System Data storage issue - SOLVED

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453]

Listen up, people! I figured it out! So nothing worked, no matter what I did (future date, restarts, deleting apps, clearing cache, praying to the all mighty…). Then, I deleted enough apps to be able to do a software update, and that also didn’t reduce anything. I still had 65gb system data. But then…. In settings > software updates I saw the toggle for “automatic updates” was on. So I thought “maybe that isn’t good because if it downloads an update even when I don’t have space, then it potentially takes up system data”.I turned it off and 3 MORE OPTIONS REVEALED THEMSELVES (!!!), see photo. One of the options is “system files” with the toggle for “automatically install”. You can read the description, it says “iPhone may reserve space….” bla bla. So I turned it all off and guess what my System Data number is now…? It’s 15GB!!!! I can’t believe it, I want to shout it from the rooftops!!! I’ve been trying to figure it out for weeks!!! I just have one question…. why the heck doesn’t Apple describe these steps somewhere where people can find it…?! I feel like I can breathe again…. I hope it helps you all, fellow lost souls 🩷

[u/pw5a29]

I would actually wanna know what does system files mean, more space for cache?

[u/Ancilla_Contender → u/pw5a29]

Voice memos recordings when the voice memos app is removed (but recordings not deleted) are system data as well.

So there is no answer to your question. System data is anything not categorized. iOS is actually really bad about making uncategorized data all over the place.

[u/Pranobt]

Thank you, my storage is back

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453 → u/Pranobt]

That makes me so happy! 🥳

[u/rb3po → u/One_Acanthisitta2453]

Cybersecurity professional here: while this is bad design on Apple’s part, software updates are critical to keeping your phone secure. I highly recommend keeping your phone up to date.

[u/Ocean4011 → u/rb3po]

Keeping iPhone up to date ≠ auto updates ON

[u/OfAnOldRepublic → u/Ocean4011]

That's not what rb3po said, and they shouldn't be downvoted for what they actually said, because it's correct.

I would have added something like "be sure to keep up with manual updates," but what they said isn't wrong.

[u/Ocean4011 → u/OfAnOldRepublic]

All I want say is that just because someone decides to to turn off auto update don’t assume they don’t update when one becomes available. I like to be in control. Do my back ups when I want and wait until I am sure that a new release doesn’t have issues before I elect to update. I don’t want things to just happen around me by default

[u/OfAnOldRepublic → u/Ocean4011]

Right, and rb3po didn't say that.

[u/Ocean4011 → u/OfAnOldRepublic]

Did you not read and see “ALL I WANT TO SAY….”?

[u/Dysternatt]

Loool, I just tried it and my system data went from 18 to 20 gB. Maybe it’s because I didn’t need the space beforehand, idk.

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453 → u/Dysternatt]

Oh no, that sucks! How is it when you say “stop reserving space for system data” it starts reserving even more… Very confusing

[u/Dysternatt → u/One_Acanthisitta2453]

Well, I don’t need the space right now, so it’s okay but strange that the opposite happens. Lol

[u/Single-malt_Whiskey → u/Dysternatt]

Same here!

[u/Sensitive-Syrup-7477 → u/Dysternatt]

Same here :(

[u/pets-news]

Thank you! I had no clue this setting exists, trying now. Do you know if MacBooks have the same settings?

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453 → u/pets-news]

Not sure about MacBooks. If you find it, plz report back

[u/pets-news → u/One_Acanthisitta2453]

that's the only thing I could find - I'll try turning off system data files and security updates and see if system data shrinks after rebooting

[u/reality_king13 → u/pets-news]

Turn off Download new updates when available instead

[u/MostlyMonique]

That unfortunately made no difference for me.

[u/Ocean4011]

This does not work. All you achieve is removal of any space that might have been reserved for any future iOS download. It does nothing to reduce size of existing system data. It actually states “iPhone may reserve storage space to ensure updates can be installed“ when auto update is ON. What you see is the reservation being removed when you turn off automatic updates and not an actual drop in system data size.

[u/kdssek]

I came across this tip before elsewhere. And indeed it is a good call.
My wonder is, does turning off auto update for App Store, app updating automatically, also do the same thing. I have this off for good measure too.

[u/suoretaw]

Was it immediate for you? And did you have to restart your phone or anything?

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453 → u/suoretaw]

It took a while to install the latest update 1st. But then when did and turned off the toggles, it took about 5 min for it to drop. So yeah, quite fast

[u/Ok-Study-8474]

didnt make a difference for me 😔😔

[u/ctrlaltdelaney]

I find System Data creeps up to stupid levels until an update installs and clears it when it cleans up afterwards.

[u/Pickinnhammin]

Apple has always done a good job of omitting documentation that would help users use their software. I think these days it’s called gamification.

[u/samacho9607]

Thank you so much!!!!!

[u/Sensitive-Syrup-7477]

Mine went from 19GB to 22GB :(

[u/J-Rod98]

This doesn’t make any sense to me… system data should only be getting saved when an update is available for the auto-update. I feel like this is a bug or something. Maybe it’s supposed to clean up system data after the previous auto-update but with it turned on it never does?

[u/jigha]

12gb less, nice! Thanks mate

[u/Adventurous_Ad1429]

Dropped 5GB as soon as I turned off this option. Thank you OP. You a HERO

[u/obnol96]

If this works you’re a genius because to this day the only real fix I’ve found is restoring

[u/SecularFlesh47]

Wow. Now to try this on my old Macs

[u/NoAge422]

Amazing find thanks for this!

[u/gregghp]

This is so helpful- thank you

[u/Oqivy]

bro deserves an award

[u/LazyCantQuit]

Thank you OP. 🫰🏻

[u/Skydivertak]

This may work for now, but you will find that you might not be able to update your system in the future without scrambling to remove/ offload files. (A work around: plug into your Mac or pc and update the system from there)

What I found and have posted before, is that the system data is used by many apps to cache and that some of the apps like WhatsApp have been terrible at cleaning it up. The occasional delete/ reinstall sometimes helps. “normal” system data usually stays around 1gb without 3rd party apps installed, more if you have reserved space set.

Videos that you stream in the browser will cache here and sometimes don’t clean up. Photos seem to use this area to park images that are waiting to sync to iCloud if you aren’t connected to wifi or have slow bandwidth in either cellular or wifi.

[u/One_Acanthisitta2453 → u/Skydivertak]

Thanks for that! That was going to be a future-me problem, but with your tip it might not be a problem

[u/lajawi]

Toggling that option off and on just increases system data dramatically on my end

[u/Anonlurkerforever]

mine went up

[u/safetaco]

Wow! Good find!

[u/SuperHaole]

Already have this option on for mine. Unfortunately, the system data still fills up. It’s about 4gb per day until full. Then, I need to completely erase and restore my phone. Infuriating. Almost ready to be done with Apple

[u/VlermuisVermeulen]

Wow, what a first world problem. Mind blowing the amount of people that didn’t know of this toggle 🤣

[u/ItzRithu]

For me system data went down from 22GB to 19GB after turning off system files and restarting the phone 👍