How to free up storage space on your Mac - How to free up storage space manually Delete files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. Move files to an external drive. Compress files. Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox Erase Junk Mail. My teammate Adrian and I have personally used and tested a handful of Mac cleaner apps. Some are free (CCleaner, OnyX, etc.) while others are not (CleanMyMac, DaisyDisk, Drive Genius, etc.). Depending on your specific needs and personal preferences, the best Mac cleaner app for you may vary.
Your Mac running slower than usual? It happens to the best of us — which is why everyone should know how to declutter and free up disk space on their Mac. Not only will this speed up your computer, it’s also a great opportunity to organize your files.
Clearing disk space on a Mac can make your computer feel like new. Over time, most Macs, especially those that experience regular use, get full of documents, files, apps, images, videos, and other junk and clutter.
Before you realize it, your once fast Mac could be wheezing and struggling through the day with a bloated disk drive and CPU that isn’t up to the task. We’ve compiled some quick tips on how you can free up disk space and get your Mac running at peak performance again.
Check your Mac’s free hard disk space
One crucial change you can make is to start monitoring your Mac’s disk usage and other vital statistics. There are a number of easy, intuitive apps that will give you a clear rundown of how well your machine is running. iStat Menus can provide you with real-time information about how much disk space used.
![Storage Storage](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125229963/417086228.png)
Analyze your Mac's disk usage
Keeping your Mac running quickly and efficiently sometimes requires a little digging. Disk Drill offers both a safe way to backup your files and a robust set of tools to analyze your disk space. Not only can the app highlight files that put unnecessary strain on your storage, it can also detect damaged files and help restore them. The more information you have at your fingertips, the better!
Do a deep Mac clean
The first step to helping your Mac run faster is to clean up as much disk space as possible. Over its operating life, a computer collects a bunch of unnecessary data. To get back to peak performance, you’ll need to free up space on your hard drive. Manually removing old files and applications is a chore, and often doesn’t get to the root of the problem.
Here’s how to really clean up your Mac:
Step 1 - Clear cache files
Your macOS, your apps, and your browser all use a shortcut called “caching” to run faster. But over time, those caches fill up with useless information that bogs down your computer.
Why is it important to clear the cache? The short answer is that caches litter and bloat Macs. They aren't just a byproduct of browser history — most systems and apps, such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Mail and Photos, create huge amounts of temporary files that linger in the background. These caches of data are essentially just junk files, and they can be safely deleted to free up storage space.
When it comes to cleaning a Mac, you have two options: delete files manually or get a cleaner app to help you. Clearing your cache files with CleanMyMac is the quickest, safest way we know.
Step 2 - Uninstall old and useless apps
In the Applications folder, you probably have several if not dozens of apps you don't need. Removing them manually might seem as easy as putting them in the trash and emptying it. But, chances are, Applications aren't the only place an app is hiding within your Mac. We recommend checking a wide range of folders for remnants and support files.
Be careful when removing app files manually though. You don't want to end up deleting an essential file and causing serious problems that would require a professional to fix. At least, write down all of the apps you’ve sent to trash, so you know what you are looking for when tracing support files and anything related. Or better yet, delete apps completely with CleanMyMac Uninstaller module.
Step 3 - Delete duplicates
With many applications, especially photo and music managers, it can be easy to duplicate large files without realizing it. There’s no reason to give disc space to three copies of the same photo. Gemini, an innovative cleanup app, is built to help you find and eliminate duplicate files on your hard drive. Even better, it can identify near-identical files as well, giving you an easy way to delete the slightly shaky versions of your vacation snaps in one convenient window.
Step 4 - Remove large and old files
Most Mac users are surprised at just how many old, large, and unwanted files are cluttering up their disk drives. As soon as you don’t use a file, you forget it. Unfortunately, your Mac does not.
CleanMyMac will source and identify files you don't need. All there is to do is click Remove or untick anything that you want to keep. Another helpful app here is Disk Drill, which can recover the files you’ve lost — through smart disk analysis — or back them up in a safe, secure way, so that they aren't taking up space on your drive.
Step 5 - Empty hidden trash
Another source of system-slowing junk is email and text attachments. Even if you don’t download an attachment, your desktop mail client holds onto a version so that it can show you previews and access the file more easily. “But I deleted that email!” you say. Often that’s not enough—these downloads can hang around long after the original email is gone.
It’s possible to clean them out manually, but the far faster and easier option is to use CleanMyMac.
Step 6 - Remove old backups
Something else that comes as a surprise to most Mac users is just how many backups your system carries at any given time. Copying and pasting, and the duplicate feature make it too easy to replicate your work in different folders.
At the same time, you’ve probably got dozens of cached backups of files and documents that are invisible but taking up more space than you’d want. CleanMyMac will find old backups for you and remove them in a click.
But also, switch your backup client to Get Backup Pro to backup only those units you want (for Mac). If you need to quickly transfer files or folders to another server, use a backup sync app ChronoSync Express.
Step 7 - Delete old downloads
The Downloads folder is another area full of files you’ve used once and will never need again. What’s more, your email client — whether cloud or desktop-based or both — is keeping all of your attachments since you opened the account.
Almost everything you download and don't move out of those folders is a duplicate. Or if you never ended up moving the folder or copying it — as is often needed when you download a Microsoft file and convert it into a Mac document, such as Pages or Numbers — then you’ll have forgotten about it after a few weeks. All these old downloads do is gather dust. Taking up space you probably need for files, documents, apps, and images.
Some downloads are hidden, taking up even more space. And the further back you go the more useless these documents are. Do you really need to keep a text file labelled “Christmas shopping list 2015” or “Dream holiday Summer 2016?” Probably not. Free up some much-needed space on your Mac and delete as many of these old download files as possible, and remember to come back and tidy it up every few months.
CleanMyMac can help for sure. But also, consider switching your email client to Unibox, which automatically reduces excessive downloads.
AppleInsider described Unibox as “the best client we tried,” and Macworld said it is “A welcome, fresh new approach to email on the Mac.” Unibox groups emails by sender and includes an attachment list, so you can quickly find what you need, then delete those documents out of the Downloads folder.
Step 8 - Uninstall language files
Most of us don’t need dozens of languages. So unless you work in the translation industry, be sure to remove language support files from your apps and free up space for something else. CleanMyMac can check for and remove language support files from any app.
Step 9 - Remove iTunes junk files
Something else you might not know is how much space iTunes devours. Not only does iTunes store old songs and videos you probably don’t want anymore, but it also makes backups every time you connect an iPod or iPhone to your Mac. So you might be short of space because iTunes replicates what used to be on other devices at specific moments in time.
Since old songs, album art, and iPod backups aren't really that helpful when they are slowing down your Mac, you’d want to clear them out. Again, this is something you can do manually — which might take a while — or CleanMyMac can do it for you.
Step 10 - Reboot regularly
Finally, something manual you can do with minimum extra effort — giving your Mac a break. Clicking Shut Down or Restart is a great way to reduce the strain on processors, software, apps, and hard drives. Just like yourself, a Mac runs faster after a short break and sleep, especially when the disk drive isn’t full of files you don't need.
Of course, cleaning utilities can help you get rid of useless files when you need it to, whereas Unibox can save you from a bulging mail attachments folder. The last piece of advice from us is to get a monitor app like iStat Menus, so you can watch the health of your Mac daily and effortlessly.
Mac storage tips to keep an extra hard drive space available
They say a messy desk is the sign of a troubled mind. This may be true for desktops as well. You can free up all the disk space in the world, but it won’t matter much if you can’t make sense of your files. Fortunately, you have several options that can give the order to both your desktop and your file system.
Desktop decluttering
Apps like Declutter can help you consolidate and organize your files in a sensible, straightforward way. Like Finder, it allows you to make color-coded folders. Unlike finder, it lets you set up rules for filing so that files of certain types automatically end up in the right place. Once you configure your Decluttered desktop, it’s easy to keep it that way.
Manage files
Organizing your desktop is half the battle, but you’ll also want to make sure your underlying file management makes sense. You can customize your Mac’s Finder as much as you like, but there are also more tailored options. AnyTrans is a small file transferring app that helps bring all of your data into order, no matter where it’s stored – Apple device, Android, or cloud drive.
You deserve a faster Mac
By eliminating both hard disk and desktop clutter, you’ll improve your Mac’s performance as well as your own workflow. Plus, Setapp’s decluttering, disk cleanup, and analysis apps help you complete what would be a tedious chore in just a few clicks. There’s no telling how much time and effort you’ll save by giving yourself (and your Mac) a break.
These might also interest you:
Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand. When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically. Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it. Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.
* If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.
Find out how much storage is available on your Mac
Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Storage. This is an overview of available storage space on your Mac, as well as the space used by different categories of files:
Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below. (The Manage button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.)
Manage storage on your Mac
The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.
Store in iCloud
Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:
- Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
- Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
- Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.
Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.
Optimize Storage
Click the Optimize button, then choose from these options.
- Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
- Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
- Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.
Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.
Empty Trash Automatically
Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
Reduce Clutter
Reduce Clutter helps you to identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.
You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.
Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.
Where to find the settings for each feature
The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.
- If you're using macOS Catalina, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
In macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings. - In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
- In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
- If you're using macOS Catalina, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
In macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.” - In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.
Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”
![Free Mac Storage Cleaner Mac Free Mac Storage Cleaner Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125229963/450404130.png)
Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space
With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:
- Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
- Reminds you to delete used app installers
- Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
- Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed
How to free up storage space manually
Even without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:
- Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
- Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
- Move files to an external storage device.
- Compress files.
- Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.
Learn more
- When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
- If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.