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(Using Android 6) While trying to determine the size in memory taken up by a given App I got two widely differing values. Settings. Applications. Application manager. Whatsapp. gave 134 MB (App 63.90 MB, Data 71.18 MB), while Total Commander gave 900 MB.

How can I get the size taken up by all files that reside in my cell phone associated with a given App, which would otherwise not be there? I am pretty sure it must be closest to what TC gives, but I am not sure everything from WhatsApp is within its directory, and even less sure that it applies for a general App.

Why does Settings give such a low value? What is it counting as App and Data?

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Similar (old) question (but not the same): KitKat - How to identify the REAL size of apps (app + datas + ...) to be able to install other ones

Related (very old) question: what is my personal data storage as opposed to program storage and how can I reduce it?

Questions related to the issue that inspired this one (I am constantly running out of space):

Missing space/Storage space running out Galaxy S2 [tried almost every solution I can find!]

Why am I constantly running out of space on my Galaxy S2?

Microsoft apps always eating up space with data, for apparently no reason

I can't find files taking up space in my android phone

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  • Which Android version do you have? I think it's higher than 5.
    – Άνδρας
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 11:17

1 Answer 1

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Later versions of Android do not count cache data when showing the app size. So you can f.e. see that Instagram takes 150 Mb of your storage while there are more than 2 Gb of Instagram cached data (true story!)

As for Whatsapp, the size of media sent and recieved via Whatsapp (images, videos etc) is not shown in Settings. But since these media are stored in Whatsapp folder, their size is counted when you look at folder properties in any file manager.

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  • Thanks. This answers the second question (do you have sources for that info?). What about the first? See updated question.
    – sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 12:05
  • Well, what is "true size"? Only binaries? Binaries + appdata? Binaries + appdata+media+cache? Something else?
    – Άνδρας
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 12:22
  • Everything that would not be in the system if the App were not there.
    – sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 12:32
  • Well, it's your definition. Google's one is that "true size" is binaries and appdata. And size of them you see in Appmanager (btw you can see size of cache and clear it if you tap on "Storage" in App info). And by your definition it is not possible to count. Think about media. I have many megabytes of pictures recieved and sent with whatsapp. I woudn't have them if I woudn't have Whatsapp but this doesn't mean that Whatsapp size is hunderds Mb large.
    – Άνδρας
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 12:41
  • Alex, my intention is not to come up with a consensus on a definition of "True Size". Please see updated question. I doubt "it is not posible to count". Actually, with TC I have counted everything under directory WhatsApp, including the "many megabytes of pictures recieved and sent with whatsapp". It would still miss the count if there were anything due to WhatsApp that is outside that directory, and then the question, for WhatsApp specifically, and also more generally. I still wonder if there is any specific reference to what is Settings counting, beyond the general answer provided.
    – sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio
    Commented Dec 21, 2017 at 14:51

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