How To Free Up Space On Mac Other

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Your Mac can be a powerhouse of productivity and creativity, but it can only perform at its best when it has plenty of free space to work with. Over time, files and programs accumulate, eating away at your storage and eventually slowing down your device. Fortunately, there are several ways to free up space and get your Mac running smoothly again. Here, we’ll guide you through the process.

Review Your Storage

The first step to freeing up space on your Mac is understanding where that space is going. You can find this information in the About This Mac window. Here’s how:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select About This Mac.
  3. Go to the Storage tab.

You’ll see a bar that shows how your storage is being used, broken down by different categories like apps, photos, and system files.

Delete Unneeded Files

Once you know where your storage is going, you can start to clear out files you don’t need. Some categories, like System, can’t be touched, but others can be cleared out with a bit of effort. Here’s a few types of files that are usually safe to delete:

  • Old downloads
  • Unnecessary applications
  • Duplicate files
  • Large files that you don’t need anymore

These files can be found and deleted through Finder. Simply go to the Go menu, select Go to Folder, and enter “/Downloads” to review your downloads folder, for example. To delete a file, just drag it to the trash.

Empty the Trash

Speaking of the trash, it’s important to remember that files aren’t completely deleted until you empty it. To do so, right-click on the trash icon in your dock and select Empty Trash.

Use Optimized Storage

If you’re running macOS Sierra or later, you can use a feature called Optimized Storage to automatically free up space. Here’s how:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select About This Mac.
  3. Go to the Storage tab.
  4. Click Manage.
  5. Select Optimize.

This will automatically remove TV shows and movies you’ve already watched, and keep only recent email attachments available for download.

Conclusion

Freeing up space on your Mac can be a bit of a chore, but it’s worth it to keep your device functioning at its best. By regularly reviewing your storage and removing unneeded files, you can ensure your Mac has plenty of space to work with and stays speedy for years to come.