1.73GB of "Other" in iPhone 4S?

[RedCroissant]

Hello everyone. I have been trying to clean up my iPhone 4S and decrease the amount of unnecessary apps and information on there. I have deleted or removed all the kids' apps, all the photos, all music...etc. What would be taking up 1.73GB of space that I can't seem to locate?

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by RedCroissant

Hello everyone. I have been trying to clean up my iPhone 4S and decrease the amount of unnecessary apps and information on there. I have deleted or removed all the kids' apps, all the photos, all music...etc. What would be taking up 1.73GB of space that I can't seem to locate?

iOS itself, for starters:

The storage media in your Apple product, like all storage devices, uses some of its capacity for formatting, so actual capacity available for applications and files will be less. In addition, other factors, such as pre-installed systems or other software and media, will also use part of the available storage capacity.

Source: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2419

Also, pictures and/or videos contained in Messages.app conversations, regardless of whether or not they've been deleted. I'm sure there are other things that contribute to this 'Other' category but that's a start.

[RedCroissant]

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

iOS itself, for starters:

Source: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2419

Also, pictures and/or videos contained in Messages.app conversations, regardless of whether or not they've been deleted. I'm sure there are other things that contribute to this 'Other' category but that's a start.

I didn't even consider that the bar would reflect the storage space used for the OS. And the pictures in messages is another thing that I didn't consider. Thanks for responding!

[C DM]

You could given PhoneClean a try to see if helps free up any more space: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7...ur-ios-device/.

Also, it looks like as of iOS 6.1 Apple might have finally resolved the issue with storing images from the Messages app.

[ajiphone]

In a nutshell, it's programs necessary for the iphone to run.

[C DM]

Originally Posted by ajiphone

In a nutshell, it's programs necessary for the iphone to run.

Is that stuff really all necessary? Could any of it (at least some, if not most) simply be some temp/cache stuff that might not actually be needed perhaps?

[PedroCst]

Originally Posted by C DM

Is that stuff really all necessary? Could any of it (at least some, if not most) simply be some temp/cache stuff that might not actually be needed perhaps?

Not really. The OS doesn't appear there, you can see that the available space usually gets lower once you update the OS. That's where the OS space is discounted.

I have no idea of what "Other" might be, but you should restore your phone if you want it fixed.

[C DM]

Originally Posted by PedroCst

Not really. The OS doesn't appear there, you can see that the available space usually gets lower once you update the OS. That's where the OS space is discounted.

I have no idea of what "Other" might be, but you should restore your phone if you want it fixed.

Well it does seem like there's at least some space (sometimes a bit and other times quite a lot) that is being used for temp/cache/etc. type of things that can be freed up using an app like the one mentioned earlier.

[PedroCst]

Originally Posted by C DM

Well it does seem like there's at least some space (sometimes a bit and other times quite a lot) that is being used for temp/cache/etc. type of things that can be freed up using an app like the one mentioned earlier.

The best option is to reset it. It does take a while, and the best way to get the maximum results is by backing up everything through iFunbox, which takes quite a while. Don't forget to backup using iTunes however, just to prevent anything you might not be able to backup otherwise.
I'm going to do it because of a problem I had (SAM unlock tickets), so you're not alone

[King Luis]

what apps do you have installed? there are some that take up 500mb. example is this week's free game. the space shooter game. you might not think a app can take a lot of space but they can. some apps will go online to get everything, others will have everything built in the app and will take up the space. hook up your phone to itunes, go to the app screen and sort by size, you'll see it add up. the rest will be emails and ios its self.

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by King Luis

__________________
why do you people complain so damn much?

Because when someone explicitly asks about the 'Other' category on their phone that's taking up space, it's not uncommon for others to respond with something unrelated, such as 'Apps'.

[RedCroissant]

Originally Posted by King Luis

what apps do you have installed? there are some that take up 500mb. example is this week's free game. the space shooter game. you might not think a app can take a lot of space but they can. some apps will go online to get everything, others will have everything built in the app and will take up the space. hook up your phone to itunes, go to the app screen and sort by size, you'll see it add up. the rest will be emails and ios its self.

I checked the app sizes and that is something I checked before realizing that the size of the app most likely wouldn't be reflected in the "other" category. I know caches and other data can be, I just couldn't seem to locate it.

Instead of resetting the phone though, I re-synced certain apps and made sure to limit the amount of apps that require excess information to be stored on the device.

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Originally Posted by r2shyyou

Because when someone explicitly asks about the 'Other' category on their phone that's taking up space, it's not uncommon for others to respond with something unrelated, such as 'Apps'.

I'm pretty sure that question is just the signature line and not intended to be a response to this particular thread.

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by RedCroissant

I/m pretty sure that question is just the signature line and not intended to be a response to this particular thread.

I'm more than "pretty sure" about that, actually. But oh the irony of it...

Anyway, if you want to ensure that your 'Other' data is as small as it can reasonably be, the only way is to restore your phone as new.

Before I restored my phone as new about a week ago, I had over 6GB of 'Other' data (yes, you read that right: 6GB). Now I have just under 1GB.