Where is my memory? (How to clear "Documents and Data")

Ok, I deleted OneNote app (from Microsoft), deleted mailboxes, imessages, weChat and podcasts contents (app cannot be deleted), then rebooted, then synced with my itunes in MBP several times. It reduced documents and data from 39.5 gig to 2.4 gig. I have a whopping 38 gig or free space now. Hopefully, it will remain that way.

My chief suspect in hindsight is OneNote (based on hunch) and Podcasts (based on other users from this forum). I'm guessing podcast contents take up documents and data, which when you delete in iphone, they still remain on your iphone, which is why you have to reboot iphone and/or sync with itunes.

Too bad this option no longer exists. It is a really BAD product/software that Apple created that shows 52 GB of memory used, when only 10 of that is specified in the "Storage" details and I can find no way to fix this without a heck of a lot of work and potential lost information. They need a cache clearing tool if they are too unfocused to fix the fault in the iOS that allows things to stay after being used.

Thanks for the Battery Doctor tip! It took me about 6 or 7 attempts but I got my Podcasts Documents & Data down from 1.1 gb to 119 mb. Plus it managed to release another 1.1gb from somewhere too 🙂

The solution presented by sonny3301 had it's mysteries but in fact WORKED OUT (Thank you very much!) for me without needing of Reset / Backup / Restore even sync with a desktop PC. I found the app on Brazilian Apps Store as:

Battery Doctor - Master of Battery Maintenance

Vendor/Developer: Beijing Kingsoft Internet Security software Co.Ltd

Category: Utilities

Last update: 31 oct 2015

Version: 7.3

Dev. website: ijinshan.com

However, it takes me more than 60 times to free almost 12gb of my iPhone! I was almost giving up.... The Documents and Data section of the Podcast App had 8.1GB and now has only 309mb. Quite a relief!

As part of solution I'm going to delete all my existing podcasts and subscriptions and begin to use the Overcast App. Let's see if it's a valid long term solution (and shame on you Apple).

Thanks for this. Battery Doctor KS did not seem be in the store a month or so back but following your prompt I now found it as Battery Doctor Kingsof. It worked a treat clearing out the Podcast storage. Altogether it claimed back over 1.5 GB of storage.

IT worked like a dream ,first junk clean up on my iphone 6 120gb memory. It showed only 10.8 gb available and now shows 93.9gb available. I dont know what was taking up the space in documents and data but this app cleared it.

THANK YOU!

This is my third time with this issue. What'sapp is not my problem.

My least painful choice is to restore from ITUNES BACK UP BECAUSE ICLOUD BACK UP DOESN'T BACK UP TEXTS. The restore may take a few hours and many of my device settings must be redone.

I will bet you android is the same frustration. This is the price I pay for not having to walk to the mailbox to deliver mail (i use email) and other conveniences of smartphone.

In any case very aggravating the third time with this problem but I'm getting used to it.

At least, I know the "solution" and don't have to call them and hear them say, "I know how frustrating this must be" and "I never heard of this issue with false memory usage" or let me talk to a higher level tech or engineer

Apple falls far from old Apple wrote:

This is my third time with this issue…

I'd consider taking screenshots of your usage (Settings app > General > Usage > Manage Storage). Compare that to the same list after you erase & restore. You may find that the size change is related to a particular app. Keeping messages attachments will increase the usage, so be sure to see if the usage is reasonable before you erase.

It may be cache data that needs to be purged, however iOS doesn't offer any way to do that manually. So you may just need to fill the device to get it to be freed. I suspect that is what the Battery Doctor app mentioned here did as it fits with descriptions of other research into this issue.

I'd also suggest you password protect the backup in iTunes to keep all your passwords, just do not lose the password as you cannot reset or restore without it.

Read the post by cammac2016, the app appears in the UK store if you search 'Battery Doctor - Master of Battery Maintenance'. I have not installed the app as it appears to be little more than pointless adware with no English support.

Install it if you trust the app, the so called 'cleaning' does appear to be manipulating iOS features to clear data - if that was meant to work it would work first try, not after 30 or 60 attempts as other commenters mention. I don't know if that feature is still in the app.

I think this app is now (Nov. 2016) called Battery Saver (not Battery Doctor), and the author of the app is "lin tongtong". There are a lot of lookalikes, and the "Battery Doctor" app (from Beijing Kingsoft) does not help at all with disk space.

To anyone still having is issue on the iPad, I have just fixed the problem with a great app called Memory & Disk Scanner Pro. It deleted 1.56 GB of other data in my podcasts. Around 250 MB first go, 1.25 GB second and the remaining circa 60 Mb on the third 🙂 you need to pay 99 cents after this but job done for me...for now at least! Happy hunting.

I came to this thread as I had 2.0 gigs! of documents & data on my podcast app that I couldn't clear *-* I went through a bunch of different options before I thought of just deleting the podcast app. Worked like a charm!!!! I had 2.9 gigs of podcast data in storage before & went down to 374.8 MB after it automatically reinstalled my podcasts upon re-downloading the app. Just make sure your podcast subscriptions are on your iTunes are how you want them before downloading back on your iPhone (if you don't limit the episodes on your favorite podcast it will try to download them all).

Thanks. There is another Battery Doctor, made by Ignis America, which also does not help disk space. It reduces, but only by about 25 to 50mb each time.

Currently my Apple podcast app, under 'Documents & Data' (which cannot be accessed to delete, nor can the app itself be deleted) is taking up 6.2gb of a 16gb phone.
***...? Thanks Apple. Any solutions, please post them here - if you care at all.

Many thanks for that. I had considered backup per the recommendations here, but am afraid to lose my Notes, which don't seem to go up to iCloud, helpfully enough. Will a backup restore them i wonder?

Then i also found i don't have a 'Restrictions Password', which seems required for a Reset.

Thanks again, sorry to be so backward; i only use iphone for notes & podcasts anyway. Should really get much more familiar.

I tried the battery doctor app suggested. Did not work to reduce the "Documents & Data" for Podcasts app which had grown to something like 16 GB of storage space on a 32 GB IPhone 5c. Was seeing Storage almost full warnings and forced me to delete many photos, music and other data from other apps.

What worked for me was to follow suggestions of Backup & Restore via iTunes which took about 1 hour but completely removed the Documents & Data from podcast app.