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How to free up space on Mac: 10 safe ways
Start with System Settings › General › Storage to see what is using space. Then work down this list: empty the Trash, clear Downloads, turn on Optimize Storage, clear browser and app caches, remove large and duplicate files, uninstall apps together with their leftovers, and delete old device backups. Tidymint, a free open-source cleaner, can do most of this in one scan.
First, see what is using space
Open Apple menu › System Settings › General › Storage. The colored bar shows your biggest categories, and the list below lets you open Applications, Documents, Messages and more. If System Data is the largest, read our guide to clearing System Data.
10 safe ways
- Empty the Trash. Deleted files keep using space until you do. In Storage you can also turn on Empty Trash Automatically after 30 days.
- Clear Downloads. Sort by size and remove old installers (
.dmg,.pkg) and archives you have already opened. - Turn on Optimize Storage. If you pay for iCloud, macOS can keep only recent files on your Mac and download the rest on demand.
- Clear browser and app caches. See the steps below.
- Find large files. In Storage, open Documents and sort by size. Videos and old project exports are usually at the top.
- Remove duplicate files. Photos and downloads often exist two or three times under different names.
- Uninstall apps you don't use, together with their caches and settings. Dragging an app to the Trash leaves those behind.
- Delete old iPhone and iPad backups under Storage › iOS Files.
- Clean Messages attachments. Storage › Messages lists large photos and videos from old chats.
- Move big libraries to an external drive. Apple supports moving your Photos library and iMovie projects.
How to clear cache on Mac
Safari
Open Safari › Settings › Advanced and turn on Show features for web developers. Then choose Develop › Empty Caches.
Chrome
Open Chrome › Settings › Privacy and security › Delete browsing data, tick Cached images and files only (leave passwords and cookies), and click Delete data.
App caches
Quit your apps, press Shift+Cmd+G in Finder and go to ~/Library/Caches. Move folders of apps you recognize to the Trash. Chat and design apps like Slack, Notion and VS Code often keep gigabytes here.
Clearing caches frees space for a while, but apps rebuild them as you use them. It is maintenance, not a permanent fix. Large files, duplicates and unused apps give longer-lasting results.
Do it in one scan with Tidymint
Tidymint is a free, open-source Mac cleaner that covers most of this list: Clean Now for caches, logs and old downloads (shown by group before you press Clean); Clean by App for Chrome, Edge, Zalo and CapCut; Large Files (never pre-selected); Duplicates that keeps the best copy; an Uninstaller that finds leftovers, even from apps you removed long ago; and Space Lens to see where the space went. Everything goes to the Trash first.
Doing it by hand vs. Tidymint
| By hand | Tidymint | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Open hidden folders one by one, type Terminal commands | One scan, results grouped by size |
| The big picture | You see one folder at a time | Space Lens shows the whole drive and the heaviest folders |
| Understanding your Mac | Cryptic folder names like Caches and DerivedData | Plain-language notes for common folders |
| No accidental deletes | A wrong delete is gone for good | Safe items pre-selected, the rest left to you, always to the Trash first, with Undo |
| Cost | Free, but it takes time | Free and open source |
Clean your Mac for free
Tidymint is free and open source. Everything always goes to the Trash first, so you stay in control.
FAQ
What takes up the most space on a Mac?
Usually videos and photos, apps and their data, iPhone backups, and System Data such as caches and Time Machine snapshots. System Settings › General › Storage shows the breakdown for your Mac.
Is it safe to clear cache on Mac?
Yes, for your user caches in ~/Library/Caches and browser caches. Apps rebuild them as needed. Avoid system cache folders under /System or /Library.
How much free space should a Mac have?
There is no official number, but keeping at least 10 to 15 percent of the drive free gives macOS room for updates, swap and snapshots.
Does Optimize Storage delete my files?
No. Files stay in iCloud and download again when you open them. You need enough iCloud storage for this to work.
Is Tidymint free?
Yes. It is open source under the MIT licence, with no account, no subscription and no paid tier.
Doing it by hand vs. Tidymint
| By hand | Tidymint | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Open hidden folders one by one, type Terminal commands | One scan, results grouped by size |
| The big picture | You see one folder at a time | Space Lens shows the whole drive and the heaviest folders |
| Understanding your Mac | Cryptic folder names like Caches and DerivedData | Plain-language notes for common folders |
| No accidental deletes | A wrong delete is gone for good | Safe items pre-selected, the rest left to you, always to the Trash first, with Undo |
| Cost | Free, but it takes time | Free and open source |
Clean your Mac for free
Tidymint is free and open source. Everything always goes to the Trash first, so you stay in control.
