Messages & iPad Storage

[Confuzzeled23]

Hi there,

I have recently gotten an iPad Air 4 64GB. I also have an iPhone XS 256GB. I have my iCloud settings enabled on the iPad. Music library, photos library both set to optimize storage. Even with no music downloaded to the device my music app is taking up 5.5GB. My photos app is taking up 7.5GB. My messages in the cloud is also enabled taking up 4.5GB.

My question is this. Is there anything I could change to make these apps take up less space other than having them set to optimize storage?

Currently messages is set to keep messages forever. I’m wondering if I set to only keep for 30 days… Does this setting also affect my iPhone? If my iPad is deleting after 30 days will the messages also disappear from my iPhone?

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[cynics]

Its an accurate reporting error....?

The way iOS handles delete calls for its NAND is similar to an SSD however the difference is it reports it to the user differently.

So if you have 20gb of movies (for example) on the device and then delete all of them it flags that data as cache. But it still shows you that you still have 20gb of movies.

The reason iOS does this is because there is a chance you will want one or all of those movies again. If that case it just needs to unflag that data and your movie is back without iOS wasting any resources.

The reason it doesn't just remove it is because that would be a waste of resources. The NAND has a finite number of write cycles. It consumes resources and battery. And there is nothing to gain except more unused space (which is pointless). And worst case you want one of those movies again. Now the system needs to redownload it and write it back to NAND.

After using the device for a while something will want to go in its spot and the data will be deleted.

 

[chscag]

Currently messages is set to keep messages forever. I’m wondering if I set to only keep for 30 days… Does this setting also affect my iPhone? If my iPad is deleting after 30 days will the messages also disappear from my iPhone?

I believe if you're syncing messages via iCloud that when you remove them from your iPad that will also remove them from your iPhone.

I currently do not sync messages via iCloud so that removing them from my iPad or iMac it does not affect them on my iPhone or vice-versa.

 

[cynics]

I believe if you're syncing messages via iCloud that when you remove them from your iPad that will also remove them from your iPhone.

I currently do not sync messages via iCloud so that removing them from my iPad or iMac it does not affect them on my iPhone or vice-versa.

It does but you (I) don't regain the space right away. Messages is a good example. I have about 8 messages with no photos or videos but its using 700 mb of space used by messages still. A few days and it will drop or my messages will exceed that.