How to free up space on your Mac
A safe, step-by-step checklist, starting with the places that usually free the most space for the least effort.
1. See what’s using space
Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, then General, then Storage. The bar at the top shows the big categories, and the recommendations below it are a good first stop.
2. Empty the Trash
Files in the Trash still take up space. Right-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash.
3. Clear out Downloads
Sort Downloads by size or date. Installers (.dmg, .pkg) are safe to delete once the app is installed, and old zip files are often duplicates of things you already unpacked.
4. Remove old iPhone and iPad backups
Local device backups can take tens of gigabytes each. In Finder, select your device, open Manage Backups, and delete the ones you no longer need.
5. Clear app caches
Caches rebuild themselves, so removing them for apps that aren’t running is safe. See our guide to clearing caches for the details.
6. Find large files
In the Storage settings, the Documents category lists large files and lets you remove them. A visual map makes it even easier to spot what’s big.
7. Keep it from filling up again
Most of the space you just freed comes back slowly as caches, installers and Trash pile up. Roomy’s Autopilot clears those every day, so you only do this once.