A former Apple employee says the company is allowing an iOS bug to exist so it can fill consumers’ iPhone storage and hopefully make them want to upgrade.
The former employee posted a video on TikTok (@nabeel_co) telling how Apple allegedly “cheated” its customers. In the video, he says it’s “not your fault” that your iPhone is running out of space.
The TikToker claims there is a “long-standing” bug in iOS that prevents cache files and temporary files from being cleared as they should. Eventually, these files accumulate more and more until they use up all the extra space on an iPhone.
“So what are people doing? They go out and buy a new phone,” the TikToker explains in the video. “They don’t realize that if they just back up to iTunes or iCloud, erase their phone, and then restore it from their backup, they could get all their data back and all of a sudden magically have 20% space more free.”
The TikToker alleges that since the bug sells so many iPhones, Apple won’t fix the problem – even though they know it exists.
@nabeel_co In reply to @poochiemcpooch ♬ original sound – nabeelr
The video drew various reactions among viewers. Some said they tried backing up their phone and then restoring it, but the hack didn’t work as well as people say.
“Every time I tried to restore from iTunes backup, I lose an insane amount of my important data. Too much business information. I can’t take the risk,” one viewer commented.
Some wonder who actually buys a new phone because their old phone’s memory is full.
“I mean…if people are buying new phones because they have full storage, they deserve to be ripped off. Phones are nothing new, nor is storage,” one viewer wrote.
“Crazy-eyed, dwindling-knowledge brother here. But who buys a new phone when its memory fills up? asked another viewer.
Others have shared their tips for freeing up storage space on their iPhone.
“I delete all my apps, stop them, then reinstall them and get my space back. A former Apple employee told me this,” one user said.
Another user commented, “Otherwise just download a movie and it clears the temp files. delete the movie and the “other data” drops to around 8GB.”
As for Android users, they were quick to hit Apple and praise Android.
“Alternatively clear cache with one click on an Android,” said one viewer.
“Apple is a cult,” wrote a second.
A third commented: “We all knew that. Android is the best.
The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via a TikTok comment and Apple via email.
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*First published: December 3, 2022, 11:38 a.m. CST
Cecile Lenzen
Cecilia Lenzen is a freelance writer for the Daily Dot.
