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BR4DOKYBrazil

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 25, 2018
835
2,051
Londrina - PR / Brazil
Guus, I was already an Android user and I remember that when I downloaded games and apps and deleted them, exploring the system folders, there were still files of the games and applications deleted, that is, it was not totally deleted from the system, leaving junks behind. In iOS, since we do not have access to system folders, can you tell me if this happens too? I'm not much of downloading everything and deleting, but I'm afraid to try apps and games because of system fragmentation. Does it occur in iOS causing slowness?
 

Helmsley

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2017
761
399
I doubt it will cause any problems for you. My last device was an iPhone 6s which I ran for nearly three years without ever doing a clean install, and iOS ran fine.

The bits left behind from deleted apps will be very minimal and will not cause any issues.
 
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chrfr

macrumors G5
Jul 11, 2009
13,702
7,264
Guus, I was already an Android user and I remember that when I downloaded games and apps and deleted them, exploring the system folders, there were still files of the games and applications deleted, that is, it was not totally deleted from the system, leaving junks behind. In iOS, since we do not have access to system folders, can you tell me if this happens too? I'm not much of downloading everything and deleting, but I'm afraid to try apps and games because of system fragmentation. Does it occur in iOS causing slowness?
Apps are completely self contained in iOS. When you delete the app, nothing gets left behind on the phone, with the exception of any data that may be stored in iCloud.
 
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throwthedice

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2015
267
87
Apps are completely self contained in iOS. When you delete the app, nothing gets left behind on the phone, with the exception of any data that may be stored in iCloud.

Slightly off topic to the OPs thread but recently I deleted a few apps (like Gmail) before handing the phone over to replace the battery. When I got back the phone, I reinstalled Gmail but didn't need to log in to any of my Google accounts- it was all right there. Not sure what I did/didn't do but this I think goes against what you said about everything being self contained.

FWIW- I don't sync Gmail to iCloud.
 

Paddle1

macrumors 603
May 1, 2013
5,140
3,573
Slightly off topic to the OPs thread but recently I deleted a few apps (like Gmail) before handing the phone over to replace the battery. When I got back the phone, I reinstalled Gmail but didn't need to log in to any of my Google accounts- it was all right there. Not sure what I did/didn't do but this I think goes against what you said about everything being self contained.

FWIW- I don't sync Gmail to iCloud.
Do you have any other apps made by Google?
 

Superrjamz54

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2015
499
314
Slightly off topic to the OPs thread but recently I deleted a few apps (like Gmail) before handing the phone over to replace the battery. When I got back the phone, I reinstalled Gmail but didn't need to log in to any of my Google accounts- it was all right there. Not sure what I did/didn't do but this I think goes against what you said about everything being self contained.

FWIW- I don't sync Gmail to iCloud.
Google syncs all of your data from their applications onto their servers.
 

Mlrollin91

macrumors G5
Nov 20, 2008
14,172
10,181
No, I had uninstalled everything - Gboard, maps etc etc.




I'm genuinely curious - How does this work? Google tags my Apple account that I use to download the app and then maps the Google account with it to keep track?
Do you have keychains turned on? Probably saved your info through safari. If you cleared your safari cache and cookies, then you would have needed to resign in.
 

now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
11,241
24,226
Deleting an app in iOS does not guarantee that all the data associated with it gets deleted.

I have deleted apps before- to clear their giant cache, and re-downloaded them, and all my settings still existed. The data from the previous install still remained. Not all of it. But some of it.
 

IowaLynn

macrumors 68020
Feb 22, 2015
2,145
589
Thought a feature of iOS 11 was that - if you set iCloud to backup prefs and such, hit can restore those, and is used for inactive apps that are removed from lack of use. But Google? I need to authorize it frequently on my Mac and iPhone.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,249
11,745
It highly depends on how developers treats their app data. They can put them in a place that deleting app won’t remove those data. Then, fragmentation occurs. Heck, a failed iTunes sync attempt could create a lot of broken files that can only be removed with file system access.
So, my suggestion is to wary about what you are going to try. Ideally, try them on a secondary device so fragmentation won’t bother you too much.
 
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IowaLynn

macrumors 68020
Feb 22, 2015
2,145
589
“Afraid to?” Really?

Filing storage until free space, number of cell pages gets low, even all the app and system patches are going to impact it. Today’s UFS 2 storage is less affected, much faster, has less affect.

Games can be large, as the game data. Android has a cache partition. Some apps have large caches. Media apps. Photo, movies, Fb, IG. And some need to be cleared at times.

One tip, Android and iOS - don’t use cache cleaners and such, they can junk up your system. Even the one Samsung builds in, Cheetah Mobile, notorious.
 
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