I love listening to podcasts but can't seem to clear 4 GB worth of documents and data from my iPhone. I've deleted all downloaded podcasts, I've deleted all saved podcasts, and iPhone storage still says I have 4 GB worth of documents and data saved in the podcast app. I've off loaded and reloaded the app and it still says I have 4 GB worth of data and documents in Podcasts. Help!
There has to be a better solution to this problem that many people, myself included, have experienced other than "delete the app completely, restart, and reinstall." I know the subscriptions are tied to my apple ID, but it doesn't keep tabs on what I've already listened to, so I have to go back and mark older podcast episodes played, going back sometimes to the beginning of a podcast feed (some of them have been around a long time). And then six months later, I'm back to five gigabytes of unspecified "Documents and Data" clogging up my phone's storage. I don't auto-download episodes, I don't save played episodes, so it's not the podcasts themselves taking up this space. I find it baffling that Apple Podcast users have been having this problem and asking for resolution for several years now, and there isn't a less disruptive solution than completely deleting everything and starting over. If users could review the "documents and data" that might be helpful. Clearly nothing in this "documents and data" section is vital to the functionality of the app, otherwise it wouldn't be random sizes and the size wouldn't fluctuate (and by "fluctuate" I mean continue to grow in size until it takes up too much space). Apple please fix this, it has been too long with no real resolution and ya'll should be embarassed.
There has to be a better solution to this problem that many people, myself included, have experienced other than "delete the app completely, restart, and reinstall." I know the subscriptions are tied to my apple ID, but it doesn't keep tabs on what I've already listened to, so I have to go back and mark older podcast episodes played, going back sometimes to the beginning of a podcast feed (some of them have been around a long time). And then six months later, I'm back to five gigabytes of unspecified "Documents and Data" clogging up my phone's storage. I don't auto-download episodes, I don't save played episodes, so it's not the podcasts themselves taking up this space. I find it baffling that Apple Podcast users have been having this problem and asking for resolution for several years now, and there isn't a less disruptive solution than completely deleting everything and starting over. If users could review the "documents and data" that might be helpful. Clearly nothing in this "documents and data" section is vital to the functionality of the app, otherwise it wouldn't be random sizes and the size wouldn't fluctuate (and by "fluctuate" I mean continue to grow in size until it takes up too much space). Apple please fix this, it has been too long with no real resolution and ya'll should be embarassed.
I’ve noticed very similar storage issues on my own iPhone and tried the ‘fix’ of deleting the app along with documents and data. The app starts with a much lower storage size, but over the course of a couple of days fills back up to the previous level. The issue seems to be that the app is downloading all of my history of played podcasts - not the podcasts themselves but rather the episode details. It seems to do this on a podcast by podcast basis as you can see the history changing overtime whilst it works through your whole library.
Apple need to provide a way to limit this history either based on a maximum history file size, or limited to the last ‘x’ months of history.
Hi KLev-DC,
When you delete a built-in app, it should also delete all documents and data associated with that app. Are you following the steps outlined here to delete it?
Delete apps on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
How to delete an app
1. Touch and hold the app.
2. Tap Remove App.
3. Tap Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm.
If you've deleted it with this step, and you chose to remove its data, try a full restart after your delete it. When you restart your iPhone it goes through the sequence of shutting down and booting up again, and it helps your device adjust to recent changes.
Still no luck? Podcasts may be automatically downloading the shows you follow when you reinstall the app. Disable automatic downloads and test.
Change your download settings for Podcasts on iPhone
Kindest Regards.
Delete Podcasts Documents and Data
