iPhone keeps increasing storage space automatically

BMW F22 · 10-21-2021, 01:28 PM

What’s up all?

Wanted to see if anyone knows the answer to this before I call Apple support. I got a new 12 Pro few months ago. At the time there was 70GB of available space (out of 256GB). I deleted all the really old photos, videos, messages, etc. to free up space. Also deleted audiobooks that are no longer needed. That increased it to something like 130GB. Then all the items in trash were auto deleted and that increased available storage to 180GB or so.

Since then, every time I’ve checked, available storage has gone up. It was 190GB, then 200, then 210, and as of last night it’s 223GB. Not that I am complaining but if the phone is auto deleting stuff that I didn’t ask for, then that’s an issue. Does anyone know what it might be cleaning up?? iOS alone should take up a good portion of the available storage so 223GB out of 256GB seems weird to me.

kscarrol · 10-21-2021, 01:37 PM

You signed up for Apple's Cloud storage? Might be automatically moving photos and other things to cloud storage. To give an idea, my phone (12 Pro Max)shows I have 5,012 photos, 118 videos, 215 applications and 2,586 songs. Capacity is 256 Gb and it shows 213 Gb Available. Not "missing" anything on my phone.

KennyFSU · 10-21-2021, 01:41 PM

Yep I was going to say it may be your photos being uploaded to the iCloud, you will still see the thumbnail image in Photos app but it may take a few seconds to load the photo once you select it.

BMW F22 · 10-21-2021, 02:01 PM

I don’t have Apple Cloud or any other cloud services. That’s why it’s strange for me. It might be correct since I now have about 2000 photos, 300 videos, and 153 apps. It now says 237GB available but if I upload everything to iCloud Photo, I can save 37GB. That would mean 274GB which does not make sense.

BMW F22 · 10-21-2021, 02:20 PM

Would make sense given 0 songs? Maybe it wiped all the songs which is fine since I mainly use Spotify.

BMW F22 · 10-21-2021, 02:30 PM

I don’t have anything enabled as far as I know. Looks like iOS is only 8GB.

BMW F22 · 10-22-2021, 12:33 AM

239.xx GB as of now. It went up 2GB+ since this morning. Wtf?! Lol

paquet · 10-22-2021, 07:54 AM

I am guessing you're on ios 15?
I recall a bug in 15.0 that was causing storage enumeration issues:
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/22...st-full-alert/

That link talks about both 'almost full' and showing the increasing empty size that you're seeing

Seems to be unresolved (or at least not completely resolved yet) - perhaps in 15.1?

BMW F22 · 10-22-2021, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packet

I am guessing you're on ios 15?
I recall a bug in 15.0 that was causing storage enumeration issues:
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/22...st-full-alert/

That link talks about both 'almost full' and showing the increasing empty size that you're seeing

Seems to be unresolved (or at least not completely resolved yet) - perhaps in 15.1?

That is likely it! Interesting. Would help explain why it keeps going up.

UncleWede · 10-22-2021, 10:32 AM

5G causes brain (memory) cancer. Your tumor is growing

dinonz · 10-22-2021, 10:55 AM

I wonder if they're using a compression system, because mine shows some weird stuff - says I've used 17GB of 1.02TB yet it immediately states I have 18.58GB of photos.

Perhaps when you transferred your data it came across uncompressed, and now your iPhone is slowly going through compressing it all, hence the space freeing up.

BMW F22 · 10-22-2021, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinonz

I wonder if they're using a compression system, because mine shows some weird stuff - says I've used 17GB of 1.02TB yet it immediately states I have 18.58GB of photos.

Perhaps when you transferred your data it came across uncompressed, and now your iPhone is slowly going through compressing it all, hence the space freeing up.

This was what I originally suspected but not really sure. It could be true as I remember iOS taking up more space than the 8GB showing on my phone now.

dinonz · 10-22-2021, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMW F22

This was what I originally suspected but not really sure. It could be true as I remember iOS taking up more space than the 8GB showing on my phone now.

Yeah - although I believe they used to make a "generic" iOS that had 32 and 64 bit code, as well as covering a lot of devices - then they switched to having a specific iOS build for each device, and took all the iPad stuff out and made the padOS etc. so that may also explain the reduction in size.

I remember years ago getting iOS beta versions and you just downloaded one image - now you have to get the right image for your device.

BMW F22 · 10-26-2021, 11:15 AM

Updated iOS to 15.1 last night and it’s now showing 144GB lmao. This is after downloading Dune and a bunch of Friends episode from HBO Max to watch offline.

10-21-2021, 01:28 PM	#1
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	iPhone keeps increasing storage space automatically What’s up all? Wanted to see if anyone knows the answer to this before I call Apple support. I got a new 12 Pro few months ago. At the time there was 70GB of available space (out of 256GB). I deleted all the really old photos, videos, messages, etc. to free up space. Also deleted audiobooks that are no longer needed. That increased it to something like 130GB. Then all the items in trash were auto deleted and that increased available storage to 180GB or so. Since then, every time I’ve checked, available storage has gone up. It was 190GB, then 200, then 210, and as of last night it’s 223GB. Not that I am complaining but if the phone is auto deleting stuff that I didn’t ask for, then that’s an issue. Does anyone know what it might be cleaning up?? iOS alone should take up a good portion of the available storage so 223GB out of 256GB seems weird to me.
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10-21-2021, 01:37 PM	#2
kscarrol Brigadier General 9561 Rep 4,130 Posts Drives: 2021 X3 M40i, 1974 2002 Tii Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Greenville, SC iTrader: (0)	You signed up for Apple's Cloud storage? Might be automatically moving photos and other things to cloud storage. To give an idea, my phone (12 Pro Max)shows I have 5,012 photos, 118 videos, 215 applications and 2,586 songs. Capacity is 256 Gb and it shows 213 Gb Available. Not "missing" anything on my phone. __________________ 2021 X3 M40i 1974 2002tii, Inka, 5 sp manual BMWCCA # 327475
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10-21-2021, 01:41 PM	#3
KennyFSU Captain 1105 Rep 736 Posts Drives: Lexus RC F Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Florida iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW F22 M235xi [0.00] 1991 Suzuki Intrude ... [0.00]	Yep I was going to say it may be your photos being uploaded to the iCloud, you will still see the thumbnail image in Photos app but it may take a few seconds to load the photo once you select it. __________________ Estoril Blue E36M3 Mineral Grey M235ix/12.02 @ 115 Ultra White Lexus RC F
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10-21-2021, 02:01 PM	#4
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	I don’t have Apple Cloud or any other cloud services. That’s why it’s strange for me. It might be correct since I now have about 2000 photos, 300 videos, and 153 apps. It now says 237GB available but if I upload everything to iCloud Photo, I can save 37GB. That would mean 274GB which does not make sense.
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10-21-2021, 02:20 PM	#5
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	Would make sense given 0 songs? Maybe it wiped all the songs which is fine since I mainly use Spotify. Attached Images
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10-21-2021, 02:30 PM	#6
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	I don’t have anything enabled as far as I know. Looks like iOS is only 8GB.
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10-22-2021, 12:33 AM	#7
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	239.xx GB as of now. It went up 2GB+ since this morning. Wtf?! Lol
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10-22-2021, 07:54 AM	#8
paquet Lieutenant 632 Rep 433 Posts Drives: 2019 540i M Sport etc Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	I am guessing you're on ios 15? I recall a bug in 15.0 that was causing storage enumeration issues: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/22...st-full-alert/ That link talks about both 'almost full' and showing the increasing empty size that you're seeing Seems to be unresolved (or at least not completely resolved yet) - perhaps in 15.1?
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10-22-2021, 10:32 AM	#10
UncleWede Long Time Admirer, First Time Owner 18404 Rep 9,420 Posts Drives: G01 X3 M40i Dark Graphite Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Oxnard, CA iTrader: (0)	5G causes brain (memory) cancer. Your tumor is growing
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10-22-2021, 10:55 AM	#11
dinonz Banned 3225 Rep 2,385 Posts Drives: 2016 M3 MWM ZCP Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	I wonder if they're using a compression system, because mine shows some weird stuff - says I've used 17GB of 1.02TB yet it immediately states I have 18.58GB of photos. Perhaps when you transferred your data it came across uncompressed, and now your iPhone is slowly going through compressing it all, hence the space freeing up.
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10-26-2021, 11:15 AM	#14
BMW F22 Major General 3650 Rep 9,783 Posts Drives: ///M235i Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8)	Updated iOS to 15.1 last night and it’s now showing 144GB lmao. This is after downloading Dune and a bunch of Friends episode from HBO Max to watch offline.
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