In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain what is Documents and Data on iPhone and iPad, and show you how to delete documents and data on iPhone or iPad running iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 to free up space on your device.
iPhone documents and Data can become an issue especially when you run out of storage space. If you want to delete “Documents and Data” on iPhone or iPad, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.
Here is the step-by-step guide which will show you how to delete documents and data on iPhone or iPad running iOS 13 and iPadOS 13.
Before we dive into clearing iPhone documents and data, let’s first understand what is Documents and Data on iPhone and iPad.
What is documents and data on iPhone?
iPhone documents and data refers to browser history, cookies, logs, caches of photos and videos, database files and more piled up by your apps. And if you don’t get rid of them on a regular basis, they can turn out to be an issue for your device. Moreover, the total file size of Documents & Data can even surpass the actual size of the associated app!
Why do apps need to store cache? They store cache to improve users experience. For example, Anytime you search something on Safari, the browser Stores a record of it to give you prompt access next time you search for the same query.
See also:
How to delete frequently visited sites on safariSimilarly, YouTube stores a record of your watch history to recommend the most appropriate type of videos you enjoy watching. Enough of that; lets jump into how to delete documents and data on iphone in ios 13 or iPadOS 13.
How to Delete Documents and Data on iPhone or iPad
Here are the steps which can help you to delete documents and data on iPhone or iPad. iOS allows users to check out how much storage each app’s data has taken up on their device. Once you have confirmed how much space has been taken up by specific apps, you have numerous options to get rid of the associated data.
You can offload unused apps without necessarily deleting their data. And when you reinstall them, their data is restored automatically. therefore, you can use this method to free up a lot of space on your device without having to clear the important data on your iPhone. What if you intend to perform total cleanup? In this regard, you can erase the app alongside the associated documents and data.
Steps to delete documents and data on iPhone and iPad
Follow these steps to delete documents and data on your iPhone and iPad.
- Launch Settings app on your iPhone or iPad→ Tap on General.
- Tap on iPhone/iPad Storage → Now, tap on the app you intend to delete or offload.
- Next, you will be presented with two options: Offload App and Delete App. If you want to erase the app but preserve its data, select Offload option. As we have already pointed out, you will be able to reinstate the associated data during the app reinstallation. But if you want to get rid of the app alongside the associated data, tap on the Delete button and confirm.
Clear Documents and Data of Specific Apps from iCloud on iPhone and iPad
What if you need to remove stored data from specific apps from iCloud? It is possible to stop icloud drive documents and data from taking your space by removing redundant files. Note; it will erase the entire data from the cloud and connected devices. And, the process can’t be undone.
- Launch Settings app on your iPhone or iPad → Tap on your profile.
- Tap on iCloud → then, choose Manage Storage.
- Now, tap on the app with the data you intend to get rid of on the cloud and then tap Delete Data → hit Delete to confirm.
That’s pretty much it on how you can get rid of cache of individual apps from all of your devices synced with the same iCloud account.
It is important to just allow a selection of apps to save their data in iCloud. This will be useful in managing your storage in a better way.
Clear Out Music, Movies & TV Shows, Thumbnail Cache
Every purchase made on iTunes (on the iPhone/iPad or synced from the computer) is part of the media. This is normally placed under the Audio/Video section of your storage, however, some of it goes to “Documents and Data.” This could include thumbnail cache or associated files.
You can get rid of all music on your iPhone and then re-sync it through the computer to clear cache. This will help you To clear out all cache on your iPhone, and since these are not created during a re-sync, you are sure to get some free space on your device.
Mail: clearing out old email and attachments
In case you are a stock Mail app user, there is a bunch of cache that is associated with it. Every synced email that you access through the app is saved on your iPhone for quick access. Data accumulate over time. Add to this all the attachments that you open on the iPhone. Here is the easiest way to clear out all mail cache and data:
- Launch Settings app on your iPhone or iPad → Tap on Accounts & Passwords.
- Now, tap on Email account.
- Next, tap on Delete account and hit confirm.
- Finally, Tap on Add New to re-add new account.
Clean Up Safari History and Website Data
It’s important to clear out Safari history and website data every now then to make sure the browser continues to work efficiently and prevent it from amassing a lot of cache. Check out
How to clear app cache on iPhone
Clean Up Photos
There could be a great deal of redundant photos in your photos app. expunging them can help you gain some useful space.
- Launch Photos app on your iPhone or iPad → tap on Select at the top right corner.
- Select the photos you wish to erase and tap on the delete button located at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Hit Delete to confirm.
So, that was about clearing the unnecessary images, what about getting rid of redundant messages? Read on…
Don’t allow Messages App consume too much of your precious storage.
If you are an avid iMessage user, there is a high chance that your message app may have used up lots of your space. Thankfully, iOS makes it easy to view how much storage photos, videos, GIFs have taken up on your iPhone. So, you can opt to erase or keep data based on your preference.
Here is how to do it:
- Launch Settings app on your iPhone or iPad → Hit General.
- Now, tap on iPhone/iPad Storage → Hit Messages.
- Under Documents & Data, choose a particular section and then hit Edit.
- Tap on Radio Button → Tap on Trash Icon to get rid of stuff you no longer need.
Voicemail: Delete all voicemail
It is important to keep in mind that all of your Voicemail are a part of the “Documents and Data”. Therefore, It is recommended that you delete unwanted voicemails from time to time To avoid cluttering your device.
- Head over to phone app → Voicemail → choose the voicemail → Now, you ought to tap on it or swipe right to left across it to access the Delete button → hit Delete button.
- To get rid of several voicemails, launch the Phone app → Voicemails → tap on Edit → select the voicemails → hit Delete.
Clean Up Apps from Time to Time
The simplest trick to prevent your iPhone from running out of space is to clear out the cache and other redundant data on your apps on a regular basis.
A number of apps such as Safari, Dropbox, FaceBook, and Twitter makes it easy for users to get rid of such data. Therefore, preventing them from taking up much of your storage is a simple and straight forward process.
See also:
How to Clear App Cache on iPhone? The Easiest Way!
Wrapping up:
So, that’s how to clear documents and data on iphone and iPad running iOS 13 and iPadOS13.
Questions?
Let us know in the comments below. we also have plenty of other articles that I suggest you check right now.