Choose System Settings from the Apple menu, click General, then click Storage to see what's using space. Then clear the biggest categories you can act on, and empty the Trash, because space isn't released until you do.
Never start deleting on a Mac until you know what's filling it. You'd only be guessing, and Apple gives you a chart that takes the guessing away. So this page has two halves: look first, then act. It's drawn from Apple's Free up storage space article and two Apple user guides, as of Nov 2026.
Step one: see what's using the space
In macOS Ventura 13 or later, choose System Settings from the Apple menu, click General in the sidebar, then click Storage. In earlier versions of macOS, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu, then click Storage.
You'll see a bar chart of used and available storage, broken down by apps and file types, plus how much is free. All Volumes gives you a more detailed chart for each volume and container on your internal disk. As you clear things, Apple says the figures update automatically, so keep this window open and you can watch what each move achieves. If you see a More Info button next to a category, click it to get details and options for that category.
If your disk is partitioned, Apple notes that its recommendations only apply to the partition holding your home directory.
Step two: go through Apple's categories
Apple's Storage settings guide tells you how the categories work. Open one, select a file you don't need and click Delete, or click Show in Finder to see it first. Here they are, with what Apple says about each.
Applications
All the apps installed on your Mac, not counting system applications. Delete or uninstall the ones you no longer use. There's a step-by-step in our guide on uninstalling apps on a Mac.
Documents
I'd start here. It holds files in your home folder that don't fit another category, such as Pages documents and PDFs, plus videos and photos your photo library doesn't manage, such as an image a friend shared over AirDrop. You can view large files or downloads with one click and sort by Name, Kind, Last Accessed or Size. File Browser shows how much storage your folders use. Clearing a batch at once? Our guide on selecting multiple files on a Mac saves you the clicks. Your Downloads folder is worth checking too; Apple names it as a place to delete from, and you can open it from the Dock or with Go > Downloads in the Finder.
iCloud Drive
Holds all your files stored in iCloud Drive, and it may include your Desktop and Documents folders if you store them there.
iOS files
Contains iOS backups and firmware. If you use your Mac to back up your iPhone or iPad, Apple says you can delete old backups.
TV, Music, Books and Podcasts
Each one holds purchases from that app, and Apple says they can be removed and downloaded again. That makes this an easy win, especially for anything you can stream or download again as needed.
Contains emails and attachments. If you use the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail from the menu bar, then Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.
Messages and Music Creation
Messages holds content from your conversations, including attachments. Music Creation holds content from GarageBand, Logic and MainStage.
Photos
Contains your System Photo Library. Apple flags photos and videos as heavy users of space, so if you've got an external drive connected, you might want to move your Photos library or iMovie library onto it.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Trash
Contains items you've deleted. It's easy to overlook. A file you move to the Trash doesn't release its space until you empty the Trash, so do that last.
Other Users, macOS and System Data
Don't waste time here. Apple says these categories only list the space they occupy, and you can't select and delete files in them. System Data covers files that don't fit elsewhere, such as log files, caches, temporary files, fonts, app support files and plug-ins. macOS manages its contents, and its size varies with the current state of your Mac. If your Mac has several users, you can delete users who no longer need access, or ask them to follow these steps after logging in to their own account.
Optimize Storage versus doing it by hand
You've got two ways to go about this, and most people will want some of each. Here's how they compare, using Apple's Optimize storage guide and its Storage settings guide.
| Letting your Mac optimize | Doing it by hand | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | Store in iCloud keeps recent files on the Mac and the rest in iCloud. Optimize Storage removes movies and TV shows you've already watched. Empty Trash Automatically erases items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. | You open a category, pick what goes and delete it, or move it to an external drive. |
| Your effort | Set it once, and it acts when space is needed | As much time as you give it, every time |
| The catch | Storing files in iCloud uses your iCloud storage plan, and you may need to buy more | It's on you to keep doing it |
| Best for | Anyone happy to work from iCloud on demand | Anyone with a one-off job to clear, or files they'd rather not hand over to iCloud |
My verdict: turn on Empty Trash Automatically and Optimize Storage, because they go after watched movies and shows and old Trash, which I'd clear by hand anyway. Think harder about Store in iCloud, because you're trading Mac storage for iCloud storage, and that plan can fill up as well. Apple's optimize guide also says macOS clears caches and logs that are safe to delete when space is needed, so there's no need to go after those yourself.
Those two Apple guides don't match word for word. The optimize guide opens from About This Mac, then Storage, then Manage, and it says Optimize Storage also keeps only recent email attachments. Use the System Settings route if your Mac has it.
When a task needs room right now
Say you're trying to install a macOS update and you're just short. Apple suggests starting up in safe mode, which makes your Mac clear certain system caches. They're created again automatically as needed, so this is temporary, but it might give you enough room to finish a task that only needs the space while it's running. To leave safe mode, restart normally. If you're past tidying and want a clean slate, that's another job entirely: see our guide to factory resetting a Mac.
You don't have to delete everything you're unsure about, either. Apple says you might be able to save space by compressing files, then expanding them when you need them again. Apple doesn't recommend any third-party cleaner apps on these pages, and I wouldn't start there.
Quick answers
Why can't I delete System Data on my Mac?
Apple says you can't manage the contents of that category because macOS manages them. It holds files such as log files, caches, temporary files, fonts and plug-ins.
Why hasn't my storage changed after deleting files?
A file in the Trash doesn't release its storage space until you empty the Trash. Empty it, then check the Storage settings again.
Does Store in iCloud really save space overall?
It saves space on your Mac, but storing files in iCloud uses space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach the limit, you can buy more or make more available.
Can my Mac empty the Trash by itself?
Yes. Empty Trash Automatically removes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
