How to Delete "Other" Storage on Mac and Reclaim Disk Space

If you've ever opened About This Mac > Storage and seen a large, ambiguous "Other" category eating up gigabytes of space, you're not alone. It's one of the most common sources of confusion for Mac users — and one of the most satisfying problems to fix once you understand what's actually in there.

What Is "Other" Storage on a Mac?

The "Other" category is essentially a catch-all bucket. macOS groups your files into recognizable types — Apps, Photos, Music, Mail — and anything that doesn't fit neatly into those categories gets labeled "Other."

In practice, this typically includes:

• System caches — temporary files macOS and apps create to speed up repeated tasks
• App support files — preferences, logs, and data left behind by applications (including ones you've already deleted)
• Downloads and documents — files in formats macOS doesn't classify elsewhere, like .dmg disk images, .zip archives, or PDFs stored outside iCloud Drive
• Browser caches — Safari, Chrome, and Firefox all accumulate substantial cached data over time
• Plugins and extensions — especially older ones tied to apps no longer on your system
• iOS device backups stored locally through Finder or older iTunes versions
• Virtual machine files and developer tools, which can be enormous

The "Other" label itself doesn't indicate anything dangerous — it's just miscellaneous. But "miscellaneous" can quietly grow into tens of gigabytes.

How to See What's Actually Taking Up Space

Before deleting anything, it helps to get a clear picture. macOS has a built-in tool that goes deeper than the Storage bar.

Apple menu > System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS) > General > Storage

This opens a more detailed breakdown and includes built-in recommendations like optimizing storage, emptying trash automatically, and reducing clutter. Clicking "Review Files" lets you browse through large files, downloads, and unsupported apps directly.

For a more granular view, third-party disk analyzers (such as DaisyDisk, OmniDiskSweeper, or similar tools) can map your entire drive visually, showing exactly which folders and file types are consuming space. These tools don't delete anything automatically — they just show you what's there, so you can make informed decisions.

Common Ways to Clear "Other" Storage 🗂️

Clear System and App Caches

Caches live in your Library folder, which is hidden by default. To access it:

1. Open Finder
2. Hold Option and click Go in the menu bar
3. Select Library
4. Navigate to Library/Caches

You can delete the contents of individual app cache folders, though leave the folders themselves intact. macOS and apps will rebuild caches as needed — you won't break anything by clearing them, but some apps may feel slower the first time they reopen.

User-level caches are in ~/Library/Caches. System-level caches are in /Library/Caches at the root level and generally require admin access to clear.

Remove Old iOS and iPadOS Backups

If you've ever backed up an iPhone or iPad to your Mac via Finder (or iTunes on older systems), those backups can consume several gigabytes each.

Find them at: Finder > [Your Device] > Manage Backups, or navigate directly to ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

Deleting backups you no longer need is low-risk as long as you have iCloud Backup or a more recent local backup covering the same device.

Delete Leftover App Support Files

When you drag an app to the Trash, macOS deletes the app itself but typically leaves behind support files, preferences, and logs stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ and ~/Library/Preferences/. These accumulate invisibly over time.

App uninstallers (built into some apps or available as standalone utilities) can remove these associated files at the time of deletion. Cleaning them up manually after the fact involves identifying folders by app name and confirming they're safe to remove.

Clear Browser Caches

Each browser stores its cache separately:

• Safari: Preferences > Advanced > Show Develop menu, then Develop > Empty Caches
• Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data
• Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Data

Browser caches rebuild quickly with regular use, so this tends to be a short-term fix unless done regularly.

Remove Disk Images and Large Archives 🗂️

Downloaded .dmg files, .zip archives, and installer packages in your Downloads folder are common culprits. Once you've installed the app or extracted the content, the original file serves no purpose and can be deleted.

Variables That Affect How Much You Can Reclaim

Not every Mac user will see the same results from the same steps. A few factors shape the outcome significantly:

What to Be Careful About

Not everything in "Other" is safe to delete. System files, active caches, and anything inside /System/ or /Library/ at the root level should be left alone unless you know exactly what a file does. Deleting the wrong support files can cause apps to misbehave or lose saved data.

If you're unsure whether a file or folder is safe to remove, leaving it is the lower-risk choice. The gains from genuinely risky deletions rarely outweigh the potential for breakage.

The Part That Depends on Your Setup

How aggressively you should approach this — and which methods will move the needle most — depends heavily on what's actually filling your specific "Other" bucket. A developer running virtual machines is dealing with a fundamentally different problem than someone whose Downloads folder is full of old installers. 💡

The breakdown tools mentioned earlier exist precisely because the answer isn't the same for every Mac, every workflow, or every storage configuration.