What the heck is "System Data" and how do you delete it?

Froufrou

Junior Member
Jan 25, 2017
18
0
1
"It's part of the OS, dear boy. You can't delete it."
No it isn't. It shows up in the DiskUsage app and is not part of the operating system.
It takes 235 MB on my HTC one m8. It increases with time. A month ago it was only 40 MB. And DiskUsage won't let me delete it.
Screenshot_2017_02_04_07_16_31.png


And here the problem is mild. But on my bitch's LG G3, System data takes a huge 2.75 GB. And again, I can't delete it.
I like having as much free space as possible on my phones. I feel like System data is a malignant tumor, it's not supposed to be there, I hate it and want to get rid of it but I can't. And it just grows, very slowly.

The only clue I have is this: When I uninstall a game by going into Apps and choosing "Uninstall for all users" the System data increases in size.
 
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master_shake_

Diamond Member
May 22, 2012
6,430
291
121
is it cached data?

my zenfone 2 has about the same size used for cached data.

or it could be what my phone calls other.

"other includes shared files saved by apps files downloaded form the internet or bluetooth, android files and so on."
 

Froufrou

Junior Member
Jan 25, 2017
18
0
1
is it cached data?

my zenfone 2 has about the same size used for cached data.
No. I cleaned all the cache, it had zero effect on either phone's System data size. And anyway each piece of cached data in DiskUsage shows up within its respective app not outside it.
System data is something else. DiskUsage won't let me delete it.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,738
450
126
"It's part of the OS, dear boy. You can't delete it."
No it isn't. It shows up in the DiskUsage app and is not part of the operating system.
It takes 235 MB on my HTC one m8. It increases with time. A month ago it was only 40 MB. And DiskUsage won't let me delete it.


And here the problem is mild. But on my bitch's LG G3, System data takes a huge 2.75 GB. And again, I can't delete it.
I like having as much free space as possible on my phones. I feel like System data is a malignant tumor, it's not supposed to be there, I hate it and want to get rid of it but I can't. And it just grows, very slowly.

The only clue I have is this: When I uninstall a game by going into Apps and choosing "Uninstall for all users" the System data increases in size.

your bitch's?

Well I have an idea but I don't think we speak the same language so I'm afraid I can't help

Good luck to you and your bitch, I guess
 

JeffMD

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2002
2,026
19
81
Maybe its the system files that get updated and thus no longer part of the ROM part of the os files.
 

JeffMD

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2002
2,026
19
81
sure it is..what do you think happens when your built in version of chrome or facebook needs to be updated? you think it updates the system files? those are protected so you can actually do a factory reset.
 

Froufrou

Junior Member
Jan 25, 2017
18
0
1
sure it is..what do you think happens when your built in version of chrome or facebook needs to be updated? you think it updates the system files? those are protected so you can actually do a factory reset.
Okay but I haven't updated any built-in apps in a year.
I only install and uninstall games.
 

JeffMD

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2002
2,026
19
81
Okay but I haven't updated any built-in apps in a year.
I only install and uninstall games.

Youve never updated google services? how do you even run?

Anyways.. I also remembered something..games. The data that games download is NOT counted as part of the games regular tally. IE games that have a small download from the store and then proceed to download 1-2 gigabytes of data when you first run it. This data is not counted as part of a games own data..for some reason. Although using a regular system cleaner, it is usually seen as temporary app data and easily deleted.