Reachable Growth When leaks Is Empty

Load this workflow only after a matched lifetime produces no unreachable leak but baseline and post-flow graphs show persistent growth.

Contents

• Match the Captures
• Locate the Growing Region
• Find a Suspicious Address
• Trace Ownership
• Preserve Evidence

Match the Captures

Capture baseline and post-flow graphs from the same app build, process, device or Simulator, launch state, and user flow. Repeated post-flow growth is stronger evidence than a single large snapshot.

Locate the Growing Region

Run vmmap -summary on both graphs. If growth is in malloc regions, compare the graphs with the installed heap tool's current syntax:

heap --diffFrom=baseline.memgraph post.memgraph

Treat the result as a type/size lead, not as proof of ownership.

Find a Suspicious Address

Obtain an address for a growing app-owned type or size:

heap --addresses='<class-or-size-pattern>' post.memgraph

Record the query and selected address so the next step is reproducible.

Trace Ownership

• Without Malloc Stack Logging, use leaks --traceTree=<address> to find the live ownership path.
• With Malloc Stack Logging, use malloc_history post.memgraph -fullStacks <address> for allocation evidence.
• Use leaks --referenceTree --groupByType when aggregate ownership clues are more useful than a single path.

Stop at the first strong app-owned edge. A framework node, allocation stack, or type-count delta alone does not identify the lifetime bug.

Preserve Evidence

Check each installed tool's --help because Xcode/macOS output and flags can evolve. Preserve raw command output beside both graphs, then repeat the same queries after the ownership fix.