Hi all, my iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17.3.1 is showing that I have 158GB of system data. Recently I ran out of space and thought something was off so I started digging around in my storage and I found this bug.
Any advice on how to fix this?
iPhone SE, iOS 17
Restarting my iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17.3.1 fixed this problem, however the change took a while to take effect, in fact when I rebooted and checked my storage the system storage had dropped by maybe only 2-3GB. I tried to find my original post I made here but Apple has made it so we cannot find our post or comment history from our own profiles when logged into our accounts, I had to go to apple help and type my remembered name of my question into the search and find my post that way.
Preventing me from seeing my own post/comment history is suspicious and I think it's done to simply limit the amount of discussion done here. I also find it suspicious that the first thing you said in your response to me was untrue and made it look like everything was fine when it wasn't. In my opinion the reason why the first thing you said was everything is fine is because everybody reads the first part of your response and you want everyone to think things were fine with my phone.
Apple has done a lot of things to cause it to lose the benefit of the doubt in situations like this. I find it pretty convenient for Apple that a bug exists that reduces my iPhone storage capacity by ~80% for up to a week at a time (I only reboot maybe once a week) which makes me consider using iCloud when I don't otherwise need it. I don't think Apple created this bug on purpose but it has been here for many years and I think they have chosen not to fix it because it increases the amount of people using iCloud at a time when Apple is being very stingy with on-device storage in efforts to increase iCloud use (incredibly many iPhones/iPads only come with 64GB of storage in 2024 haha please... I can buy a 512GB microSD card for $30, but what do you know, iPhones/iPads have no microSD card slots).
Anyway, by the time I found my post here and went to screenshot the system storage, it was down to 5.69GB.
So if you're checking if a reboot fixes the problem, apparently an immediate slight reduction in system storage followed by a huge reduction over ~5-6 minutes is what to expect.
Pics of it being fixed are here.
Restarting my iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17.3.1 fixed this problem, however the change took a while to take effect, in fact when I rebooted and checked my storage the system storage had dropped by maybe only 2-3GB. I tried to find my original post I made here but Apple has made it so we cannot find our post or comment history from our own profiles when logged into our accounts, I had to go to apple help and type my remembered name of my question into the search and find my post that way.
Preventing me from seeing my own post/comment history is suspicious and I think it's done to simply limit the amount of discussion done here. I also find it suspicious that the first thing you said in your response to me was untrue and made it look like everything was fine when it wasn't. In my opinion the reason why the first thing you said was everything is fine is because everybody reads the first part of your response and you want everyone to think things were fine with my phone.
Apple has done a lot of things to cause it to lose the benefit of the doubt in situations like this. I find it pretty convenient for Apple that a bug exists that reduces my iPhone storage capacity by ~80% for up to a week at a time (I only reboot maybe once a week) which makes me consider using iCloud when I don't otherwise need it. I don't think Apple created this bug on purpose but it has been here for many years and I think they have chosen not to fix it because it increases the amount of people using iCloud at a time when Apple is being very stingy with on-device storage in efforts to increase iCloud use (incredibly many iPhones/iPads only come with 64GB of storage in 2024 haha please... I can buy a 512GB microSD card for $30, but what do you know, iPhones/iPads have no microSD card slots).
Anyway, by the time I found my post here and went to screenshot the system storage, it was down to 5.69GB.
So if you're checking if a reboot fixes the problem, apparently an immediate slight reduction in system storage followed by a huge reduction over ~5-6 minutes is what to expect.
Pics of it being fixed are here.
I would ignore that because this system data will make room when you need more space on your iPhone.
On an iPhone, the term "Other System data" refers to a category of storage that includes various types of system-related files and data that don't fit into specific categories like apps, media, or documents. Some of It represents data that is necessary for the functioning of the device but doesn't fall into easily identifiable categories.
"Other System data" can include things such as system files, cache files, logs, system updates, diagnostic data, temporary files, and more. It's a catch-all category that encompasses a wide range of data used by the operating system and built-in apps.
Sometimes, the "Other System data" category can take up a significant amount of storage space on your iPhone, and it's not clear to me what specific files or data it comprises. If you notice that your iPhone's storage is almost full and the "Other System data" is occupying a large portion of it then...
If the above does not resolve the issue then...
You may --> Clear Other storage on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support (IN)
Tap on System Data it will take you to "Other System Data"
Now the question is what is the "Other System Data" storage. Read on...
About cached files in "Other System Data"
Finder and iTunes categorize cached music, videos, and photos as Other instead of actual songs, videos, or photos. Cached files are created when you stream or view content like music, videos, and photos. When you stream music or video, that content is stored as cached files on your device so you can quickly access it again.
Your device automatically removes cached files and temporary files when your device needs more space.
If storage on your device differs from what you see in Finder or iTunes
Since Finder and iTunes categorize cached files as Other, reported usage for Music or Videos might differ. To view usage on your device, go to Settings > General > [Device] Storage.
If you want to delete the cached files from your device
Your device automatically deletes cached files and temporary files when it needs more space. You don't need to delete them yourself.
> I would ignore that because this system data will make room when you need more space on your iPhone.
Buddy just yesterday it told me I ran out of hard drive space while I was filming a 4k60 video. It shut the recording off and told me to optimize my storage. So your statement is wrong.
I will restart my phone and then post an update here.
Why did you change the order of my responses to you to attempt to hide my criticism of you!? Apple is such a shady company!!! Break up big tech!
My iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17.3.1 is showing I have 150GB of system data
