How can I clear up space on my phone?

[itslikeimsayin]

Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

My Nexus 4 was getting low on storage space so tonight I backed up all my photos and deleted the "on device" versions, but it still only freed up about 2.5 GB. It was then I noticed my Google+ app is eating up a whopping 4.87 GB on my 16 GB phone. When I look at the details, it says only 63 MB of that is the app and 4.81 GB is data for the app. Anything I can do to clear up that space? I never even use the Google+ app.

Thanks.

 

[zorak950]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

Press the clear data button on the app info screen.

 

[itslikeimsayin]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

I know I can do that, but won't it just build it right back up just like Google Music does?

Edit: I guess my real question is why in the world would this app require nearly 5 GB of space? I'm assuming it's due to auto backup of my photos, but what's the advantage of auto backup and having the photos "in the cloud" if it still eats up a huge amount of storage space on the phone?

 

[zorak950]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

The point of a cache is to store things you've seen that you might want to see again so you don't have to download them every time. It's like using RAM: there's really no advantage to having your phone storage sitting mostly empty, so apps fill up their caches the same way they fill up RAM: until space begins to run low, at which point things start getting dumped. It's a good system, when it's working properly. It's just one more way that Android and apps manage their own resources.

Some apps have a setting to limit cache size, but I don't think Google+ is one of them.

 

[itslikeimsayin]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

Why did this thread title change?

While I appreciate your answers, zorak950, I feel like you're looking at this as if I'm unfamiliar with how to monitor and manage storage space on my phone. That's not really the issue. The specifics here is that Google+ is occupying more than half of the 9 GB used by ALL of my apps cumulatively. No other app even uses 1 GB, let alone nearly 5 GB. Is this typical of Google+ for other Android users? Is there any way I can reduce it without jeopardizing my ability to view by auto backup photos? I'm fairly certain Google+ wasn't this large in the past. Did something change?

 

[Bajanbox]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

Why did this thread title change?

While I appreciate your answers, zorak950, I feel like you're looking at this as if I'm unfamiliar with how to monitor and manage storage space on my phone. That's not really the issue. The specifics here is that Google+ is occupying more than half of the 9 GB used by ALL of my apps cumulatively. No other app even uses 1 GB, let alone nearly 5 GB. Is this typical of Google+ for other Android users? Is there any way I can reduce it without jeopardizing my ability to view by auto backup photos? I'm fairly certain Google+ wasn't this large in the past. Did something change?

I wouldn't be shocked if it had something to do with Google backing up your photos. But I might be completely wrong on that note.
Edit: you can backup your photos to another ☁ service. Copy, Dropbox, Mega, Mediafire, etc...
Just my added 2¢®™

 

[itslikeimsayin]

Re: Google+ app: Exorbitant storage space

So I was initially reluctant to clear the data on Google+ as zorak recommended, because like I mentioned above, when I've done the same with Google/Play Music in the past, it seems to clear the space but immediately starts building it back up as if it's essential to the app's functionality. I feared the same would happen here and it would be an exercise in futility, but I was wrong. I cleared both the cache and the data and then reopened the Photos app. It required me to log back in and then none of my auto backup photos were there, but they restored themselves within a minute or two and seem just as quickly accessible as they were previously.

I then checked the Google+ app size and it was down to 78 MB, but growing. Within a minute, it was up to 91 and then quickly to 104 MB. I thought my suspicion was correct, but now it's held at 104 MB for about an hour and all seems good. So thank you zorak950 and hopefully if anyone else has this issue, they'll see this and it will help them. I do think they'd be more likely to locate this thread if the original thread title was restored, however.