Quick answer: To free up storage on a Mac, open System Settings > General > Storage and use the recommendations there: Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage and Empty Trash Automatically. Then clear out your Downloads folder, delete apps you don’t use, remove old iPhone and iPad backups, and empty the Trash.
A nearly full Mac slows down, can’t install updates and sometimes refuses to save files. Entry-level Macs often come with 256GB of storage, which fills up faster than people expect once photos, videos and messages pile up.
The steps below start with the quickest and safest wins. You don’t need any third-party “cleaner” apps.
Step 1: See what’s using your Mac’s storage
Apple’s storage guide explains where to look:
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select General in the sidebar, then Storage.
- Wait a moment while the coloured bar loads. It shows how much space each category takes, such as Applications, Documents, Photos, Messages and System Data.
On macOS Monterey and earlier, you’ll find this under Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage instead.
Don’t panic if the numbers look odd at first. The Storage screen can take a minute or two to finish calculating, and categories may change size while it works.
Click the i (info) button next to a category to see the biggest items inside it and delete them directly.
Step 2: Use Apple’s built-in recommendations
At the top of the Storage screen, macOS suggests three tools. Here’s what each one does, based on Apple’s Mac User Guide:
Store in iCloud
Keeps your Desktop and Documents folders, photos and videos, and messages in iCloud, while leaving recent files on your Mac. Older files download again when you open them. This needs enough iCloud storage. Apple’s paid iCloud+ plans start at 50GB for US$0.99 a month in the US.
Optimize Storage
Automatically removes Apple TV movies and shows you’ve already watched, and keeps only recent email attachments on your Mac when space runs low.
Empty Trash Automatically
Deletes items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. It’s a small change that stops the Trash from quietly growing to many gigabytes.
Step 3: Clear out the usual suspects
These folders and files are where most wasted space hides. Apple lists all of them in its storage guide.
- Downloads folder. Open Finder, select Downloads, and sort by size. Old installers (.dmg and .pkg files), zip files and duplicate PDFs can usually go.
- Apps you don’t use. In Finder, open Applications, and drag unused apps to the Trash. Big creative apps and games can take tens of gigabytes each.
- Old iPhone and iPad backups. If you ever backed up an iPhone to your Mac, those backups can be huge. Find them in Storage settings under iOS Files, or in Finder by selecting your device and choosing Manage Backups.
- Music, films and podcasts. Delete downloaded episodes and media you’ve finished with. You can stream them again later.
- Mail attachments and junk. In Mail, empty the Junk and Deleted mailboxes.
When you’re done, empty the Trash. Apple notes that deleted files keep using space until you do: Control-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash.
Step 4: Tame the Photos library and Messages
Photos and Messages are often the two biggest categories on a personal Mac.
- Photos: Open Photos > Settings > iCloud, turn on iCloud Photos and choose Optimize Mac Storage. Full-size originals stay in iCloud and smaller versions stay on your Mac.
- Delete duplicates: In the Photos sidebar, check the Duplicates album (on recent macOS versions) and merge copies.
- Empty Recently Deleted in Photos. Deleted photos sit there for up to 30 days and still take space.
- Messages: In Storage settings, click the info button next to Messages to review and delete large attachments, such as videos sent in group chats.
What is “System Data” and can you shrink it?
System Data (called “Other” on older versions) is a catch-all for caches, logs, temporary files, Time Machine local snapshots and other files macOS doesn’t sort into a category. It can look alarmingly large.
The good news is that macOS manages much of it for you. Apple’s guide says macOS automatically clears caches, logs, temporary database files, interrupted downloads, staged updates and Safari data when space is needed.
If you need space quickly, such as before a big update, Apple suggests starting your Mac in safe mode, which clears certain system caches. Restart normally afterwards. Avoid deleting files from the System or Library folders by hand: removing the wrong thing can break apps or macOS itself.
Step 5: Move big files off your Mac
If you’ve cleaned up and still need space, move large files you want to keep elsewhere:
- Copy old video projects and photo archives to an external SSD or hard drive.
- Store files you rarely open in iCloud Drive, Google Drive or OneDrive.
- Compress folders you want to keep but rarely use: Control-click and choose Compress.
Before deleting anything you might regret, make a backup. Apple’s backup guide recommends Time Machine with an external drive.
Clearing space is also the first step before installing a big upgrade. If you’re preparing for macOS 27, our guide macOS 27 Golden Gate: should you update now? covers the rest, and Apple’s upgrade instructions walk through the installer.
Frequently asked questions
How much free space should a Mac have?
Apple doesn’t set one number for everyday use, but keeping a healthy buffer helps performance and lets updates install. A common rule of thumb is to keep at least 10 to 15 percent of your drive free, and more before a major macOS upgrade.
Are Mac cleaner apps safe?
Many aren’t needed, and some are outright scams. Everything in this guide uses tools built into macOS. If you do use a cleaner, stick to well-known developers and never let it delete system files.
Why does my Mac storage say it’s full when I’ve deleted files?
Deleted files stay in the Trash and in Photos’ Recently Deleted album until you empty them. Local Time Machine snapshots can also take space temporarily; macOS removes them automatically when space runs low.
Does freeing up storage make my Mac faster?
It helps when your drive is nearly full, because macOS needs free space for virtual memory and updates. If your Mac is still slow with plenty of space, too little RAM is a likely cause. See our guide on how much RAM you need.
Find more Mac and PC guides in our Computing section.