1. Mac View Storage
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Aug 31, 2016  Available storage space that you'll never use is wasted space. When Time Machine backs up a portable Mac, some of the free space will be used to make local snapshots, which are backup copies of recently deleted files. The space occupied by local snapshots is reported as available by the Finder, and should be considered as such. You can also view your free disk space from your Mac’s Disk Utility app. Open Spotlight by clicking the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner of the screen, then type Disk Utility in the. Apr 03, 2018  Storage Usage By Folder. The feature is in the Settings app. Go to the System group of settings, and select the Storage tab. This will show you all drives that are connected to your system, both internal and external. For each drive, you can see used and free space.

In this age of terabyte flash drives and cloud storage, it’s easy to forget that storage space is finite. But it is, and as software gets more sophisticated and must-have apps become more plentiful, you can eat through a 1TB SSD in no time at all.

Sure, in theory, if your Mac hard drive gets full you can just upgrade, but at around $800 for a 2TB iMac SSD and $2800 for a 4TB SSD neither option is exactly affordable. Plus, it’s not just room for files that you get from a hard drive, it directly affects performance too. Let your hard drive get full and see how sluggish your Mac runs. Actually, don’t do that you’ll drive yourself crazy.

For optimum performance, you should continually monitor Mac hard drive space to make sure there’s always room for your next big download. Keep reading to learn how to find storage on your Mac and use it more efficiently.

How to check storage on your Mac?

The simplest way to check Mac hard drive space is by accessing About This Mac.

  1. Click on the Apple icon and choose About This Mac.
  2. Click on Storage.

Note: If you’re running an older version of OS X, you may need to click More Info to find the Storage option.

The Storage tab will show you how much space is being taken up by the System, Documents, Apps, and more. It will also display available space.

What to do when your hard drive is full?

If your Mac hard drive is nearing capacity, your system will let you know with a 'disk almost full' warning prompting you to free up some space.

If you see this warning it’s best to act on it. To free up space on your startup disk you’ll need to do one or all of these three things:

  • Delete files
  • Move files over to cloud storage or an external hard drive
  • Install a second hard drive or add a larger startup disk

Options 1 and 2 are the easiest, but if you’re thinking of upgrading your existing disk, check out our guide.

If you’re running macOS Sierra or higher, you can get some free space by optimizing your storage with in-build tools. To do this, go to the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Here, go to the Storage tab and press Manage.

In the window that appears, you can see some tips on reclaiming free space. Here’s how to manage storage on your Mac:

  1. Click Store in iCloud. Choose what data you want to transfer to iCloud and confirm.
  2. Click Optimize to remove movies and TV programs.
  3. Turn on Empty Bin Automatically.
  4. Click Reduce Clutter to review all your documents.

This is a quick and easy way to free up space but it’s not ideal. You see, when files are moved to iCloud, junk and useless files are moved too. This means you max out your iCloud storage quicker and end up having to pay for more. For this reason, we recommend using CleanMyMac X to detect junk files and completely remove them from your system.

Delete large and old files first

Usually, old large files are the biggest space wasters on our Macs. It probably happens to anyone: you open your brand new MacBook and download multiple files, which seem to be very useful at first. But, later, you forget about these items, and they end up cluttering your storage. It’s time to dig up these old massive files. And CleanMyMac X can help you out with that task.

With a dedicated Large & Old Files module, you can quickly clear your Mac.

  1. Download CleanMyMac X (a free trial is available).
  2. Install and launch the app.
  3. Go to the Large & Old files module.
  4. Press Scan.

Now, all you have to do is select old files that CleanMyMac X has found and press Remove.

Another CleanMyMac X useful feature is Space Lens. It builds a virtual map of your storage, so you can see where all your space is gone. You need just to hover over any folder to find out its weight or click it to view its contents.

How to free up Mac hard drive space manually

Deleting files manually is a simple task, but it can also be time-consuming. The best way to go about it is to find old documents, downloads, music, and applications you no longer need and drag them to the Trash.

When you do this you’ll need to remember to empty the Trash, otherwise, files will just sit there and free up no space at all.

  1. Right-click Trash in the Dock.
  2. Select Empty Bin and confirm.

You can also remove old iTunes Library backups, iOS backups and updates, and clear cached files using the Finder.

  1. Open a Finder window and select Go in the menu bar.
  2. Click on Go to Folder and enter one of the following commands:
  • Caches:~/Library/Caches
  • iTunes Library backups:
    ~/Music/iTunes/Previous iTunes Libraries
  • iOS backups:
    ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
  • iOS software updates iPad:
    ~/Library/iTunes/iPad Software Updates
  • iOS software updates iPhone:
    ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates

3. Browse each of the folders and delete any files you no longer need.

As said, clearing files manually is easy but it comes with one rather sizeable caveat: moving things to Trash leaves behind a residue — leftover pieces of files that serve no purpose other than to take up hard drive space. There you are doing your best to remove files only for Mac to be incapable of fully deleting whatever you want to get rid of.

So, what can you do about that? Yep… CleanMyMac X.

Freeing up Mac hard drive space with CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X scours your system for all old, outdated, and broken files, and completely removes them from your system. It’s the quickest and easiest way to free up a lot of space at once.

If you need to optimize disk space in a hurry, download CleanMyMac X and select the option to clean up System Junk. This will remove old cache files and logs, broken app data, unused languages, and excessive versions of documents in a couple of clicks.

  1. Download and launch CleanMyMac X.
  2. Choose System Junk from the menu.
  3. Click Scan.
  4. Click Clean.

A full disk is something all Mac users experience at some point. Thankfully, it’s easy to reclaim space using Mac’s own optimization feature or the Finder if you’re doing things manually, or CleanMyMac X if you prefer a more comprehensive solution. As you’ll likely need to clean up the hard drive a few times a year, we’d suggest going down the CleanMyMac X route but, of course, we’re biased. Try the different methods and see what works best for you.

Keep your Mac in good shape

I hope you managed to find out what exactly took too much space on your Mac. Here’re some tips to prevent clutter in your storage in the future:

  • Clear old files

To use your storage more efficiently, you need to declutter your Mac once in a while. Remove apps, documents, photos, and media that you don’t need on your Mac. Transfer your data to the hard drive or store it in the cloud. A perfectly organized storage also boosts your productivity, which is another advantage of keeping your space tidy.

  • Delete apps completely

And by “completely,” I mean together with all the files associated with the app. Dragging an app to the Trash will probably leave its data in your system. So, make sure you remove your apps using native uninstallers or special tools, like CleanMyMac X.

  • Empty Trash

This is pretty straightforward advice, but many of us still forget to do it. Trashed files can take gigantic amounts of space. Remember to clear the Bin after you deleted some files on your Mac.

  • Update your software

When you Mac acts laggy, you may think it’s running out of space. But, outdated software can cause the same symptoms. Updates often contain bug fixes and improvements that can positively affect how your app and your Mac run. Updating both OS and apps to the latest version will ensure the smooth performance of your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is taking up so much space on my Mac?

To find out what’s taking storage on your Mac, go to the Apple menu. Here, choose About This Mac. Go to the Storage tab and click Manage to see how much space takes each category.

How to find large files on Mac?

In Finder, press the little gear icon and select Show Search Criteria. Click Kind filter and choose Other. Then select File Size from the list. Select “is greater than” criteria in the second box. Enter the size (for example, 400 MB), and then the search results will update, showing you the large files on your Mac.

How much space should the system take up on Mac?

Mac’s system takes about 20 GB on average. If your Mac’s system is considerably bigger than 20-25 GB, try emptying the Trash. Performing a clean install may be necessary in some cases – it will reinstall your OS and clear your storage. But, make sure to back up your data first.

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Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

Truth to be told – this is one of the major queries of almost every Mac user these days. While Mac offers a wide range of features, most of the models suffer from limited storage. Therefore, a lot of people find it hard to manage storage on Mac and seek the assistance of external sources. Though, if you want, you can take some preventive measures and clear up space on Mac. There are several techniques and methods that can help you do the same in less time. To make things easier for you, we have come up with several solutions that will clear space on Mac and resolve this situation.

Part 1. How to See How Much Space Is Left on Mac

Before you learn how to clear space on Mac, it is important to know about the system’s available storage. In this way, you can get a clear idea of how much space in left in Mac and you can clear other content accordingly. Here’s how to see how much space is left on your Mac storage.

  1. Firstly, launch Finder on your Mac and from its sidebar, go the Devices section and select the root directory.
  2. Here, you can view all the partitions and external devices. Select the Macintosh HD (or Fusion drive). Right-click to get the context menu and go to the “Get Info” section.
  3. A pop-up window will open stating all the essential details of the hard drive. The “Capacity” section will display the total storage while the “Available” option will inform you of the total free space on it.

How to See What's Taking up Space on Mac

Mac App View Storage Space

After knowing how much space is left on your Mac, you can also take some extra measures as well. For instance, you can know what type of data is accumulating how much space on your system. To get an extensive bifurcation of the storage, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Mac’s desktop and click on the Apple logo at the top left corner of the screen. From here, go to the “About This Mac” option.
  2. This will launch a dedicated window with details about your system. Visit the “Storage” section from here.
  3. Now, you can view the storage details of your Mac’s partition or connected external sources. It would also depict the total and the available space on it.
  4. After that, you need to press “Command + Shift + Period” to toggle to view hidden files.

Eight Solutions to Free Up Space on Mac

1. Downloads Folder

Mac View Storage

The Downloads folder is the default location on Mac that stores all the content that you have downloaded from the web. If you have been using your Mac for a while now, then the Downloads folder can accumulate a lot of data. Therefore, you should consider visiting the Downloads folder every now and then, and delete the unwanted files from it to clear disk space on Mac.

  1. To access your Mac’s Downloads, just click on the “Go” option on Finder and open the Downloads folder.
  2. You can also just launch Finder and visit the Downloads folder from the sidebar.
  3. On the right, you can view all the files stored in the Downloads folder. Simply select the unwanted data, right-click, and move it to Trash.

2. Unwanted Apps

We all use different kinds of apps on our Mac for numerous purposes. Though, there are times when the system ends up having too many unwanted apps. You can just inspect all the installed apps on Mac and get rid of the programs you no longer want. In this way, you can easily learn how to free up disk space on Mac and boost its processing as well.

  1. Just go to Mac’s Finder > Applications to view all sorts of apps installed on Mac under various categories.
  2. Select the application you wish to delete, right-click, and move it to Trash to get rid of it.
  3. If you are removing any important application, then you would get a confirmation prompt like this. Just enter the admin username and password to confirm your choice and delete the app.
  4. Apart from that, you can also go to Launchpad to view the programs installed from Mac’s App Store. Long press any app to get the delete option (as the icons would start to wiggle).
  5. Click on the cross button (delete option) at the top of the app icon and confirm your choice to delete the app.

3. Duplicate Photos and Media Files

This is something that almost every Mac user suffers from. Since we all move our photos, videos, music, and other media files from one place to another, it often results in redundancy. If you wish to free up space on Mac, then check for any duplicate content and get rid of unwanted files.

  1. Most of the times, users observe the presence of duplicate photos on Mac. To analyze this, go to Finder > Pictures from the sidebar.
  2. Here, you can find both Photos Library and iPhoto Library. You can choose either of these options and import photos from one library to another to get rid of duplicate files.
  3. Apart from that, you can take the assistance of iTunes to detect duplicate content as well. Simply launch iTunes and go to its File > Library > Show Duplicate Items.
  4. This will display all the duplicate songs, videos, and other media files on iTunes. You can just remove the files of your choice from here.

4. Get rid of Trash

Space

Whenever we delete something from Mac, it is moved to Trash. This lets us recover the files that we have deleted accidentally. Though, if you wish to clear space on Mac, then it is important to wipe the Trash folder as well. In this way, you can delete files from Trash permanently and clear disk space on Mac easily.

  1. If you want to empty the entire Trash folder, then select its icon first and go to Finder. Click on the “Empty Trash” option from here and confirm your choice.
  2. In addition to that, you can also select the Trash icon from the dock and right-click. From the context menu, click on the “Empty Trash” option.

5. iTunes Backup

To make it easier for iOS users to manage their device, Apple has provided several options in iTunes. Chances are that you must have taken its assistance to back up your iOS device as well. For instance, if you have an iPhone, then you can easily take its backup on iTunes as many times as you want. Though, multiple backups can take a toll on Mac storage and should be checked regularly. If you want to learn how to free space on Mac, then follow this simple drill.

  1. Start by launching iTunes on your Mac and go to its iTunes menu > Preferences.
  2. As the Preferences window will open, you can go to the “Devices” section to view the available backup files.
  3. Simply select the file you wish to get rid of and click on the “Delete Backup” button. Confirm your choice and the iTunes backup would be erased from your Mac.

6. Temporary Files

Just like every other leading operating system, Mac also stores temporary and cache data while processing. Ideally, these temp files help us with the processing of certain actions and the overall Mac performance. Nevertheless, they can also accumulate after a while and consume a large chunk of your Mac’s storage. Thus, it is recommended to remove temporary files every now and then to free up space on Mac.

  1. Since every application can have its own temporary files, you can start by visiting the relevant folders. Visit Finder’s Go > Go to Folders and enter “~/Users/User/Library/Application Support/” in the address bar.
  2. Once the Application Support folder would be opened, you can visit different files and search for temporary files (with temp or tmp extensions). Subsequently, you can move the relevant files to Trash.
  3. Apart from temporary files, you can also check the Cache data on Mac too. Just visit Library > Caches and remove all kinds of unwanted cache from here.

7. Mac Mail Attachments

Mac comes with tons of native apps like Mail that can help us manage our emails and messages in one place. Needless to say, the constant use of the mails and the downloading of several attachments can consume a lot of storage. If you want, you can get rid of individual or bulk attachments in the following way.

  1. Firstly, open the Mail app from Finder and go to the mail that has the respective attachment.
  2. Once the attachment is loaded, go to the Message option from the Finder and choose to Remove Attachment.
  3. If you want to manually delete bulk attachments that are already downloaded on Mac, then go to the ~/Library/Mail folder.
  4. Here, you can view all the stored Mac mail attachments. Make the relevant selection and delete the unwanted files.

8. Move Files to an External Storage

While we can delete unwanted content from Mac, there are certain files that we can’t get rid of. In this case, you can simply move them to an external storage like an SD card, pen drive, or external hard disk. This will free up disk space on your Mac while still keeping your important data safe.

  1. Simply connect an external data source to your Mac. Most likely, you can see its icon on the desktop from where you can access the storage.
  2. If you want, you can also launch Finder and visit the location of the files you wish to move.
  3. Select the respective files, right-click, and cut them from the source. Go to the external source from Finder’s sidebar and paste your files here instead.

Part 4. How to Manage Storage on Mac

By following the above-listed techniques, you would be able to clear disk space on Mac. Apart from that, you can also manage storage on Mac more efficiently by following these suggestions:

• Manage iCloud Sync

By default, every Apple ID gets access to 5 GB of free storage on iCloud. If you want, you can even buy more storage as well. You should make the most of it by syncing certain things on iCloud with your Mac. This will maintain a dedicated backup of your data (like Photos) and improve their availability. Simply Go to Finder > System Preferences and launch the iCloud app. Set up your account if you haven’t already and enable the syncing option for your photos, contacts, notes, etc.

• Auto Empty Trash

A lot of users forget to empty the Trash after moving files to it. If you want, you can make sure that the data would only be stored for 30 days in Trash. After that, it will automatically be removed from Trash to make more space on Mac. Just go to Finder > Finder Preferences > Advanced. Now, enable the option to remove items from Trash after 30 days automatically.

• Optimize Storage

There are also different ways to manage storage on Mac by optimizing it. To start with, de-clutter your system and try to have an organized hierarchy of the file system. If you want, you can automate this feature as well. Just go to Finder and click on the Apple icon > About this Mac > Storage > Manager. Here, you can enable the Optimize Storage option to remove the iTunes movies and shows that you have already watched.

There is also an option for “Reduce Clutter” that you can turn on. This will organize your Mac and get rid of the documents you no longer need.

• Delete App Data

Mac App View Storage Space Download

Sometimes, uninstalling apps is not enough as they can leave residual data on Mac. If you won’t remove the leftover app data, then it can consume a lot of storage of your Mac in the long run. Just go to your Mac’s Library and visit the folder of the app you have already uninstalled. From here, you can carefully remove the existing app data that is no longer needed by Mac.

• Organize Mac Partitions

You might already know that Mac lets us create different partitions to logically separate the disk. It is recommended to empty the partition and delete it in order to defragment the disk space. Once you have taken a backup of your data, go to Applications > Disk Utility and view the existing partitions. Delete the unwanted partitions, create new ones, or merge existing partitions from here to make the most of the provided space.

Part 5. How to Recover Lost Data While Clearing Space

As you can see, there are different ways to learn how to make space on Mac by managing the storage and getting rid of unwanted content. Though, there are times when we end up deleting something by mistake. In this case, you can take the assistance of Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac to get back the lost, deleted, or inaccessible data. Recoverit 8.0 is the latest release of the application that provides a wide range of data recovery features and an extremely simple user interface. Here are some of the new and advanced features of this data recovery tool.

Mac App View Storage Space Center

  • Recoverit 8.0 runs an extensive scan on Mac through its advanced recovery algorithm. This yields comprehensive results in less time.
  • Using Recoverit, you can get back all kinds of lost and deleted data back. The application supports 1000+ different data types for photos, videos, audios, files, documents, etc.
  • It is fully compatible with every major file system used in Mac like APFS, HFS+, exFAT, and more.
  • You can preview the extracted content on its native interface and pick the type of data that you wish to get back.
  • It doesn’t matter if you have accidentally deleted something, the storage has been corrupted, or an entire partition has been formatted – Recoverit can handle every scenario.
  • Apart from Mac’s HD, you can also perform data recovery on SD cards, cameras, external hard disks, pen drives, and all the popular sources.

Since the basic version of Recoverit 8.0 is available for free, you don’t have to spend a single dime to have a hands-on experience of the tool first. Later, you can follow these simple steps and restore your lost data from Mac using Recoverit 8.0:

Step 1: Select a Location

Install and launch Recoverit 8.0 on your Mac, whenever you wish to get back your lost files. On its home, you need to select a location to scan. This can be Mac’s entire storage, a partition, or even a particular folder. You can browse to a specific location of your choice as well.

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Step 2: Scan the Location

As you would click on the “Start” button, Recoverit will scan the source and extract all the essential files from it. It might take a few minutes for the process to be completed, and hence, it is recommended not to close the application in between.

Step 3: Preview and Recover

When the scan is complete, the interface will let you preview all the extracted data. It will already list everything under different categories. Recoverit 8.0 now also provides a bigger and better preview for photos, videos, and documents. Select multiple files if you want to and click on the “Recover” button to save them to any location of your choice.

Conclusion

Who knew it would be so easy to manage storage on Mac and even recover lost data from it. To make things easier for you, we have listed eight different solutions on how to free up space on Mac. Furthermore, we have even provided a smart guide on how to see storage on Mac beforehand. In this way, you can see the difference in your Mac storage before and after following the listed suggestions. Additionally, if you have deleted something by mistake, then simply take the assistance of Recoverit Data Recovery. Developed by Wondershare, it is one of the most advanced and reliable data recovery tools for Mac that you should certainly keep handy.

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