Apple Maps using 53 GB of storage on iPhone 16 Pro

Update for anyone else who ends up with this problem: Apple support ai was not helpful. I found an old Reddit post that ended up having a solution for me on it. I reinstalled the app and updated the iOS and all of that ghost data was deleted in that process. The Maps data is now less than 100 MB. I’m so glad that person posted their solution on Reddit. It worked!

If you're in the US, you can delete the Maps App fully, then download it again from the App Store. Deleting the app, you'll be told it will delete the data in the app, which should bring it back to a normal size. If you're in the EU, you must have some other map app chosen as your default app before you can delete Apple's Map App.

Long press on the app and tap Remove App, then Delete App. Acknowledge the data will be removed. Then if you want to have the app back, go to the App Store and download a fresh copy back to your iPhone.

The pic belo may give some idea of what maybe happening.

Also, check if you have stored offline Maps on your device.

Offline maps in Apple Maps are stored on your device's local storage and are independent of the app itself. Reinstalling the app won't affect these downloaded maps.

Here's a breakdown of why:

• Apple Maps downloads specific areas you choose for offline use.
• This downloaded data is stored on your device's memory.
• Reinstalling the app only affects the app files, not your device's data storage where the maps reside.

However, it's always a good practice to double-check your downloaded maps after reinstalling any app. You can find them under the Offline Maps section within the Apple Maps app itself.

E_Sh wrote:

Deleting the app did not delete the data unfortunately which is why I asked the question. I did exactly what you suggested and the data stayed on the phone.

Did you Remove the App or Delete the App? They are different options. Removing an app keeps its data. Deleting an app clears its data.

E_Sh wrote:

Update for anyone else who ends up with this problem: Apple support ai was not helpful. I found an old Reddit post that ended up having a solution for me on it. I reinstalled the app and updated the iOS and all of that ghost data was deleted in that process. The Maps data is now less than 100 MB. I’m so glad that person posted their solution on Reddit. It worked!

Good for you finding a solution which worked. And hopefully it will help others who may have this issue in the future.

I’ve checked all of that already and it didn’t help. There aren’t any maps stored or places stored or anything. I have never even used Apple Maps!

Deleting the app did not delete the data unfortunately which is why I asked the question. I did exactly what you suggested and the data stayed on the phone.

I deleted it. For some reason it didn’t delete the data.