Memory Usage

[n4uau]

I use Amazon Cloud Drive to backup my photos, works great BUT

Looking at memory usage today I noticed that the Amazon Cloud Drive app was using 241 Mb and 213 Mb was for Data. Fourth largest user of space. Since it is supposed to store my photos on the cloud this surprises me as my Photos and Camera usage is only 172 Mb. I uninstalled Amazon app and re installed the app. It now takes up only 41.7 Mb but still shows all my photos that are on the Amazon cloud. The app itself on the App Store claims to use only 21.7 Mb.

I've noticed such odd behavior with the Google Search app as well and Facebook.

It seems like their caches must get clogged with stuff and short of re installing them there seems no was to clear the cache. Anyone enlighten me on the what and why of this? Do I just have to routinely re install certain poorly designed apps?

 

[n4uau]

Must be a tough question, no replies !

 

[abababababab]

The size on the app store certainly shows the original memory occupied by the app. The photos you store obviously occupy some space.

The size you see in the 'usage' section under settings is changed in case of all apps, when compared to the app store size. So according to me, the app initially takes up the memory mentioned on the App Store, and additional storage of data results in the increased size.

 

[n4uau]

Thanks for the reply and I agree that would make sense normally but the app should not duplicate the photo in camera roll and keep it on the iPad. It is supposed to copy it to the cloud. Also if that were the case when I re installed it and memory dropped to 41 mb I shouldn't see the same photos I did when it was at 240mb.

I see similar strange memory use with Google Seach app and FB which is at 217 Mb. theres are supposed to be cloud based.

Wouldn't be a problem but my 16 Gb Pad is running out of memory. Apps like Pages,Numbers and Keynote take a lot of room. Some of the demo iBooks are 1 Gb each. I can't afford to have garbage clogging up my memory. Hence my concern. Surely someone must know the answer!

 

[abababababab]

Hmm... Try force closing apps and then re opening them when you have such problems.

To save memory, the only advice I could provide you with is not to store unnecessary data.

 

[J. A.]

I just took a look at my storage, after downloading Amazon Cloud Drive. It almost looks as if it stores the pictures on the iPad. I deleted most of the photos there, the usage decreased. When I opened the app again, it needed more storage again.

Then I took a look at an app where I don't save any files: Snapseed. There was some usage I could find under "Documents and Data". I deleted the app and reinstalled it - almost no additional usage. I opened the app - additional usage increased. Force closing had no effect.

Supposedly the iPad's usage is not only files in an app. Online storage certainly saves photos or files online, except if marked for offline viewing.

The increase on usage could also tell the app that is was already opened and doesn't need to show the instructions of how to work with it, e.g.

At the moment these are just my thoughts, but I'll try to find an exact answer.

 

[n4uau]

More observations: Facebook app says it uses 59 mb, before uninstalling it, it was using 221 mb, after reinstall 128mb. Looks the same as before. Drop Box app spec 26.8. before 172 after 40.9, Google Maps app spec 12, before 117 after 24.9.

I thought with Google Maps it might be that history was lost but no history is still there (on the cloud I suppose). Drop Box still shows the things I have on it.

So whatever the reason I find I can free up memory just by re installing some of the apps. This implies, to me, poor memory management by Apple. I'll have to check out some other apps to see but meanwhile I await the person who knows the what and why of this strange phenomenon.

 

[n4uau]

At the moment these are just my thoughts, but I'll try to find an exact answer.

Thanks for digging in and see my other examples.

 

[J. A.]

This seems to be the problem with "Other" data. When you connect your iPad to iTunes and look at your usage there, you'll find Other as well. Sometimes it can take more storage space than the apps themselves.

"Other" has to be removed from time to time, and the only method to get rid of it at once would be to backup the ipad, erase all content and settings and restore your device, if possible using iTunes.
There's also software such as PhoneClean which will help free space.

 

[n4uau]

JA,
I think we are making progress! Since I don't ever connect iPad to PC I can't check the 'other data' but let me ask this: for my 3 example apps I had: FB now (after reinstall) uses 128mb and of that the iPad says 26.9 is 'docs and data' (don't know what it was before reinstall) G Maps at 40.8 has 3.4 'docs and data', and DropBox is 24.9 with 1.0 as 'docs and data'. (all from Settings/General/Usage on the iPad.) So I wonder how the 'docs and data' report in your iPad compares for some of your apps with the 'Other data' you find for them in iTunes.

What it sounds like to me is fragmentation of data over a period of time and by reinstalling the app it gets defragmented. Perhaps that Phone Clean app is a defragmenter? I'll check it out.

If this is the case then one should from time to time reinstall apps to maximize available data and ?? maybe to speed it up like defrag will often do on a PC?? Interesting thought!

Apple is great, I like it much better than my Samsung phone, but it still isn't perfect and it often works in mysterious ways.

Again thanks for digging into this issue.

 

[J. A.]

At the moment I can't look at the Other data in iTunes (thunderstorm here), and I didn't connect my device to the PC for quite a while. So I can't answer right away. I'll take a look at it later.

 

[J. A.]

Here's a screenshot of my usage on the iPad Air:

The orange part (Andere) is Other, and you can see how much storage space it takes.

Other is Settings, Siri voices, and other system data, app data, ...

 

[J. A.]

The amount I get when I add data usage of the apps from Usage - Storage is about 1,64 GB.

 

[n4uau]

Johanna, thanks so that is in aggregate rather by app. Is the geen bar apps? You also note other includes app data so it could be consistent with my by app numbers.

I'm sticking with my fragmentation assumption unless other more astute people have better ideas. Where have all these iPad experts gone! Surely I haven't stumped them, there are so many surely one knows what's happening.

 

[n4uau]

So sum of apps data on iPad = other block on iTunes. Bet you can reduced it if you reinstall some of those apps that shouldn't be saving a lot of data. Thanks!