App is using 46 GB documents and data!? Cannot install updates or add other apps.

Question

老老外13 Author

Level 1

4 points

App is using 46 GB documents and data!? Cannot install updates or add other apps.

App: Mini Golf 100 .

Developer: Added a “clear cache” button to settings, but can’t explain or help with the ridiculous docs/data storage.

My actions:

I recorded vids of play for uploading to YouTube.
I transferred vids, then deleted from library.

46 GB would be hours of high-res vids.

QUESTIONS

What exactly is in the documents and data?

How can I see and manage that?

If there’s a loop, who’s responsible and can fix it - the dev or Apple?

Do I have any alternative to deleting the app?

iPad mini 4, iPadOS 15

Posted on Jan 14, 2022 1:23 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

老老外13 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 15, 2022 1:49 AM in response to Allan Jones

Thank you for that information. I was told in an Apple store that support staff monitored the forums and would sometimes help on difficult problems. I just deleted the app, losing the many hours I’d spent on it but regaining about 70% of the memory space.

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Answer 2

Jan 14, 2022 1:31 AM in response to 老老外13

If your internal storage is full, your only option is to better manage the storage that you have - and delete unused Apps or unneeded data.

These support pages should prove to be helpful:

About storage on your device and in iCloud – Apple Support

What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? – Apple Support

Manage your iCloud storage – Apple Support

How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support

Clear Other storage on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

“Offloading” Apps can be a helpful method of creating temporary space for a software update.

https://9to5mac.com/2020/01/21/how-to-offload-apps-in-ios-to-save-space-without-deleting-their-data/

Additional information about creating sufficient space for installation of a software update can be found here:

If you need more space for an update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Updating your iPad using a PC or Mac computer can reduce the amount of free-space necessary to perform the update - as the initial download, unpacking and verification is performed on the computer prior to installation. However, even this method is not possible if your iPad has too little free space.

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Answer 3

老老外13 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 14, 2022 7:33 AM in response to LotusPilot

Thanks for your reply, but this is not a boilerplate problem. It has nothing whatsoever do to with iCloud, I offloaded most apps so I could update the iPad so that’s not helpful and deleting a few rarely used apps totaling less than 1 GB will not solve the 46 GB documents and data problem consumed by only one (1) app.

Again, the real questions are why is Mini Golf 100+ using 46 GB of data (I presume the documents account for only a few kb), and what can I do to inspect, move, or delete the data without deleting the app, leaving just essential player data?

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Answer 4

Allan Jones

Level 9

69,134 points

Jan 14, 2022 7:38 AM in response to 老老外13

We are you fellow end users, not Apple or game developers. We cannot be expected to know why a developer decides to program in a way that hogs available resources. If the developer cannot help, no one can.

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