Running out of storage on your Mac can be frustrating, but there are several ways to reclaim space without losing important data. This guide walks you through how to check your storage, delete unnecessary files and explore storage alternatives like external drives or cloud services.
Knowing how to manage your storage ensures your Mac runs smoothly and helps you avoid performance slowdowns due to limited space.
How to Check Storage Usage
- Open System Settings.
- Click General > Storage.
This view displays a breakdown of what’s using your internal storage, including apps, photos, documents and more. It gives you a clear overview of where your space is going.
How to Remove Data from Your Mac
Once you've identified the largest unused storage areas, you can begin removing unwanted files and applications.
Delete Files
- Open Finder and locate large or unneeded files.
- Right-click the file and choose Move to Bin.
- Open the Bin from your Dock and click Empty (top-right corner).
⚠️ Important: Moving files to the Bin doesn’t free up space until the Bin is emptied.
Remove Applications
- Open Finder.
- Click Applications in the sidebar.
- Right-click the app you want to remove and choose Move to Bin.
- Empty the Bin to permanently delete the app.
💡 Tip: Enable Auto-Empty Bin
- Go to System Settings > General > Storage.
- Toggle on Empty Bin Automatically to auto-delete items after 30 days.
Alternative Storage Options
Use an External Drive
- Plug in your external drive and select Trust if prompted.
- Open Finder and drag files to the external drive.
- Verify the transfer is complete.
- Delete the original files from your Mac to free up space.
Use Cloud Storage
Services like iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive allow you to offload files without permanently deleting them:
- Your files remain accessible across all devices.
- Files stored in the cloud don’t take up space on your local disk.
