File system changes introduced in iOS 17
As part of iOS 17, tvOS 17, and watchOS 10, the system has reorganized where applications and their data containers are stored. In previous systems, both lived within the same volume but, starting in iOS 17, they will be stored on different volumes.
What does this mean for you?
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Copying large amounts of data from the app bundle to a data container will take longer than in previous versions of iOS. Previously that copy would have occurred as an APFS file clone, but now the operation will occur as a standard copy, which may take much significantly longer.
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Because the data will need to be fully duplicated, storage usage will increase more than was the case in previous versions. You should minimize the data they copy out of their app bundle and avoid any unnecessary duplication of data between the app bundle and data container.
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When upgrading from previous system version, splitting the data into separate volumes may mean that there is insufficient space for all existing apps and their data. If this occurs, the app's data container will remain on the device, preserving the user's data, while the app bundle itself is removed using the same mechanism as "Offload Unused Apps". The user can then restore the app once they've freed sufficient space for the app to install.
Revision History
- 2023-07-11 First posted