Excessive size of Mobile Documents folder

Question

Level 2

423 points

Excessive size of Mobile Documents folder

During the backup my hard disk using Carbon Copy Cloner, I was surprised at the time needed to back up the Mobile Documents folder in my Library folder, and the upload dialog's reference to apps that aren't even installed on my Mac - see below.

For some reason Finder would not show any contents within the Mobile Documents folder, even after running scripts to show hidden files.

A Get Info nonetheless indicated that the folder is over 18 GB!

Why is the folder 18 GB?? That's what I want to know!

Firstly (and this is where other community threads are inconclusive), my used iCloud storage only totals 16 GB.. of which 15 GB is purely iCloud backups of my iPhone on iPad. There is no reason or benefit of storing these backups on my Mac.

Secondly, after listing the folder's contents using Terminal, it seems that the folder is storing three other categories of documents locally:

i) iCloud Drive documents - THIS IS OKAY (though not sure why Spotlight files are also here)

ii) encrypted cache files for installed iOS apps - THIS IS NOT OKAY

iii) preference files for installed and uninstalled iOS apps - THIS IS ALSO NOT OKAY

I suspect that the cache files are responsible for the largest misuse of local hard drive space (just google for the issue that whatsapp has with com.apple.bird cache files..).

If anyone can enlighten us on the benefits or need to store these files locally, or confirm that this is a bug, it would be much appreciated!

Posted on Jul 29, 2016 12:14 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Sailesh Patel Author

Level 2

423 points

Jul 29, 2016 1:29 PM in response to Sailesh Patel

Fixed! For the moment, at least.. Apple Support advised turning iCloud Drive on and off and the Mobile Documents folder is now only a few KB in size and only increasing in proportion to any iCloud files as they are opened.

In any case, Apple Support concurred with my observations (after misreading the reported file size) that the folder should not have become so grossly large. The fact that it did would certainly seem to indicate a bug in the architecture of iCloud Drive and/or iCloud.

Reply

Answer 2

Esquared

Level 6

12,385 points

Jul 29, 2016 12:29 PM in response to Sailesh Patel

This is not a bug. And here's a cautionary tale: https://www.engadget.com/2012/08/22/a-cautionary-tale-do-not-move-or-rename-your -icloud-folder/

Reply

Answer 3

Sailesh Patel Author

Level 2

423 points

Jul 29, 2016 12:46 PM in response to Esquared

That link only explains why the folder exists and not to move it, but it doesn't convince in any way that the folder should take up the space it does given the circumstances I've described.

My library folder totals 44 GB, the Mobile Documents folder is 18 GB, and a Get Info on the balance of Library folders checks out at 26 GB, so there certainly isn't any false reporting or double-counting at play.

So my question remains...

Reply