Major Storage Bug After iOS 26 Update — Losing Dozens of GB for No Reason

JerBear61 wrote:

Why should we have to back up and erase all contents and data. Why can't Apple just resolve this issue in one of their updates, perhaps maybe iOS 26.2? This is "System Data" bloating our devices after all. I don't see why we need lose our data off devices we use everyday. This is on Apple to fix

There's no way to resolve an issue like corrupt data in System Data via a software update, which is most often the cause of bloated System Data. Apple has no access to the data on your phone. Further, the data on your phone is fully encrypted. This is also not a system wide issue, meaning the vast majority of users don't have any corrupt data in System Data. But for someone who does, a backup/restore will fix it. So that's why you have to do this. Or live with the issue, which doesn't seem like a very optimal solution.

A final note: If system data is causing issues because it has grown too much, then the user doesn't own a phone which meets their storage needs. Once purchased, iPhone Storage is fixed and can never be increased. People often don't pay enough attention to how much storage they will need, not just when they get a new phone, but what their storage needs may be over the long haul. Here, on this forum we recommend buying a phone with the most storage someone can afford.