what does ""deleting data"" do in the app cache?

[ajetrumpet]

hey folks,

see attached image.  can anyone tell me what pressing the ""clear data"" button does on my android phone?  in my ""apps"" section of the settings menu, all of my mobile apps are taking up serious space when they aren't even running.  and spotify is taking 2+GB.  can anyone tell me why that is?  if i clear the data via this menu, what do I lose?  obviously, according to the image, clearing the data is different than clearing the cache, which is not risky.  thanks.

Adam

[Billy-J]

Hey @ajetrumpet, thanks for reaching out to the Community!

This just removes stored files on the device, but doesn't remove your songs or playlists from your account. You may have to re-download the songs though if they were previously downloaded. 

If you're experiencing an issue with Spotify, I'd recommend a clean reinstall of the app following these steps.

Hope this helps!

[ajetrumpet]

does your reply mean that the ""clear data"" button doesn't do anything dangerous?  I do not download songs for off line listening.  is that what you mean?

[Billy-J]

Hey @ajetrumpet,

Yes that's what I mean - and no it doesn't do anything dangerous. Nothing to worry about. There is more info on what clearing your cache does for your device here.

Let me know if you have any more questions or need help!

[ajetrumpet]

I have just dumped the data, and restarted the app.  nothing went missing.  but now that it has restarted, 19 MB of data storage has re-appeared.  so the ? is....what causes the DATA to build up?  and can I stop it?

[Billy-J]

Hey @ajetrumpet,

Can you send me a screenshot of the 19MB storage you're referring to?

I'll take a look.

[ajetrumpet]

what for?  that's not going to tell you anything regarding what causes it to build up.

[Billy-J · Accepted solution]

Hey @ajetrumpet,

Ok. Does the 19MB appear in the Data section, app or cache section. The app will need some data to operate so I would consider this to be expected. For the Spotify app to function properly, it's also good to have at least 1GB of free storage on then device.

Keep me posted.

[ajetrumpet]

that makes perfect sense.  thus, there is nothing that can be done about it.  I will consider this closed.  your help is the best I've ever received here.  It's too bad your intelligence isn't used in the boardroom  =(  but it probably won't be.  I've worked for many moronic managers in my 20 years in the software business, and none of them had a brain.  LOL.  😃  thanks again, brother.  unless we have more business, that is all I have.

[Billy-J]

Hey @ajetrumpet, 

You're welcome! Thanks for the kind words.

Haha. If you need help in the future, you can always reply here or start a new topic and the Community will be happy to help.

Have a great day!