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Delete unwanted iCloud drive folders from uninstalled apps

P

Peepo

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 18, 2009
1,176
628
I have tried some apps that create an iCloud drive folder. After I delete the app the folder still remains lingering and I can view via document picker or iCloud.com

I have tried some suggestions by re-installing app, disabling iCloud drive toggle for that app in settings and then removing/uninstalling the app but the folder keeps coming back.

Does anyone have a solution as I have not been able to get rid of these. As time goes on, I could have dozens of useless folders.

Apple really needs to allow us to go in and cleanup iCloud drive at a lower level to remove some of this junk.
 
Sounds like you have found the existing threads on this and joined the club.

I think some apps do respond to the various things you have tried but many don't, in particular the Readdle apps.

Maybe, like another annoying iCloud problem whereby some no-longer-owned devices still appear in the devices section (even though correctly prepared for sale), they disappear after ninety days of no activity (I imagine the folders would have to be empty). No evidence for this, pure speculation.
 
I've not had any problems with the Readdle apps - providing the apps in question are uninstalled. But for other apps they just keep reappearing, and don't get me started on the inconsistencies between the Finder iCloud Drive and iOS Document Picker...
 
Just a couple example apps that folders don't delete after evaluating the app and discovering they are not very good and I delete them...

Print-it by Eurosmart
PocketBriefcase


I find myself initially excited about iCloud drive but after it is out I now seem to use Dropbox and OneDrive much more than ever.

I also don't like the fact that I cannot seem to easily delete files within iCloud drive from apps unless I go to my Macbook or Windows PC and do from there.

iCloud drive is about the worst cloud drive implementation ever... Apple really needs to fix this if they want to remain in the game.
 
reese2147 said:
IMO, a very small price to pay to utilize a service that actually **works** and actually **stores** data instead of just syncing it.
Click to expand...

I have Office 365 so unlimited OneDrive capacity, and enthusiastically moved everything over from Dropbox, expecting to downgrade Dropbox to free version, but when I realised the problems I went back to Dropbox, which is much more compatible with OS X.
 
Mike Boreham said:
I have Office 365 so unlimited OneDrive capacity, and enthusiastically moved everything over from Dropbox, expecting to downgrade Dropbox to free version, but when I realised the problems I went back to Dropbox, which is much more compatible with OS X.
Click to expand...
I had so many issues with one drive that I stick with dropbox. Also don't het caught up with the unlimited cloud storage because you will eventually realize that unlimited is not very useful because of its implementation (it is not a cloud backup or archival system) and just marketing hype.

Dropbox also has better IOS support.
 
If you use iWork, you're pretty much stuck with iCloud Drive if you want to access your files from iOS.
 
Peepo said:
I had so many issues with one drive that I stick with dropbox. Also don't het caught up with the unlimited cloud storage because you will eventually realize that unlimited is not very useful because of its implementation (it is not a cloud backup or archival system) and just marketing hype.

Dropbox also has better IOS support.
Click to expand...

I love the hating for OneDrive without specifically naming anything wrong with it.

----------
Mike Boreham said:
I have Office 365 so unlimited OneDrive capacity, and enthusiastically moved everything over from Dropbox, expecting to downgrade Dropbox to free version, but when I realised the problems I went back to Dropbox, which is much more compatible with OS X.
Click to expand...

Again, so much hate for OneDrive without naming specific things wrong with the service. I'm also unsure how you can state that Dropbox is "more compatible" with OSX when both services utilize the exact same methods for syncing data on OSX.
 
reese2147 said:
I love the hating for OneDrive without specifically naming anything wrong with it.

----------



Again, so much hate for OneDrive without naming specific things wrong with the service. I'm also unsure how you can state that Dropbox is "more compatible" with OSX when both services utilize the exact same methods for syncing data on OSX.
Click to expand...

Read the whole thread...as I said earlier Onedrive does not support OS X metadata, tags are not synchronised across devices. I am not prejudiced against Windows and did actually switch all my docs completely over to Onedrive from Dropbox, but when I realised the problems I switched back...as I said.
 
Last edited:
reese2147 said:
I love the hating for OneDrive without specifically naming anything wrong with it.

----------



Again, so much hate for OneDrive without naming specific things wrong with the service. I'm also unsure how you can state that Dropbox is "more compatible" with OSX when both services utilize the exact same methods for syncing data on OSX.
Click to expand...

Seriously??? You use OSX and one drive and never had any issues ?

They don't use the exact same methods.
One drive is much slower than Dropbox syncing to and from the cloud.
Certain files names won't sync and causes entire sync process to halt or be incomplete sometimes until manually addressed.
On OS X Dropbox uses icons to indicate sync status for each file.

I don't hate one drive but it's just not as reliable. I have been using and paying for Dropbox for around 5 years now with no issues. One drive has gotten reliable over time but I still have problem yrusting it fully.

If you are using one drive on OSX and have never had issues then good for you. But many many OSX users have.

For ios Dropbox has better app support.

why did microsoft add dropbox support in its office apps for iOS if one drive is so great?
 
Peepo said:
Seriously??? You use OSX and one drive and never had any issues ?

They don't use the exact same methods.
One drive is much slower than Dropbox syncing to and from the cloud.
Certain files names won't sync and causes entire sync process to halt or be incomplete sometimes until manually addressed.
On OS X Dropbox uses icons to indicate sync status for each file.

I don't hate one drive but it's just not as reliable. I have been using and paying for Dropbox for around 5 years now with no issues. One drive has gotten reliable over time but I still have problem yrusting it fully.

If you are using one drive on OSX and have never had issues then good for you. But many many OSX users have.

For ios Dropbox has better app support.

why did microsoft add dropbox support in its office apps for iOS if one drive is so great?
Click to expand...

I concede that OneDrive's upload speed is slower compared to Dropbox. I do not notice any difference in download speeds. Other than this, I have been a very happy customer of OneDrive and have had no sync issues with OS X or iOS.
 
Has anyone tried signing out of iCloud on all devices and signing back in after disabling iCloud Drive for the app and then deleting it?

There has to be a way to remove an unwanted app folder from iCloud.com's version of iCloud Drive. This is bizarre.
 
I just noticed that all the orphaned folders have disappeared off my iPhone, Mac, and iPad. I just uninstalled PrinterPro as a test but its folder is still showing. It must remove them after a period of time maybe? I noticed coincidentally after upgrading to IOS 8.3 so I thought maybe it fixed but I am thinking now that it may just remove after a period of time.



Also, all the folders still show up on the iCloud web.
 
Joining the club after jettisoning PrinterPro....

On the topic of iCloud Drive in general, for me it would be a Dropbox killer if only more apps could reach into it....Photos for example can't get into it but Dropbox iOS can.................that's all they would need to do and I would be happy. The notion of utilizing it per app instead of going to a drive app first makes more sense for me.
 
Orphan folders have gone at last

Peepo said:
I have tried some apps that create an iCloud drive folder. After I delete the app the folder still remains lingering and I can view via document picker or iCloud.com



My orphaned Readdle Documents folder and iCloud.com>photos "All Events " folders have just been cleared out by Apple today. Hooray!
Click to expand...
 
Peepo said:
My orphaned Readdle Documents folder and iCloud.com>photos "All Events " folders have just been cleared out by Apple today. Hooray!
Click to expand...

Indeed. They have been cleared out for me as well and it's now possible to delete them on iCloud.com.

However, the folders themselves are still on my Mac (invisible)... If I delete them they reappear after a few seconds...
 
They disappear with time. I had about 7 folders from random apps 6 months ago. I stopped using Yosemite and iCloud Drive. I recently updated back to Yosemite and though I still don't use iCloud Drive, I noticed the folder was no empty.
 
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