The fastest way to clear space is to delete large files you no longer need, then empty the Trash
Your Mac stores everything on its hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD), and when that drive fills up, your computer slows down and stops letting you install updates or save new files. The quickest fix is to find and delete the biggest things taking up room — usually old video files, application installers, or duplicate photos — then permanently remove them by emptying the Trash.
Before you delete anything, you need to see what is actually using your space. Open Finder, click your Mac's name in the sidebar under Locations, then click the gear icon at the top and select Calculate All Sizes. This shows you folder sizes. You can also go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage to see a visual breakdown of what is consuming space — Documents, Photos, Applications, and so on.
Once you know what is taking up room, the next steps depend on what type of files they are. Large application files, old downloads, and duplicate photos each clear differently, and some methods recover more space than others.
Key Takeaways
- Check your storage use by opening About This Mac > Storage, which shows you the largest categories of files on your drive.
- Delete old application installers from your Downloads folder — they take up gigabytes but serve no purpose after you install the app.
- Remove duplicate photos and videos using Photos app's Duplicate Items tool, or manually delete old versions you no longer want.
- Empty your Trash after deleting files, because deleted items stay on your drive until Trash is emptied.
- Use macOS's built-in storage recommendations (About This Mac > Storage > Manage) to review large old files and iCloud options before manually deleting.
Finding and removing application installers and old downloads
Application installers — the .dmg or .pkg files you download to install software — often stay in your Downloads folder long after installation and can consume several gigabytes. Open Finder, click Downloads in the sidebar, and look for files ending in .dmg, .pkg, or .zip. These are safe to delete once the application is installed on your Mac.
To confirm an installer is no longer needed, check your Applications folder. Open Finder, click Applications in the sidebar, and search for the app name. If the application is installed and working, the installer file in Downloads can be deleted. Drag it to Trash, then go to Finder > Empty Trash to permanently remove it.
Your Downloads folder often contains other files you have forgotten about — old documents, screenshots, or files from months ago. Sorting by date modified (click the Date Modified column header in Finder) shows you what has not been touched in a long time. Delete what you no longer need.
Removing duplicate and unwanted photos and videos
Photos and videos take up the most space on most Macs. If you have thousands of photos, many of them may be duplicates or blurry shots you meant to delete. The Photos app has a built-in tool to find duplicates. Open Photos, go to File > Show Duplicates, and Photos will highlight images it thinks are the same. Review them and delete the ones you do not want to keep.
If you do not use the Photos app, you can manually browse your photo library. Open Finder and navigate to Pictures, or wherever you store photos. Sort by file size (click View > as List, then click the Size column) to see your largest image files first. Delete blurry shots, test photos, or old versions you have kept multiple copies of.
Videos are often the largest files on a Mac. If you have old video projects, screen recordings, or downloaded videos you no longer watch, deleting them frees up substantial space. Check your Movies folder and any project folders where you may have saved video files.
Using macOS storage recommendations to identify what to delete
macOS includes a built-in tool that suggests what you can safely remove. Go to Apple menu > About This Mac, click the Storage tab, then click Manage. This shows you several categories: Large Old Files (files you have not opened in a long time), Documents, Photos, Applications, Trash, and Language Files.
Click Large Old Files to see files sorted by size and last opened date. Files you have not opened in months or years are usually safe to delete. Review the list, select files you no longer need, and delete them. This is often the fastest way to recover several gigabytes without having to hunt through folders yourself.
The same tool shows you how much space your Trash is using. If Trash is full, emptying it immediately frees up that space. Click Empty Trash from the Storage window, or go to Finder > Empty Trash.
Clearing cache and temporary files safely
Your Mac stores temporary files, browser caches, and application support files that can add up over time. These are generally safe to delete, but the process is different from deleting regular files because they are hidden by default.
The simplest approach is to use macOS's built-in cache clearing. Go to About This Mac > Storage > Manage, then look for the Documents category. Some applications store large cache folders here. You can also manually navigate to Library folders, but this requires showing hidden files. Press Command + Shift + Period (.) in Finder to show hidden files, then navigate to Users > [Your Username] > Library > Caches. Files here are temporary and can be deleted, but only delete cache folders for applications you recognize and no longer use.
Browser caches take up significant space. In Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Privacy and click Manage Website Data, then click Remove All. In Chrome, go to Chrome > Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data, select All Time, and click Clear Data. This removes cached web pages and temporary browser files.
Moving files to external storage or cloud backup instead of deleting
If you want to keep files but free up drive space, moving them to an external hard drive or cloud storage is safer than deleting. Connect an external drive to your Mac, then drag folders of photos, videos, or documents to the external drive. Once the transfer is complete and you have verified the files are on the external drive, you can delete them from your Mac.
Cloud storage services like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox let you store files online and access them from any device. If you have an iCloud subscription, you can enable iCloud Drive to move documents and photos to iCloud while keeping them accessible. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud, then toggle on iCloud Drive and Photos. Your Mac will keep frequently used files locally and move older files to iCloud automatically.
External drives are useful for archiving old projects or large video files you want to keep but do not need on your Mac daily. A 1 or 2 terabyte external drive costs between $50 and $100 and gives you plenty of room for backups and archived files.
Uninstalling applications you no longer use
Applications themselves take up space, though usually less than the files they create. If you have applications you no longer use, uninstalling them frees up that space. Open Finder, click Applications, find the app you want to remove, and drag it to Trash. Some applications leave behind support files in the Library folder, but the main application file is the largest part.
Check your Applications folder for duplicate versions of the same software. If you have upgraded an application but the old version is still installed, you can delete the older one. Sort by name to group versions together, or sort by date modified to see which version you use most recently.
Emptying Trash and verifying space has been recovered
Deleting files moves them to Trash, but they still occupy space on your drive until Trash is emptied. Go to Finder > Empty Trash, or right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash. This permanently removes the files and recovers the space.
After emptying Trash, check your available storage again. Go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage and verify that the free space has increased. The amount freed should roughly match the size of files you deleted, though the exact number may vary slightly depending on how your drive organizes data.
If you deleted a large amount of data and your Mac still feels slow, restart your Mac. A restart allows the operating system to reorganize files and can improve performance after major cleanup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete files from the Library folder?
Most Library files are support files for applications and should not be deleted unless you are certain what they do. If you want to remove an application completely, use a dedicated uninstaller app or delete the application from Applications folder first. Deleting random Library files can break applications or system functions.
What happens if I delete something important by accident?
If you have not emptied Trash yet, open Trash and drag the file back to Finder. If Trash has been emptied, the file is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered unless you have a Time Machine backup. Before doing major cleanup, create a backup of your Mac using Time Machine so you have a recovery option.
How much space should I keep free on my Mac?
Apple recommends keeping at least 10 to 15 percent of your drive free for the operating system to function properly. If your drive is more than 90 percent full, your Mac will slow down noticeably. Aim to keep at least 50 gigabytes free on a typical Mac.
Can I delete language files to save space?
Yes, if you only use one language on your Mac. Go to About This Mac > Storage > Manage and look for Language Files. You can delete languages you do not use, though this saves only a few gigabytes on most Macs. This is a minor optimization compared to deleting old photos or videos.
Should I use a cleaning app to clear space automatically?
Third-party cleaning apps are not necessary and some can cause problems. macOS's built-in tools (About This Mac > Storage > Manage) are safer and free. Manually deleting files you know you do not need gives you more control and is less risky than letting an app decide what to remove.