iPad iPad 4 64 GB low on space

[otomo]

I'm not sure what you were trying to point out. I suggested uninstalling some of the apps that you might not need to gain free space. And I'm not sure why using imovie on your iPhone is relevant.

Anyway, if uninstalling apps you are not using is not an option because you cannot find them (not sure how this is an issue), then yes, trash it and get an iPad with larger storage.

If I use iMovie on my iPhone, I might use it on my iPad. I haven't yet. Probably because it was running out of space. But just offering the iPhone usage as evidence that I'm not anti-iMovie. It's a handy app.

If I don't know the location of a specific app, then I cannot delete that specific app. That is the issue.

The solution option I went with was to erase the iPad and restore from backup as posted in message #17. This helped the space issue. Post-restore, the iPad still seems slowish and I miss not having the iPhone's "3D touch keyboard trackpad feature" (need a shorter name for that, described here: https://www.igeeksblog.com/how-to-turn-iphone-6s-keyboard-into-a-trackpad-with-3d-touch/ )

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-4-64-gb-low-on-space.1982947/#post-24271301

 

[Bart Kela]

If I don't know the location of a specific app, then I cannot delete that specific app. That is the issue.

False.

You can search for the app. Swipe down from the home screen and type in the name of an app. It will tell you which folder the app in question is located.

The better way might be to do this:

Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Storage > Manage Storage

It will display what is using storage from most to least. Click on a particular app. For example, on my iPhone is shows that Instagram is a 77.5 MB app, but Documents & Data is using 340 MB. There is a button to "Delete App" on the individual app's Info screen. On the other hand Keynote is a 633.2 MB app using 50 KB of data.

In the latter way, you don't even need to know where the app is located. If you delete the app, you remove it as well as associated data.

The view through Settings also lets you see TV Shows and Movies and how much space each one is taking up, something not visible in the new and slightly brain damaged TV app.

 

[otomo]

False.

You can search for the app. Swipe down from the home screen and type in the name of an app. It will tell you which folder the app in question is located.

The better way might be to do this:

Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Storage > Manage Storage

It will display what is using storage from most to least. Click on a particular app. For example, on my iPhone is shows that Instagram is a 77.5 MB app, but Documents & Data is using 340 MB. There is a button to "Delete App" on the individual app's Info screen. On the other hand Keynote is a 633.2 MB app using 50 KB of data.

In the latter way, you don't even need to know where the app is located. If you delete the app, you remove it as well as associated data.

The view through Settings also lets you see TV Shows and Movies and how much space each one is taking up, something not visible in the new and slightly brain damaged TV app.

First method: But then I have to find the folder!

Second method: But then I have to scroll through 450 apps! (Probably 550 by now.)

 

[Bart Kela]

First method: But then I have to find the folder!

Second method: But then I have to scroll through 450 apps! (Probably 550 by now.)

Well, what did you expect?

First method: you put the app in the folder. If you can't find the folder, that's your fault. You're the one who created your app organizing scheme.

Second method: they are listed alphabetically. Scrolling through 450 apps isn't really that much of an ordeal, especially since they are arranged by biggest to smallest. You will recuperate more space quickly by deleting ones that take up the most space, not apps that have the smallest storage footprint.

You also have the option of removing apps if you plug your phone into your computer and using iTunes to locate apps. Curiously, iTunes does not have the ability to sort by size (as far as I can tell), so using the iPhone's Settings interface is far better.

Anyhow, you need to take some ownership of cleaning up the mess you created because of your lackadaisical app organization approach.

If I were you, I'd get started right now on trimming down your iPhone's apps. You posted this in July 2016 and have accumulated another 100 more apps by your estimate, without doing any culling whatsoever from what anyone can tell here.

What happens next? This thread goes silent for six months and you have another 100 apps on your phone because of your poor housekeeping skills?

The other option: buy a new device with more storage capacity.

 

[bhayes444]

Another feature that I can't use on the iPad that I use on the iPhone all the time is the hard press spacebar on the keyboard that brings up a moveable cursor trick -- whatever that feature is called. No amount of money can buy an iPad with that feature.

With the iPad you can use two fingers on the keyboard, then slide them around, to create the moveable cursor that the iPhone currently uses. At least on my Air 2 it has worked since iOS 9 (I believe).

 

[Legendts]

With the iPad you can use two fingers on the keyboard, then slide them around, to create the moveable cursor that the iPhone currently uses. At least on my Air 2 it has worked since iOS 9 (I believe).

Yes, can even do that with my iPad 3, so thanks for that.

 

[otomo]

Well, what did you expect?

First method: you put the app in the folder. If you can't find the folder, that's your fault. You're the one who created your app organizing scheme.

Second method: they are listed alphabetically. Scrolling through 450 apps isn't really that much of an ordeal, especially since they are arranged by biggest to smallest. You will recuperate more space quickly by deleting ones that take up the most space, not apps that have the smallest storage footprint.

You also have the option of removing apps if you plug your phone into your computer and using iTunes to locate apps. Curiously, iTunes does not have the ability to sort by size (as far as I can tell), so using the iPhone's Settings interface is far better.

Anyhow, you need to take some ownership of cleaning up the mess you created because of your lackadaisical app organization approach.

If I were you, I'd get started right now on trimming down your iPhone's apps. You posted this in July 2016 and have accumulated another 100 more apps by your estimate, without doing any culling whatsoever from what anyone can tell here.

What happens next? This thread goes silent for six months and you have another 100 apps on your phone because of your poor housekeeping skills?

The other option: buy a new device with more storage capacity.

Second method lists by size, not alphabetically. I don't know my apps by size so I wouldn't know where in that arrangement an app would be. I've already used this method to delete the biggest apps and all the songs. Now it's the hundreds of small apps that I need to locate. It would be more helpful if they were sorted by last updated, then I could delete all the apps that aren't getting updated anymore.

The delete via iTunes approach is way slower than just deleting an app from the device. Taking ownership of my "lackadaisical app organization approach" is a low priority. I'm hoping that a future app or iOS update is released that can audit my device and offer helpful "delete this useless app?" suggestions.

If Apple ever offers iOS feature parity between the iPhone and iPad lines then it might be worthwhile buying a larger capacity iPad. In the meantime, the thought of getting a tablet that has fewer features than my iPhone seems extravagant. My current iPad doesn't have 3D touch -- and neither does the newest top of the line iPad. So why bother?

Wiping and restoring my iPad bought me 10 GB of space to play with in the meantime. When I have a spare minute I'll delete an app or two.

 

[Bart Kela]

You are right, I mistakenly said that the second method lists the apps alphabetically. They are indeed listed by size.

However, I stand by my point that you basically don't know how to weed a garden.

Let's face it: probably 10% of your phone's apps are taking up 90% of its storage capacity. If you ever decide to scrutinize your phone's contents, focus on those. Also, when you update your phone's apps, you should make a note of apps that you don't recognize and consider deleting those.

For sure, when your phone reaches maximum storage capacity, the problem is solely yours and no one here can tell you which apps to delete. That will always be your call, in the same way that you decide which store receipts to throw away.

It will be interesting to see where you are six months from now in terms of app management.

Good luck.

 

[otomo]

You are right, I mistakenly said that the second method lists the apps alphabetically. They are indeed listed by size.

However, I stand by my point that you basically don't know how to weed a garden.

Let's face it: probably 10% of your phone's apps are taking up 90% of its storage capacity. If you ever decide to scrutinize your phone's contents, focus on those. Also, when you update your phone's apps, you should make a note of apps that you don't recognize and consider deleting those.
Good luck.

I did see an unrecognized app yesterday and deleted it -- Panda Cookie. Is there a way of tracking when an app was installed? I don't have a recollection of this app or installing it.

 

[Bart Kela]

In iTunes (on your computer), find the app in your app Library, then view info. It'll have the purchase date. If the app is not in the iTunes Library, you can download it again and it will show the original purchase date, not the date of the download.

Not sure how to view this on your iDevice.