Two Ways to Erase iPhone Documents and Data

Need to clean up your iPhone or retrieve important files? Let's talk about the safest ways to do it. Apple's iPhone is an iconic device, and it's no wonder people use it widely for productivity and learning. This is why many use the device to access crucial documents and save them in storage.

But sometimes, you need to clear them to free up storage space. Hence, we will discuss some ways to clear documents and data on your iPhone. Whether you want to clear documents and data on your iPhone or are worried about losing important documents, we've got you started. Documents and Data is one of the essential features of iPhone apps. However, it can pose a problem for phones running low on storage. Additionally, this can be troublesome for people who love using multiple apps on their iPhones.

In this article, we will explain several methods to clean up “Documents and Data” to free up space. Additionally, we will discuss how users can recover lost files when data cleaning goes wrong or fails. Let's get started.

#1 What are “Documents and Data” on iPhone?

Before we begin, let's understand what "Documents and Data" are on your iPhone. If you're running out of storage on your iPhone, the issue might not be with photos or images. For students or those who use their iPhones for work, sometimes the culprit could be "Documents and Data." This is a feature that every app on your iOS device uses to store important information such as:

- Cache files - Login data - App preferences - Files saved by apps - Cookies and app clutter

That may not sound like a lot, but it can add up to tens of megabytes for a single app, and, for iPhone users who have many apps, that can take up a lot of storage space, which slows down the phone.

This is how the iPhone is able to learn users' habits, but it can also cause problems, such as reduced performance or insufficient storage.

How to Delete Documents and Data on Your iPhone

Deleting documents and data on your iPhone is a straightforward process. However, there are two methods you can use to clear an app's documents and data on your iPhone. As such, there are two primary methods you can try:

Method 1: Freeing Up "Documents & Data" in the App Settings

One solution is to find the app that's taking up the most storage space and clear out its “Documents & Data.” Here's how:

Step 1: Tap on "Settings" from the home screen.

Step 2: Tap “General.”

Step 3: Tap on “Usage.”

Step 4: Click “Manage storage”

Step 5: Tap on the app that takes up the most storage space.

If an app's Documents & Data is taking up too much space, you might see that here. So tap it, then tap Clear Data to get rid of it.

Method 2: Remove Documents and Data by Completely Uninstalling and Reinstalling the App

This is the most reliable way to ensure that you delete “Documents and Data,” thus freeing up valuable storage space. Here's how:

Step 1: Long-press the app icon on the home screen

Step 2: Select the "Remove App" option.

Step 3: Tap Delete when prompted to confirm.

Then go to the App Store and redownload the app. When that's done, return to the storage settings and look at the “Documents & Data” for the reinstalled app. You should see a big difference.

How to Recover Documents and Data from an iPhone

Now that we know how to clean up an iPhone, let's talk about recovery. To recover “Documents and Data” on your iPhone, we can try three different methods. Each one can help you get your files back, so let's get started:

Method 1: Recover iPhone Documents and Data with an iPhone Data Recovery Tool

Currently, any iPhone user's go-to and most reliable option would be to use the MobiSaver tool. This fantastic iPhone and iPad data recovery tool can help retrieve lost files or data during the clearing of Documents and Data. Why is it the best recovery choice for you?

• Recover Lost/Deleted Text Messages on iPhone
• Restore photos, images, and other attachments from apps like WhatsApp, Kik, and LINE.
• Supports recovery for various iPhones, including the latest models like iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.

Moreover, the app works on both Windows and Mac to help you retrieve files from iPhone accordingly. Here's how:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer

Launch MobiSaver. Click on “Recover from iOS Device” on the left and then click “Start”.

"Step 2." Scan for Lost iPhone Data

MobiSaver will scan your iPhone/iPad/iPod automatically and find all the existing and lost data for you. Just wait for it to finish the scanning process.

Step 3: Click the "Recover" button.

You can select the lost data you want to recover, such as photos, videos, contacts, messages, notes, voice mail, and other files, and then save these data to another location.

This proves that recovering files with MobiSaver is easier than traditional methods.

Method 2: Restore Files and Data on iPhone via iCloud

If you don't like the first option, you can try the other one: recover iPhone's Documents and Data from iCloud. Here's how to do it using the iCloud service:

Step 1: Go to iCloud.com.

Step 2: Sign in to your Apple ID/iCloud account.

Step 3. Look for “Restore files” in the bottom left corner.

Step 4: Select the files or apps for your “Files” and “Data” restore.

Step 5: Click “Recover”.

Keep in mind that Apple stores several backups with Automatic Restore Points. You may need to restore the most recent backup to retrieve your document.

However, if you don't create a recent backup before deleting the “Documents & Data,” they might be lost forever. That's why it's important to set up a backup before you start cleaning.

Method 3: Restore iPhone Documents and Data via iTunes

The third option is to use iTunes to restore your “Documents and Data.” For this, you will need at least 60% battery power and a USB cable. Here's how:

Step 1: Launch iTunes on your computer or Mac.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone via USB.

Step 3: In the Finder sidebar, select your iPhone, then click Trust This Computer on your iPhone.

4. On the main/welcome screen, tap Restore Backup.

If the backup is encrypted, enter the password when prompted.

This will take some time, depending on the size of your backup. It should usually take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Abstract

These are the methods you must use to clean up “Documents and Data.” Once done, you can try the latter method to recover important files and data. However, make sure to back up and use third-party tools like MobiSaver to make it easier.

FAQ: iPhone “Documents & Data”

Have more questions? Browse our FAQs to find answers:

Can I recover data from an erased iPhone without backup?

No, you cannot. Without a backup, your device has no restore point to recover the files from. Make sure to set up a backup before erasing files or clearing documents and data.

Does resetting an iPhone delete everything?

Yes, it will. A factory reset will restore the phone to its default settings, so all your data and personal files will be erased.

How can I recover deleted internal storage?

If you have a backup, you can try the above three methods to restore files from internal storage.