What is stored in Google Play Services app data?

[bkaliq]

I have an HTC Evo 4G. It's about 4.5 years old and runs Android 2.3.5. I'm sure this is ancient to many of you, but the phone does everything I need.

I'm always running a little close on internal storage space but so far have been able to keep this under control but limiting the number of SMS and MMS I leave on the phone and occasionally clearing some app data. Lately I have started getting the low storage space warning more often. The app using the most data is now Google Play Services. It uses over 30 MB, which approaches 10% of my internal storage!

My primary question: what is this data? My secondary questions: why does it have to be so much, and is there a way for me--on this phone--to reduce this amount?

I have tried to find an explanation of what this data is actually storing, but I can't seem to find a straight answer. I saw something that described Play Services as facilitating updates and storing data for various Google-related apps like Gmail and maps. However, Gmail and Maps are listed separately in my apps list and both still have their own data amounts listed. I also saw several articles describing a button labeled "manage space," but I do not have that option on my phone. My only buttons (Settings>Apps>Google Play Services) are "Force stop," "Uninstall," "Clear data," and "Clear cache." (Cache is only 12 KB.)

Thank you for any help!

 

[belodion]

Welcome to Android Central.

I don't know what that data is but I think you ought to leave it. Also, I don't understand why you are worried about 30MB....and you say that that is about 10% of your storage space? Do you mean your remaining storage space? I'm not familiar with that device but a brief search suggests that it has 16GB internal storage, and up to 32GB microSD card storage. Or have I misunderstood you?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[bkaliq]

Thanks for the reply, belodion. The microSD is certainly bigger, but my display shows that I only have a total of about 400 MB of internal storage. It's actually a little more than 400: 374 MB is used now, 54 MB is free. All the apps that can be moved to the SD card have been.

I do think the data is probably important and I don't plan to clear it outright. But I thought if I understood what the data was actually storing, I might be able to use other apps a little differently and reduce that amount.