1

Problem

I tried to remove an app from Settings -> iPhone Storage, but after each installation/un-installation cycle about 100-200mb adds up to disk space (example: after 10 cycles about 2GB might be taken on a disk, even that the app is un-installed).

Filesystem info

PoC

Here is a PoC, it's the same without checkra1n and video recording.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Download an app from App Store
  2. Launch the app
  3. Delete the app from Settings -> iPhone Storage
  4. About 100-200mb is taken on a disk on example of TikTok (TikTok binary is ~130mb)
  5. Jump to step 1.

Non-ideal solution

Reboot helps to wipe these taken data from a disk.

Env

  1. iPhone 6s with/without checkra1n on 14.2 and 14.3
  2. iPhone SE without checkra1n on 14.2

What I checked

  1. Snapshots, and there is only system one
  2. Hanged files using lsof, and there is only Asset.car in splashboard for TikTok, but it isn't 130mb file

Question

Why it this happening and how can I delete an app without overhead of 100-200mb + reboot?

6
  • Please put the data in the question not on another site/ Also I don't understand what you mean by disk size. The iPhone RAM? How do you measuer that in step 4? What app on Ipone does that?
    – mmmmmm
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:07
  • It's SSD size, I'm measuring it with df and du. The app is TikTok, but it isn't limited only to the app. These files are quite big, that's why I used links to them.
    – 0x3c3e
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:09
  • As for on topic that should have been described in the wizard that you go through when asking your first question - or if not please show us where that is missed so that can be fixed, most of us don't see that new question wizard and so aren't certain what is in it. The information on being on topic is in the FAQ apple.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask
    – mmmmmm
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:11
  • 1
    How do you run du and df on an iPhone
    – mmmmmm
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:11
  • 1
    It's jailbroken device, but it's possible to check SSD size on Settings -> iPhone Storage tab without du and df (and jailbreak).
    – 0x3c3e
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:13

2 Answers 2

0

Both macOS and iOS use APFS which make snapshots, so I would expect you have to wait for this like installation logs, snapshots and other artifacts to expire based on storage pressure and time.

diskutil apfs listSnapshots /

Since you have asked a raft of questions in one question, I’ll keep it basic and see if you want to ask specific follow on questions to address each specific item.

3
  • Super, I'm very excited to get an answer. The problem remains even after 24 hours or more, so I guess there are no daemons which cleans it (cache daemon cleaner doesn't help here). And storage pressure doesn't help either.
    – 0x3c3e
    Dec 14, 2020 at 17:41
  • I checked snapshots on iOS device for /private/var and / dirs, only system snapshot is here (aka orig-fs github.com/pwn20wndstuff/Undecimus/issues/…). Are you sure that the system constantly updates it? As I see it as backup mechanism to restore clean filesystem state.
    – 0x3c3e
    Dec 14, 2020 at 19:57
  • 1
    No, I’m not sure on iOS in specific so trust your empirical evidence. I wasted to list it since it wasn’t in the question details and you did a great job with all the details. Didn’t seem right to comment “hey check this” so I put up an answer.
    – bmike
    Dec 14, 2020 at 19:59
0

It looks like it's fixed. But I don't know why and how (probably it was caused by TikTok itself and they resolved something with latest update). Will look into another application next.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .