How Do I Get Rid Of The “Other” Data Stored On My iPad Or iPhone? [Ask MacRx]

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iPad-Other-Data.jpg

Along with music, movies and photos, many people have some mysterious “other” data on their iDevices, which seems to increase over time. One reader is wondering how to get rid of this data and free up space:

When I look at my iTunes summary of my iPad it shows that there is 2.9GB of “Other” stored on my device. I haven’t put much stuff on my iPad and have no idea what is taking up so much space. I only have a 16GB iPad and like to put movies on it for when I travel, so space is a premium. How do I find out what is taking up so much space, and what is the best way to maximize storage space on my iPad?

Thanks, Kyle

Hi Kyle,

I get asked this question often by my clients, and unfortunately I haven’t found one single answer. Sometimes it may be app data, album art, etc., other times it may be bad storage disk optimization or caches not getting cleared after the system has been in use for a while.

You can usually reclaim the space by making a backup of your iPad, then doing a Restore to the latest version of iOS. After the process completes reload from your backup, and in most cases the “Other” data is gone.

Thanks, it worked like a charm.

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Readers, have any additional suggestions on this topic, or corrections/clarifications on the advice above? If so, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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