Utility Scout stores job data and photos locally on your device so you can work fully offline. Over time, this can add up to significant storage usage (sometimes 30 GB or more). This guide explains why that happens and how to manage it.
In This Guide
Why the App Uses So Much Storage
Utility Scout is designed to work entirely offline. To make this possible, the app downloads and stores:
Job data for all active jobs in your organization (pole locations, field values, configurations)
Photos captured during field collection (measurement photos, birthmark photos, inspection photos)
Cached map tiles for offline map access
The biggest contributor is usually photos. A single pole can generate several high-resolution images (measurement photo, attachment annotations, required field photos). Over the course of a project with hundreds of poles, this adds up quickly.
Note: All data on your device also exists on the Cloneable web portal (once synced). Clearing local storage does not delete your project data from the server.
How to Check Storage Usage
On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
Scroll down to find Utility Scout in the list
You'll see how much storage the app is using
How to Free Up Space
Step 1: Archive Completed Jobs
Ask your project manager or admin to archive completed jobs in the Cloneable web portal. Archived jobs are removed from the active sync, which means your device will stop downloading and storing data for those projects. For more on archiving, searching, and organizing jobs, see Job Management: Archiving, Searching, and Organizing.
Important: Only archive jobs that are fully completed and exported. Archiving a job removes it from active fielder devices. Data is preserved on the server and can be unarchived later if needed.
Step 2: Log Out and Back In
After jobs have been archived in the web portal:
Make sure all your data is synced (check the sync status shows "Synced"). If you see sync warnings, check Troubleshooting Image Sync Warnings before logging out.
Log out of Utility Scout
Log back in
This forces the app to refresh its local data. It will only download data for active (non-archived) jobs, clearing out the old files.
Step 3: Reinstall (Last Resort)
If storage is still high after archiving and re-logging:
Confirm all data is synced
Delete the Utility Scout app from your phone
Reinstall from the App Store
Log in with your email address. If this is a fresh install, see the Utility Scout Field App Onboarding guide for initial setup steps.
This completely clears all cached data. The app will do a fresh sync and only download current active jobs.
Important: Before deleting the app, make absolutely sure all data is synced. Any un-synced data on your device will be lost if you uninstall the app.
Warning: Do not use the iOS "Offload App" option (found in Settings > General > iPhone Storage). This removes the app but keeps its data, which is the opposite of what you need. Instead, delete and reinstall the app from the App Store to fully clear cached data.
Preventing Storage Issues
Archive jobs promptly. Once a job is fully exported and verified, have your admin archive it. This keeps the active job count low and reduces what devices need to store.
Sync regularly. Let the app upload photos throughout the day rather than letting them queue up. If uploads stall, see Troubleshooting Image Sync Warnings.
Use devices with adequate storage. For heavy field use, an iPhone with at least 128 GB is recommended.
Keep the app updated. Updates include improvements to how the app manages local storage.
When to Contact Support
Reach out if:
Storage remains high even after archiving completed jobs and logging out/in
The app is preventing you from taking photos because the device is full
You need multiple jobs archived at once and your admin is unavailable
When contacting support, include how much storage the app is using and which jobs are active on the device.
Related Articles
Job Management: Archiving, Searching, and Organizing - How to archive, search, and organize jobs
Troubleshooting Image Sync Warnings - Resolve sync and upload issues
Utility Scout Field App Onboarding - Initial setup and getting started