Google Drive app data file hogging N4 storage

[chachma]

This data file is eating up my phone's tiny storage. What's in it? Will Clear Data affect my Google Drive files?

 

[Paul627g]

Hello,

I can't say 100% but it should only affect whatever data is currently stored within the app. But as long as your device is syncing Google Drive to your GMail account then your all you Google Drive files should be fine on Google's servers.

As a safety I would make sure any and all docs are closed on your Google Drive app before you clear data. Then all SHOULD be okay.

 

[chachma]

I don't sync. No files are off-line or open. All I've done is take pictures and videos (here and abroad) and download them to Drive to save them, 8.94 GB worth. I'd go ahead and Clear Data but can't bring myself to do it "just to see what happens".

If it helps, the app data file size is one-third the size of the files on Drive. What in the world could all this data be in the app?

 

[chachma]

I contacted Google and got it straightened out. The data in that file was the videos that had been saved in Google Drive, then marked Offline for viewing when not connected to the Internet. That loaded them back into my phone into this file in the Google Drive app.

The fix, deleting the contents of that file without disturbing the files in Google Drive, was

Settings -> Accounts -> (my account) -> Drive and uncheck the sync box. Then

Settings -> Apps -> Drive -> Clear data

That deleted the remnants of the old offline videos (which I had already taken off offline status in Drive) and freed up the storage space in my phone, 2.46GB worth.