Question

Why does the T-mobile app take up so much space?

  • 14 November 2021
  • 17 replies
  • 1697 views

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I have a OnePlus Nord N10 5G phone with 128 GB storage. About a month ago I had only used half that free space, however when I checked the file manager this month I had used 97 of 128 GB. After exploring further, I found my T-mobile app is taking up a whopping 40 GB of my free space! This app can't be uninstalled nor can the cache or data be cleared. Why could T-mobile possibly need that much space for their app? Is there any way to get some of that free space back?


17 replies

Userlevel 7
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Are you sure it isn't saving things, like your bills on the device?  That seems like a lot of space for one app to use unless it's storing something. 

ADB is your friend!  If you really want the app gone.  Look up an ADB tutorial on XDA.  It is fairly easy, doesn't require root, and can be very useful to remove unwanted apps and bloatware. 

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I'm not quite sure what it's storing, I just know that a couple months ago I had only used about 60 GB ROM and now the usage has almost doubled thanks to the T-mobile app. I had no idea I could get rid of the app without rooting my phone. I'm just wondering if deleting the app might render my phone inoperable, like maybe it's necessary for basic functions. Thoughts?

Userlevel 7
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Removing it is fine.  Even with double the storage (256GB) in my 8T, I remove that and a lot more from all of my devices.  I like a bloat-free device and hate wasting space on apps where I can do the same things in a web browser. 

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ADB here I come. I really appreciate the suggestion.

Same here, user data is 59gb, cannot clear it.what could possibly be in there that holds 59gb of my storage

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I headed over to XDA for instructions on how to get ADB up and running. However, I then realized I couldn't use developer options on my phone as the build number is greyed out. I clicked on the OS about 10 times and a dial appeared, but I'm not sure if this has anything to do with developer mode or if it's just an Easter egg. BTW I asked how to access developer options on XDA and haven't gotten any replies. Is there a workaround? 

Userlevel 7
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Tapping the build number 7 times should enable Developer Options in the System menu.  In there, you need to turn on Enable USB Debugging.  That will allow ADB to bring up a prompt on your phone when you type ADB shell into the command prompt after ADB is installed.  You need to allow this prompt on your device for commands to work.  

Found by tapping app then three dots in corner can uninstall updates which clears the user data

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I would normally tap the build number 7 times, but it's greyed out so it doesn't do anything when I tap it. 

Go to Settings.

Go to Apps & Notifications.

Select See All Apps

Scroll until you find Device Manger or T-Mobile Device Manager (whatever it’s called) and select it

Hit the 3 dots in the right corner

Select Uninstall Updates

Select OK to Replace the App with the factory version

 

I have no idea what T-Mobile was tracking, but rolling back to an earlier Android version of the app cleared out all the user data and hasn’t caused a problem since. Maybe T-Mobile was  taking snapshots or something to make restoring the phone easier. Whatever it was, it should have never been implemented this way.

I have a OnePlus Nord N10 5G phone with 128 GB storage. About a month ago I had only used half that free space, however when I checked the file manager this month I had used 97 of 128 GB. After exploring further, I found my T-mobile app is taking up a whopping 40 GB of my free space! This app can't be uninstalled nor can the cache or data be cleared. Why could T-mobile possibly need that much space for their app? Is there any way to get some of that free space back?

My phone is identical to yours. IT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW TO ME. My Devices Manager app was upgraded recently, and it took up all of my storage space. I just bought the phone and I have few apps. my storage used to use 50GB, but an update caused the app to take over my phone. I can't do anything on the phone now since. I had to delete important apps and it's no use. Is there a way to get rid of it??

Go to Settings.

Go to Apps & Notifications.

Select See All Apps

Scroll until you find Device Manger or T-Mobile Device Manager (whatever it’s called) and select it

Hit the 3 dots in the right corner

Select Uninstall Updates

Select OK to Replace the App with the factory version

 

I have no idea what T-Mobile was tracking, but rolling back to an earlier Android version of the app cleared out all the user data and hasn’t caused a problem since. Maybe T-Mobile was  taking snapshots or something to make restoring the phone easier. Whatever it was, it should have never been implemented this way.

It works!!!! Omg thank you Jesus!! T-Mobile really need to work on something with that.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

read the post directly in front of yours...if you want to fully delete it then i recommend reading some of the other posts in here since they talk about that too.

Go to Settings.

Go to Apps & Notifications.

Select See All Apps

Scroll until you find Device Manger or T-Mobile Device Manager (whatever it’s called) and select it

Hit the 3 dots in the right corner

Select Uninstall Updates

Select OK to Replace the App with the factory version

 

I have no idea what T-Mobile was tracking, but rolling back to an earlier Android version of the app cleared out all the user data and hasn’t caused a problem since. Maybe T-Mobile was  taking snapshots or something to make restoring the phone easier. Whatever it was, it should have never been implemented this way.

So this worked, BUT THEN an "extra-hidden" system app called com.tmobile.pr.adapt did the same thing within 24 hours. And you can't "Uninstall Updates" — no such option exists. So it's just stuck taking up 99% of my phone storage, whether disabled, enabled, or force-stopped.

Also, for some reason, I had to use a third-party "service disabler" from the Play Store to find it again after disabling it the first time. Thought that might be important to note.

Anyone else have this problem or any info, or is it time to call support / visit a store?

Is the Device Manager app still taking up the storage? If so, what version of the Device Manager App is your phone running? My phone is 3.38.5 and I have not had the issue since initially uninstalling updates to the app a couple of months ago. If it's the hidden T-Mobile app then I don't know. That app does not show up when I display system apps and I'm not about to install some other app to look for it. Maybe a trip to the store?

do what previous user futil1ty said,

Go to Apps & Notifications.Select See All Apps, Scroll until you find Device Manger or T-Mobile Device Manager (whatever it’s called) and select itHit the 3 dots in the right cornerSelect Uninstall UpdatesSelect OK to Replace the App with the factory version.

Simply put, find the tmobile app and try to revert to factory version.

wait a day or two, and your space will fill again.  In the apps section under 3dots, you can now show hidden apps.  

You will find there is a hidden version of the same app called com.tmobile.pr.adapt etc.

You will find the cache now is holding 12GB or more of data, the same problem you thought you solved just days ago, yet the phone fills up all over again and the original app isn’t there.  

All the space is under cache but, the clear cache button is disabled.

The only solution I found that didn’t require jailbreaking or rooting phone and losing all data was to download 

adb program.  putting the phone into debug mode (look it up) and running a command in CMD on windows while phone connected to computer to clear all caches.  This actually cleared the missing 12.8 GB I was losing to this hidden app (com.tmobile.pr.adapt) and it has stayed clear since.

Download the Android SDK Platform Tools and extract it to any convenient location It shall give you the platform-tools folder.

After that, enable USB Debugging on your device and connect it to the PC via a USB cable.

Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.

so like this

c:\platform-tools  (current directory in command prompt)
run command     adb devices
run this command after

adb shell pm clear com.tmobile.pr.adapt

 

to be more clear, i put adb to c: drive.

I ran CMD as admin.

I changed current directory to C:\platform-tools from the command line.

I typed:  adb devices <enter>

I typed: adb shell pm clear com.tmobile.pr.adapt <enter>

and phone rebooted.

I may have found this didn’t work so I googled a way to just clear all caches with this command.  Not sure, it was a while ago, I just know I had to fuss around with command based on errors etc.

This isn’t a perfect post, it was months ago.  I know the command 

adb shell pm clear was the answer, but based on errors, I googled and eventually got the command correct and it worked.

I found that I may have cleared ALL caches, and so had to log back into many of my apps and websites I frequently visit etc.  The main thing was I did not root, I did not lose any data other than logins having to be retyped etc. All contacts and important data was fine.

This was a Metro-PCS phone where tmobile app just showed up and ate all space.

I also found with my unlimited plan I’ve never used more than 200 megs for last 7 years but when this app showed up suddenly my data usage spiked way over 2GB (i’m being conservative with this amount)  so it was uploading data.  I suspect this contained recordings of my conversations, texts, images etc.

 

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