- How To Clear Space On Macbook Air
- How To Free Up Disk Space On A Macbook Air
- How To Free Disk Space On Mac
Check Your Trash. It may sound elementary, but we frequently delete files and forget to. Discover how to free up hard drive space on a Mac or MacBook. These tips and tricks will help you get more free storage in macOS so you don't need to buy an external hard drive or delete files By.
So, your Mac is running out of storage. You try to figure out what's taking up your disk space by clicking the Apple logo on the top-left of the screen, selecting About This Mac, and hitting the Storage tab.
To your surprise, you see a yellow bar representing 'System' that seems to occupy way more space than you think it should. In the example above, it only shows 207 GB, but take a look at this Apple discussion — some Mac users report that System Storage takes an astonishing 250 GB.
Worse yet, you have no idea what's included in 'System' storage, because clicking the 'Manage' button brings you to this System Information window… and the 'System' row is greyed out.
Why does my Mac system require so much space?
What does it contain?
Is it safe to remove some of those system files?
How do I regain more storage space?
Questions like these may easily get to your head. Although my Mac now has a good amount of disk space available, I'm always wary of files that are taking up more space than they should.
I have no idea why 'System' is greyed out while 'Documents,' 'System Junk,' 'Trash,' etc. allow you to review the files based on size and type. My hunch is that Apple does this on purpose to prevent users from deleting system files that could lead to serious issues.
What Files Are Included in System Storage on Mac?
During my research, I found many people report that Apple counts iTunes backup files and app caches (e.g. Adobe video cache files) in the System category.
Since it's greyed out and we are unable to click on that category for deeper analysis, we'll have to use a third-party app to assist.
How To Clear Space On Macbook Air
CleanMyMac X is perfect for this kind of analysis. Since I tested the app in our best Mac cleaner review, it immediately came to my head when I saw 'System' was greyed out in Storage. Note that CleanMyMac isn't freeware, but the new 'Space Lens' feature is free to use and it allows you to scan your Macintosh HD, and then show you an in-depth overview of what's taking up disk space on your Mac.
Step 1:Download CleanMyMac and install the app on your Mac. Open it, under 'Space Lens' module, first click the yellow 'Grant Access' button to allow the app to access your Mac files and then select 'Scan' to get started.
Step 2: Soon it'll show you a folder/file tree and you can hover your cursor over each block (i.e. a folder). There you can find more details. In this case, I clicked 'System' folder to continue.
Step 3: The file breakdown below indicates that some Library and iOS Support files are the culprits.
The interesting part is that the System file size shown in CleanMyMac is much smaller than the size shown in System Information. This puzzles me and makes me believe that Apple definitely has counted some other files (not real system files) in the System category.
What are they? I have no clue, honestly. But as reported by other Mac users who experienced the same issue, they said Apple also considers app caches and iTunes backup files as System files.
Out of curiosity, I ran CleanMyMac again for a quick scan. That app found 13.92 GB in iTunes Junk. Further review revealed that the junk files are old iOS device backups, software updates, broken downloads, etc.
But even after adding this amount to the original system files returned by CleanMyMac X, the total size is still a bit less than what's returned in System Information.
If cleaning the System Storage is still not enough to bring your Mac available disk space to a normal level (i.e. 20% or more), see below.
What Else Can I Do to Reclaim More Disk Space?
There are tons of ways out there. Here are a few of my favorites that should help you get back a decent amount of space quickly.
1. Sort all files by size and delete old large files.
Open Finder, go to Recents and look at the Size column. Click on it to sort all recent files by file size (from large to small). You'll have a clear overview of what items are eating up a large amount of space, e.g. From 1 GB to 10 GB, and from 100 MB to 1 GB.
On my MacBook Pro, I found a few large videos that could be transferred to an external drive.
Note: If the Size column doesn't show up, click on the Settings icon and select Arrange By > Size.
2. Remove duplicate files.
Don't forget those duplicates and similar files! They can stack up without you being aware of it. Finding them is sometimes time-consuming. That's what Gemini 2 is designed for. Simply select a few frequently used folders (e.g. Documents, Downloads, etc.) in the main zone of Gemini.
It then scans them and returns all the duplicate files that might be worth removing. Of course, it's always a good practice to review them before doing so. You can also read more from our detailed Gemini review here.
Wrapping It Up
Ever since Apple introduced the Optimized Storage feature, Mac users got the option of saving space by storing content in the cloud. Apple also has several new tools that make it easy to find and remove unneeded files.
That bar under the Storage tab is beautiful. It does allow you to get a quick overview of what's taking up the most space on our hard drive. However, it still lacks insights into the 'System' category as it's greyed out.
Hopefully, the guides above have helped you figure out the reasons you've got so much 'System' data, and most importantly you've reclaimed some disk space — especially for new MacBooks pre-installed with flash storage — every gigabyte is precious!
/PowerMyMac /How to Clear Disk Space on Mac (Best Tips in 2021)
Your Mac has started to slow down, you are looking for ways to speed it up, one of the methods is to learn how to clear disk space on Mac, and that's why you are reading this guide.
Disk space is the space that we place all of our information, pretty much your programs, apps, user preferences, documents, videos, music, and so much more.
When your disk space is too full, your Mac will start to slow down as it has to go through so much information. So if you want to get a faster processing Mac or maybe you are just in it to do some 'spring cleaning' then you've definitely come to the right guide on how to clear disk space on Mac.
How To Free Up Disk Space On A Macbook Air
Article GuidePart 1. How to Clear Disk Space on Mac - Quickest WayPart 2. Other Tips on How to Free up Space on Mac Startup DiskPart 3. Final Conclusion
Part 1. How to Clear Disk Space on Mac - Quickest Way
So, how do I free up disk space on my Mac to make it run faster? There are quite a few ways to really clear out your disk space, and all of them can be quite a bit of trouble or time-consuming.
If you really don't have the time to bother or just don't want to go through the hassle, we can offer you a very fast solution: iMyMac PowerMyMac. PowerMyMac is a maintenance tool that can really help you clear out your disk space with a few clicks here and there.
PowerMyMac has a lot of handy little tools that can get your Mac game going in an instant. Some of the handiest tools of PowerMyMac are as follows:
Performance Monitor
Maybe you aren't 100% sure about needing disk space as of yet, maybe something else is slowing down your Mac, with the Performance Monitor of PowerMyMac, you won't have to guess anymore. As soon as you start up the program, you will be treated to a comprehensive and easy to understand overview of your entire system. There you can verify CPU, Memory and Disk usage. Just having that information in one place makes it so much easier to know what you really need to do or if you were right and need to learn how to clear disk space on Mac.
Cleaner
Cleaning up files one by one is going to be a bit troublesome, to say the least. PowerMyMac has a collection of Cleaners to handle pretty much every known type of mess known to any and all Mac users. Having the ability to delete these junk folders can help you clear system storage on Mac as quickly as you were hoping for. Plus within this tool, you will find the Duplicate Finder, which can help you find repeat files and help you get rid of them accordingly, a pretty useful tool to have.
Uninstaller
Having several useless programs just sitting around on your Mac is something that really takes up a bit of disk space. Sure, you can uninstall them using the traditional method, simply dragging the icon into the trash bin and then clearing it out. Unfortunately, however, when you do that, several folders related to that program are left behind, once again, these folders are still taking up your precious disk space.
Using the Uninstaller of PowerMyMac, on the other hand, gives you the chance to wipe out all of the other files along with the program, making sure that the uninstall is both clean and very sufficient.
Assuming you really want to know how to clear disk space on Mac, then using PowerMyMac will not only make your life easier, but it will also make things proficient and will streamline most of your needs. What more could you ask for?
Part 2. Other Tips on How to Free up Space on Mac Startup Disk
Delete the Duplicates
Having your Mac for a while and using it for the longest time, it is likely that you've placed a lot of files in it. With all the available options made to us, duplicate files have a high chance of occupying some much-needed disk space.
Maybe the duplicate is a movie, a song, a photo, or something else, but one way or another you don't need them and you should hunt them down, then delete them permanently. For example, you can delete duplicates in iTunes to save some space.
Clear Out the Trash Bin
Much like when you have to take the trash, you have to make sure that you clear out your trash bin every so often.
Otherwise, even though the files are not in their original locations, they are still taking up some very important disk space. Only when you clear out the trash bin, that's the only time when they are officially removed from your Mac.
Uninstall Unused Applications and Programs
Uninstall useless apps is an efficient way on how to clear disk space on Mac. Much like clearing out the trash bin, if apps and programs are just sitting around and taking up some disk space, you might as well uninstall them.
That way you can not only get back the disk space you need, you could also be saving on processing power as a number of programs and apps update in the background, which could also be one of the main reasons why your Mac is slowing down.
As mentioned earlier, however, if your primary method of uninstalling is dragging the program into the trash bin and deleting it, this option leaves a lot to be desired for, so you may want to explore other ways of uninstalling if you really want to maximize getting back your disk space. Best dual boot software mac.
Clear Out the iTunes Backup Files
iTunes is a handy little program that comes with most Macs. Most users tend to use it and store videos, music, and other items, while that's great and all, iTunes tends to back up automatically from time-to-time. These backups are very handy if you ever plan to reformat or maybe even need your information back for some other reason.
How to clear disk space on Mac bu removing iTunes backup files? You can find the iTunes backup on your Mac and delete the older ones, they usually have a date attached to the file when it was backed up so the older ones are likely useless to most users.
Deleting them can really free up a lot of disk space, especially if you are a heavy iTunes user.
Remove Old iOS Backups
Considering the age of your Mac, it is more than likely that you've updated your iOS a few times over. It is also possible that a backup of the older iOS systems might still be sitting around on your Mac.
Scan through your Mac, assuming you are sure that you will never ever need them and delete them as soon as you are sure of your decision. Getting rid of those files will once again free some more disk space and if you updated your iOS a few times over, it could be rather large files.
Clear Out Temporary Files
It's important to know how to clear disk space on Mac by cleaning the temporary files. Because when you are using a Mac, temporary files or caches are created and these take up a bit of space. Can you play games on macbook pro.
Even using your browser has some temporary files, but clearing them out can help you retrieve that disk space you've been trying to get back. Macbook hard drive upgrade.
You are welcome to find all of them one by one, but to be honest, a lot of cleaners can really make your life a lot easier with a few clicks here and there.
Clean Out the Download Folder
One of the folders that can really snowball into a space-consuming monster is the download folder. Some people tend to download a lot of files and just leave it in the folder, sometimes they only use the file once or twice and leave it in the download folder for a long time, forgetting it's even there.
Sure, sometimes a few documents won't really matter here and there, but when you start to count them the files could be hundreds of different documents, images and more, it will really eat a lot of your disk space.
The suggestion is to maintain your download folder daily, delete what you don't need and move files you need to other files, it takes a little bit of time, but in the long run, at least you won't have to spend a day or two sifting through your download folder.
Check Out What Is Taking Up Most of Your Disk Storage
Before doing somethings to clear disk space on Mac, you can check your disk space and find out what is taking up the bulk of your Mac's disk space.
Unfortunately, checking the current disk space on your Mac is the easiest part, having to go through the section that is taking up most of the space is what will take a lot of time.
It could be that your documents are taking up most of the space or maybe videos or music, whatever it is, you will likely have to go through it manually, find duplicates or older files you no longer need and delete it accordingly.
Clear Out the iTunes Backup Files
iTunes is a handy little program that comes with most Macs. Most users tend to use it and store videos, music, and other items, while that's great and all, iTunes tends to back up automatically from time-to-time. These backups are very handy if you ever plan to reformat or maybe even need your information back for some other reason.
How to clear disk space on Mac bu removing iTunes backup files? You can find the iTunes backup on your Mac and delete the older ones, they usually have a date attached to the file when it was backed up so the older ones are likely useless to most users.
Deleting them can really free up a lot of disk space, especially if you are a heavy iTunes user.
Remove Old iOS Backups
Considering the age of your Mac, it is more than likely that you've updated your iOS a few times over. It is also possible that a backup of the older iOS systems might still be sitting around on your Mac.
Scan through your Mac, assuming you are sure that you will never ever need them and delete them as soon as you are sure of your decision. Getting rid of those files will once again free some more disk space and if you updated your iOS a few times over, it could be rather large files.
Clear Out Temporary Files
It's important to know how to clear disk space on Mac by cleaning the temporary files. Because when you are using a Mac, temporary files or caches are created and these take up a bit of space. Can you play games on macbook pro.
Even using your browser has some temporary files, but clearing them out can help you retrieve that disk space you've been trying to get back. Macbook hard drive upgrade.
You are welcome to find all of them one by one, but to be honest, a lot of cleaners can really make your life a lot easier with a few clicks here and there.
Clean Out the Download Folder
One of the folders that can really snowball into a space-consuming monster is the download folder. Some people tend to download a lot of files and just leave it in the folder, sometimes they only use the file once or twice and leave it in the download folder for a long time, forgetting it's even there.
Sure, sometimes a few documents won't really matter here and there, but when you start to count them the files could be hundreds of different documents, images and more, it will really eat a lot of your disk space.
The suggestion is to maintain your download folder daily, delete what you don't need and move files you need to other files, it takes a little bit of time, but in the long run, at least you won't have to spend a day or two sifting through your download folder.
Check Out What Is Taking Up Most of Your Disk Storage
Before doing somethings to clear disk space on Mac, you can check your disk space and find out what is taking up the bulk of your Mac's disk space.
Unfortunately, checking the current disk space on your Mac is the easiest part, having to go through the section that is taking up most of the space is what will take a lot of time.
It could be that your documents are taking up most of the space or maybe videos or music, whatever it is, you will likely have to go through it manually, find duplicates or older files you no longer need and delete it accordingly.
Part 3. Final Conclusion
Now that you know how you can find and how to clear disk space on Mac, you just have to take the time to actually do all of the steps above, especially if you are in dire need of disk space.
Of course, you are always welcome to use iMyMac PowerMyMac to make things easier to recover your disk space, but even other maintenance needs as well.
Whatever you choose to do in order to clear disk space on Mac, you just need to decide what option best fits your needs.
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