{"id":36416,"date":"2022-07-05T11:37:56","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T15:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=36416"},"modified":"2025-12-29T16:09:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T21:09:44","slug":"pruning-ios-system-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/05\/pruning-ios-system-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Pruning iOS “System Data”"},"content":{"rendered":"

frownface84<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Phone had about 6gb of free space yesterday and was out of space when I woke up this morning. What’s this 10gb worth of system data?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

AwsomeOHdog<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Why would “System Data” be using almost 40 GB of storage?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Mizikame<\/a> (via Meek Geek<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\n

Erase the device via Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings<\/p>\n

Go through Setup Activation Assistant > Setup Manually > Get to Apps & Data Screen > Choose Restore From iCloud Backup<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Do NOT backup to a computer or IT WILL restore the same GB allotment amount of the unnecessary System\/Other Data before erasing the device and that will defeat the purpose of the fix<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

A classic Apple situation: remove the ability to directly access files to make things simpler and more foolproof, but then if something goes wrong the only tool you have is nuking it from orbit.<\/p>\n\n

Simone Manganelli<\/a>:<\/p>\n

So annoyed that “System Data” is still a thing on iOS. Give me the goddamn ability to delete all the dumb log and cache files taking up 6 fucking GB of data!!<\/p>

Changed the photos that sync to my iPad from a year back to just three months back.<\/p>

Disk space taken by photos stayed constant at ~5.3 GB. “System Data” dropped from 6.6 GB to 2.9 GB. 🙄🙄🙄<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n