I can´t delete "ghost" app data from iCloud

I have an iPhone 14 Pro, running iOS 18.5. About a year ago I downloaded (from the App Store) an app called "Orion Browser by Kagi". I tried it a few times and then completely deleted it. Yesterday I noticed that it left 737,9 kb data in my iCloud. I clicked on this and went through the procedure to delete the data. But nothing happened, apart from a spinning wheel for some seconds. I gave it some time and tried again...and again, and again. The data won´t let me delete it. I even re-installed the app, and tried again. No deletion. I deleted the app. No deletion. I turned my phone off and on again, and did several forced re-starts. I simply can´t delete the data from my iCloud. I have plenty of storage on my phone and in iCloud. The only thing I haven´t tried is signing out of iCloud, which I don´t want to do yet. I´d be most grateful to know why I can´t delete this data that´s not on my phone! It´s not a big deal, it´s not even 1 mb in size, but I should be able to get rid of it. Thanks in advance!

iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Jul 8, 2025 10:29 AM

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6 replies

Jul 9, 2025 08:05 PM in response to Ian Leckie

Start by double-checking the process you've already attempted. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage, then scroll down to locate the Orion Browser (or just “Orion”) entry. Tap it and choose Delete Data. If all you get is a spinning wheel followed by nothing happening, you're not alone. This is a common issue for certain apps, and there are a few additional strategies you can try.


One potential workaround is to use the iCloud website. From a desktop browser, visit iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Click your name in the top-right corner and select Account Settings. Look under Manage Apps Using iCloudto see if Orion is listed. If it appears, try selecting Delete Documents & Data from there. Sometimes, this method is more successful than deleting from the iPhone.


Another strategy involves reinstalling the Orion Browser and manually disabling iCloud syncing from within the app, if possible. After reinstalling the app, open it and check the app’s settings to see if there is an option to disable iCloud or disconnect from iCloud syncing. Even if there isn’t, simply leaving the app open for a minute may help re-establish the iCloud connection. Then, return to the iCloud storage settings on your phone and try deleting the data again. If successful, you can then delete the app once more.


It's also worth noting that iCloud sometimes takes time to reflect deletions. Even if it seems like nothing is happening, changes may be processed on Apple's servers over the course of a few hours or even a day or two. Recheck the storage periodically to see if the data disappears on its own.


If none of these steps work, your best option is to contact Apple Support. Explain that you are trying to delete residual iCloud data from an uninstalled app, but the data remains stuck and unresponsive to deletion attempts. Apple Support can escalate the issue to their iCloud engineering team, who have the tools to manually remove corrupted or persistent data containers from your account.

Jul 10, 2025 02:48 AM in response to zinacef

Thank you for replying! I´ve just spent nearly an hour doing everything you and Smilin-Brian (below!) suggested. Nothing works, so I´m just going to leave things as they are. The data is very small, and I don´t think it´s doing any harm! Not worth contacting Apple Support imo. I´ll be getting a new iPhone this year, and this phone will be factory re-set and the new iPhone set up from scratch. Cheers!

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I can´t delete "ghost" app data from iCloud

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