How to free up storage space on your Mac: 9 ways that work

Updated October 19, 2026

In short: Open System Settings > General > Storage first and see which category is largest. The biggest wins are usually the Trash, the Downloads folder, large old files, apps you no longer use and old iPhone and iPad backups. Deleting caches by hand rarely frees space for long, because apps rebuild them and macOS clears them anyway when space runs low.

1. See what takes up the space

From macOS 13 Ventura on, the overview is under Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage; in older versions under About This Mac > Storage. The bar at the top shows the categories, below it are recommendations and an info button per category that lists its largest items. Always start with the largest category; tidying small places first wins megabytes instead of gigabytes.

2. Empty the Trash

Whatever is in the Trash keeps taking up space until the Trash is emptied. In the storage recommendations you can have the Trash emptied automatically: macOS then permanently deletes everything that has been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

3. Clean out the Downloads folder

You almost never need installers (.dmg, .pkg, .zip) again once the app is installed. Sort the folder in the Finder by size or by date added, and the candidates come first.

4. Find large files you have not opened in a long time

Videos, disk images, old project archives and exports often take more space than everything else together. In a Finder search, the plus button adds a criterion for file size, so you can list everything over 500 MB, for example. What you want to keep but rarely need can move to an external drive or be compressed.

5. Delete apps you no longer use

Drag an app from the Applications folder to the Trash, or run the uninstaller it came with, if it has one. Its settings, caches and containers stay behind in your Library, though, several gigabytes for some apps. How to find them is in the guide How to uninstall apps on your Mac completely, with no leftovers.

6. Delete old iPhone and iPad backups

Every local backup is a complete copy of a device and can be many gigabytes. You find them in the Finder: connect the device, select it in the sidebar and click "Manage Backups" under General. Only delete backups of devices you no longer have or that are backed up elsewhere, such as in iCloud. A deleted backup cannot be brought back.

7. Clear out Mail

Apple recommends erasing junk mail and deleted items from the Mailbox menu in Mail. On top of that come copies of attachments you opened in Mail; they sit on the Mac in addition, although the attachments stay in the messages.

8. Use iCloud and "Optimize Storage"

With "Store in iCloud", your Mac keeps Desktop and Documents files, photos and messages in iCloud and, when space is needed, keeps only recently opened ones locally. "Optimize Storage" removes movies and shows you have already watched in the TV app and keeps only recent email attachments on the Mac. "Store in iCloud" needs enough room in your iCloud plan.

9. Get to the bottom of System Data

If the System Data category is conspicuously large, Time Machine snapshots, developer data or old backups are often behind it. What is in there and what can safely go is explained in the guide System Data on your Mac: what it is and how to reduce it.

What you had better not do

Do not delete things at random in the Library or System folders: apps or macOS still need many of the files there, and some failures show only days later.
Do not empty caches by hand as a routine: macOS clears caches and logs that are safe to delete when space is needed, and apps rebuild them afterwards. It makes your Mac slower rather than faster.
Do not permanently delete files you do not recognise: the Trash is your way back.

Faster with SpaceBroom

SpaceBroom does these steps in one app: Space Lens shows which folders take how much space, Large Files finds what has not been opened in a long time, System Junk collects caches, logs, Mail attachments and device backups, the Uninstaller removes apps with their leftovers, and Duplicates finds identical files and similar photos. Only what you confirm is removed, and your files go to the Trash. Backups and Mail attachments are never preselected.