Last week, I spent an hour troubleshooting my 14-year-old cousin’s iPad when he couldn’t install the latest Genshin Impact patch. He kept getting a "not enough storage" error, even though he swore he’d deleted all his old TikTok drafts. That’s when I realized most casual mobile players have no clue how much storage does genshin impact take up on ipad, or how easy it is to trim down the file size if you know what to cut. This guide breaks down exact storage requirements for all iPad models, what’s taking up extra space, and simple fixes to fit the game even if you only have a 64GB device.
Exact Breakdown: How Much Storage Does Genshin Impact Take Up on iPad
Let’s start with the hard numbers, because vague estimates don’t help when you’re deleting apps to make space. A base install of Genshin Impact on iPad takes up around 18GB right after you download it from the App Store, with no extra content added. That includes the core game files, the main Mondstadt and Liyue map regions, and the default Chinese voice pack.
As you play and download updates, that number will climb quickly. Every major version patch adds 2-5GB of new content, including new regions, character quests, and event assets. If you download all available voice packs and the optional high-resolution texture pack for high-end iPads, the full game can take up to 32GB of storage as of the latest Sumeru and Fontaine patches.
One thing most players miss is that you need extra temporary storage to install updates. Even if your existing Genshin install is 22GB, you’ll need at least 10GB of free space to download and unpack a major patch. The temporary files get deleted after the update finishes, but if you don’t have that extra space available, you’ll get stuck with an installation error no matter what you do.
Factors That Make Genshin Impact Take Up More Storage on Your iPad
If your Genshin install is taking up way more than the 18GB base size, you’re not alone. Most long-time players have extra files taking up space they don’t need. The biggest contributors to bloated file size include:
For example, my cousin had downloaded all four available voice packs when he first started playing, just because he thought he might want to switch to Japanese voices someday. He never did, and those three extra packs were taking up 14GB of extra storage on his 64GB iPad.
High-resolution texture packs are another common waste for most players. Unless you’re playing on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display, or casting your game to a 4K TV, you won’t notice any difference between the default textures and the high-res pack. It’s just taking up space for no real benefit.
Simple Tips to Reduce Genshin Impact Storage Usage on Your iPad
You don’t have to delete your other favorite apps just to fit Genshin. These quick tweaks can cut your install size by 10GB or more, without affecting your gameplay experience at all.
First, delete any unused voice packs. You can find this setting in the game: open Paimon menu > Settings > Language > Manage Voice Packs. Delete every pack except the one you actually listen to, and you’ll free up 4-12GB of space instantly. You can re-download voice packs later for free if you change your mind, so there’s no risk to deleting them.
Clear your game cache once every couple of months, especially after a major patch. You can find this option under Settings > Other > Clear Cache. This will delete temporary files, old event previews, and cached screenshots, but it won’t touch your account progress, saved settings, or friend list. Most players get 2-4GB of space back from this step alone.
If you’re not using a high-end M-series iPad, skip the high-resolution texture pack entirely. Even if you have a newer iPad Air, the default textures are optimized for the screen size, and you won’t see a big enough difference to justify the 7GB of extra storage it uses.
For players who have been playing for years and have updated the game through dozens of patches, uninstalling and reinstalling the game can cut the file size by 5-8GB. Old leftover files from past events and outdated patches don’t get cleared by normal cache cleans, so a fresh install will only have the latest, necessary files. Just make sure your account is linked to a valid email or social media account before you uninstall, so you don’t lose your progress.
What to Do If You Still Don’t Have Enough Storage for Genshin Impact
If you’ve trimmed your Genshin install down as much as possible and still don’t have space, there are a few workarounds that can help, especially if you have an older 32GB or 64GB iPad.
First, turn on the "Offload Unused Apps" feature on your iPad. You can find this in Settings > General > iPad Storage. This feature will automatically delete apps you haven’t used in weeks, but keep all their data saved. If you ever want to use the app again, you just tap the icon, and it re-downloads instantly. This can free up 3-10GB of space for most users, without you having to manually delete apps you might want later.
Next, move your local photos and videos to cloud storage or an external drive. Most people have 10-20GB of photos sitting on their iPad that they don’t access regularly. Uploading them to iCloud, Google Photos, or a portable USB-C drive will free up a ton of space for Genshin.
You might have seen tips online about installing Genshin on an external USB drive for your iPad, but don’t waste your time. iPad external storage has much slower read and write speeds than internal storage, so you’ll experience constant loading screens, random crashes, and even corrupted save files if you run the game from an external drive. It’s not worth the hassle.
If you really can’t free up enough space, try the official Genshin Impact cloud gaming version. It only takes up around 500MB of storage on your iPad, and runs the full game on remote servers. You will need a stable, high-speed Wi-Fi connection to use it without lag, but it’s a great option if you have a small storage iPad and good internet.
At the end of the day, how much storage does genshin impact take up on ipad depends entirely on what extra content you choose to download. You can run the game perfectly fine on 18-22GB of space if you stick to one voice pack and skip unnecessary high-res assets, which means it will fit on almost any 64GB iPad with room left for other apps. If you run into storage issues, work through the steps we outlined above before you give up and delete the game. If you still have questions about your specific iPad model, drop a comment below, and I’ll help you figure out a fix.