.

 

[lgjay]

Try Settings - Safari - Clear History and Website Data

just beware that all your current browsing history and opened tabs will also be cleared

 

[cynics]

Make sure you don't have any files in Files > Downloads (example Movie.download). They will directly contribute to the Documents/ directory in Safari. Keeping the app closed at night will speed up the process because iOS won't remove data from the apps container directory tmp/ unless the app is closed. Although caches and other temporary files don't contribute to the apps Documents and Data usage plus iOS doesn't zap out the data until it needs it because its just a waste of time, needless wear on the NAND and wasted energy if the space isn't actually needed.

The apps storage usage isn't up to date as you would think due to iCloud syncing and not having data to put in its place.

Quick example. I downloaded a 2 gb file in safari earlier. Safari bloated up to 2.2 gb during the download. The file moved to Downloads in Files/iCloud Drive which went from 2.0gb to 4.7gb, Safari dropped back to 200mb. I moved the file from Downloads on my iMac and deleted the files there, that was couple hours ago and iCloud Drive is still 4.7gb with the Download folder empty even on the iPhone. It does this all the time, I'll ignore it and next time I goto use it it will be 2.7gb again.

Matter of fact my iPad says I have 27.32gb of iCloud space available. My iPhone says I have 22.15gb of iCloud space available. And my iMac says I have 22.55gb of iCloud space available. Syncing this isn't a priority so it doesn't kill the battery making it one.

Once the devices do some storage management on the device it will sync back up again.

Just be patient.