Running out of storage space on your Mac can slow it down and prevent you from installing updates or new apps. Here are the most effective ways to free up storage space and disk room on your Mac.
Table of Contents
Check Your Storage Usage
The first step is to check how your storage is currently being used. This allows you to identify the largest categories taking up space.
To check your storage:
- Click the Apple menu and select System Settings > General > Storage
- Review the chart at the bottom to see what categories are using the most space (Documents, Apps, Photos, etc.)
- Click the info button next to each category to view detailed storage usage and see your largest files
Use Optimize Storage Settings
If you use iCloud, enable Optimize Mac Storage in the iCloud settings pane. This automatically offloads older files from your Mac to iCloud, freeing up local disk space.
Empty the Trash
Emptying the Trash can recover significant storage space. To empty:
- Go to the Trash in your Dock
- Right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash
Remove Unneeded Files
Carefully review files and folders to manually delete anything you no longer need:
- Large media files – Videos, music, photos, especially if you can access them again via a streaming service
- Downloads folder – Installers, disk images, zip files, documents
- Desktop files – Review everything saved to your desktop
Uninstall Unused Apps
Delete apps you no longer use:
- Open the Applications folder
- Drag unused apps to the Trash
- Empty the Trash to remove them
Using a cleaning utility like CleanMyMac allows you to uninstall apps along with all associated hidden support files.
Clear Browser Cache
Browser cache files can rapidly accumulate. To manually clear:
- Open Finder > Go to Folder > Enter
~/Library/Caches
- Delete cache files and folders for browsers and other apps
Find and Remove Large Hidden Files
Sometimes large hidden files can take up significant space. To find them:
- Open Finder > Go to Folder > Enter
/
- Select Other from the menu and arrange files by size
- Review the largest files and delete anything unneeded
Compress Files
Compressing files reduces their size without deleting them. You can expand compressed files when needed:
- Control-click files or folders and select Compress
- Review compressed files and delete originals to recover space
Upgrade iCloud Storage
If you rely on iCloud for storage, consider upgrading your iCloud plan for more space.
- Open System Settings > Your Name > iCloud
- Manage your plan and upgrade storage if needed
Use External Storage
If your internal disk remains full, use affordable external drives to store files long term. External SSD drives are fast, reliable, and come in very large capacities.
Free Up Space Regularly
Get in the habit of monitoring your storage usage and running through these steps every few months to free up crowded disk space and keep your Mac running efficiently.
Conclusion
Following this guide will help you identify and clean up the files that are taking up excess storage space on your Mac. Be methodical and take time to carefully sort through your folders and applications to find anything that can be deleted or compressed. Establish a regular practice for monitoring and freeing up disk space to keep your Mac running its best.