why does my iPhone Storage summary (eg"14.8 of 16 GB Used") NOT sum of the individual items shown?

Question

why does my iPhone Storage summary (eg"14.8 of 16 GB Used") NOT sum of the individual items shown?

Going to Settings>General>iPhone Storage, the summary bar currently shows "14.8 of 16 GB Used". Implicitly means I have only 1.2 GB free (16 - 14.8 = 1.2)

HOWEVER - when i sum ALL of the listed App storage usages on this same page, including System (6.97 GB) + Other (0 GB), the total sum is only 9.08 GB, suggesting actually 6.92 GB free (16 - 9.08 = 6.92).

Obviously, the difference of available space of 6.92 GB vs. 1.2 GB is..... HUGE (esp for someone trying to keep making 16 GB work :/) Especially as Apple is emailing me that i'm down to the wire at 1.2 GB (!)

Can anyone tell me, why the sum of the itemized, do not equal the total usage reflected on the same iPhone Storage summary page? I need to find what is using this storage, so i can optimize/delete and free up more space!

Thank you ~

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 14

Posted on Oct 9, 2022 6:12 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 11, 2022 12:55 PM in response to cosmic_crisp1001

Hey cosmic_crisp1001,

This definitely wouldn’t be expected behavior, if you’ve already restarted your iPhone and your device is up to date, reaching out to Apple Support may be the best option. Do you back up your device to iCloud? If so, and it’s been a while since updating, do that and see if it has any impact on the issue. You can read how to back up here:

1. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network.

2. Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud.

3. Tap iCloud Backup.

4. Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends. Under Back Up Now, you'll see the date and time of your last backup. If you get an alert that you don't have enough iCloud storage space to complete the backup, follow the onscreen steps to upgrade your iCloud storage.

How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud

If the storage is still the same after that, reach out to Apple Support at the following link:

Contact Apple Support

Take care.

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Answer 2

ShannonM1

Community Specialist

Oct 11, 2022 8:01 AM in response to cosmic_crisp1001

Hello cosmic_crisp1001,

There can be numerous reasons to explain the mismatch between what the system is reporting and what you are calculating. So to look into this in greater detail, we'd recommend that you contact Apple Support so they can look into this with you directly.

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

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Answer 3

Oct 11, 2022 12:03 PM in response to ShannonM1

I am merely adding together, every storage usage listed lower on the page ie the ITEMIZATION the system is providing. Which DOES NOT SUM TO THE TOTAL that the system is providing. On the same page, at the same time. Even after rebooting.

Difference is a large magnitude: 92.5% full (bar summary) vs. 56.8% full (sum of itemized usages).

Taking a step back: is this order-of-magnitude storage usage/reporting mismatch normal on the iPhone>Settings>General>iPhone Storage page? If so, surely Apple Community has run across this hiccup and can suggest what might be the source of such a hidden difference/how can i view? Or, is this absolutely abnormal and requires tech support?

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why does my iPhone Storage summary (eg"14.8 of 16 GB Used") NOT sum of the individual items shown?

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