Mac System Storage Is Huge, How to Clear System Storage on Mac By Carrie Murray, Friday, November 09, 2018 'When I went to About this Mac Storage, I noticed my mac system storage is taking up too much space - over 80GB! View System Logs in the Console App. To view your Mac system logs, launch the Console app. You can launch it with Spotlight search by pressing Command+Space, typing 'Console,' and then pressing Enter.
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- 2. Mac Software
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- 5. Mac OS
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2019-11-07 / Update for Mac OS
'System storage on macOS Sierra is 470 GB! Why does my Mac system requires so much space? What is system storage on Mac?'
Are you wondering about what is the system storage on Mac? You may have experienced a similar situation while using your Mac system. You would have noticed that your Mac is running out of storage space. To check the system storage space, you can click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of the main screen on your Mac system and select 'About This Mac' and then on 'Storage'. You may notice that the system takes up a large amount of storage, sometimes even up to 470GB! If this is a situation which seems similar to you then this article will help you in knowing more about what is system on Mac storage and how you can clear it up.
Part 1: What Is System Storage on Mac Mojave/Sierra/Catalina
Before learning about how to access system storage on Mac and how to delete system storage on Mac, it is important to know about what is system storage on Mac. https://downmup544.weebly.com/hot-shot-casino-games-free-online-slots-777.html. In this part of the article, you will learn in detail about what is the system on Mac storage.
Want to know how to check system storage on Mac? The system storage in Mac can be accessed by going to the 'About this Mac' section and then clicking on 'Storage'. Here you will find that the storage data is categorised into Apps, Photos, Audio, iOS files, System, etc. The system storage here is pretty confusing and you may find yourself wondering what is in the system storage on Mac. Generally, all the files which are categorized under system storage are the ones that cannot be put under movie, app, music, picture or document.
Download macos mojave dmg. Want to know what is system storage on Mac OS Sierra and its contents? They are listed below.
- MacOS which was used for starting up the system and launch the apps on the system.
- Plenty of important files which are required for the correct functioning of MacOS.
- Cache files and system log files.
- Cache from mail, browser, photos and from the other third party apps in the Mac system.
- Junk files and trash data.
Now you would clearly know what is 'system' on Mac storage. Only after having a thorough knowledge about what is the system part of storage on Mac can you move on to the next part which details how to clear system storage on Mac.
Part 2: How to Clear System Storage on Mac and Reclaim More Disk Space
The above section gives ample amount of details about what is 'system storage' on my Mac. Now that you are fully aware of what is system in Mac storage, let us look at how to reduce system storage on Mac.
Since you now know what is system in storage on Mac, you would know that it does contain some important system files which are essential for the normal functioning of your Mac system. These files cannot be and should not be deleted. But, when you see the system storage as high as 470 GB, you may wonder why is system storage so high on Mac. So, you would need to find out which are the junk and non-important files which are taking up so much space in your Mac system.
Here are some tips on how to clean system storage on Mac in the most simplest ways.
1. Clear the Downloads Folder
Now you would know what is included in system storage on Mac. Some files like the ones in 'Downloads' folder may also be taking up extra space. You use these files and forget about them and they stay forever in the Downloads folder. Be sure to delete these files from your Mac system to generate some more extra space.
2. Delete the Third Party Apps Which You Do Not Use
Wondering about what does system mean in Mac storage? These are some important system files required for the smooth functioning of your Mac system. However, there are several other unused or junk files in this section which may be taking up too much space. Check all the large apps stored in your Mac system and delete them if you do not use them much.
3. Check for Duplicate Photos in iPhotos Library
Thinking about what is stored in system on Mac? There are some duplicate files in your Mac system which may also be causing the storage space to be so high. If you have previously made use of the iPhoto library, it may be possible that there may be many duplicates still in your system as you would now be using the Photos App. There are unnecessarily two libraries for photos, delete or stop using iPhoto library. This way the duplicates would be removed. You can even enable the iCloud photo library so that all your photos get stored on cloud and does not occupy the space in your system.
4. Transfer the Old Files
There may be several old files in your system which you would not be using since a long time and which you may no longer need. Check for such files in your Mac system and move everything to cloud storage space or to another system to create more space on your Mac system storage.
5. Empty Your Trash
Most of the Mac system users often forget to empty the contents in the Trash folder. Be sure to right click on the Trash folder every once in a while to permanently delete all the files from your Mac and create extra space.
Conclusion
From the above section you can know what is Mac system storage and how you can clear up space in the Mac system storage. The above tips are pretty useful in helping you clear out the unnecessary files which are taking up too much space in your Mac system. While following the above tips, if you accidentally delete some important files from Mac, you need not worry. Os mac 2011. You can make use of Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery tool to recover these deleted or lost files in simple and easy ways.
It's recommended that you keep at least 15-20% of your Mac's memory free to keep it running smoothly. Optimizing storage is an efficient way to do this. But there are also several other steps you can take to free up space on MacBook Air, Pro, or any other macOS device. Doing these routinely will ensure you don't face any storage issues and are able to make the most of your system. So let's have a look.
12 Easy Ways to Free Up Space on MacBook Air or Pro Running macOS Catalina
#1. Delete Large Files on your Mac
Instead of deleting a hundred small files and images, first of all, let us go for the big fish.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click Documents. Mostly, this is where the big files are. Here you will see the video files, ZIP/RAR files, etc. By default, the biggest files are at the top. Select one or hold the command key and select multiple files
- Finally, click on Delete from the bottom right and confirm.
#2. Remove iOS and iPadOS Backups
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now Select Storage tab and click on Manage.
- Click iOS Files from left sidebar
- Select and
Related:How to Find iPhone Backup Location on Mac & Windows
#3. Delete Unwanted Applications
You can delete Mac applications in various ways. You may follow the above steps, click on Applications, and remove the large ones.
#4. Clear Cache to Free Up Space on Mac
- Be in Finder and click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Go to Folder.
- Type or copy-paste ~/Library/Caches
- Delete the files from here that are taking the most space. You may even delete everything. With normal usages, these files and folders will be recreated by macOS.
- Next, click on Go again and then Go to Folder. Now type or copy-paste /Library/Caches
- You may delete files from here too. After this empty the trash and restart you Mac
#5. Remove Old Downloads
![Mac system storage is huge Mac system storage is huge](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kmARJl22_wo/TV_89yf5kwI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/jxGtvMxVfjU/s1600/desktopr.jpg)
This comes down to what you are willing to keep and what you are happy to let go of. Nowadays everything is online in the cloud. Thus there is no point in storing too may videos, music, etc. on the local storage.
- Click on the Finder icon (leftmost) from the Dock
- Click Downloads and remove unnecessary files from here, by right-click and selecting Move to Trash.
You may also right-click and sort by size to quickly locate and delete the biggest files first.
#6. Compress Folders and Files
If you have many images and word files that you rarely use, but can not delete, then it is a handy idea to compress them. Here is how to zip and unzip files on Mac.
#7. Empty Trash Automatically
- Right-click on the Trash icon in the dock (the rightmost option)
- Click Empty Trash and confirm
To empty Trash automatically:
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Turn On for Empty Trash Automatically.
Many times, GBs of files pile up and are stored in the Trash, thus occupying significant space. It is better to empty it regularly.
#8. Use iCloud to Store Documents
It is best to use iCloud to Store docs etc. on Mac if you have a paid iCloud plan that gives you more than 5 GB of online storage. Here is how to use iCloud to Store Documents.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Store in iCloud.
- Review what all will be stored. Uncheck if you wish to exclude photos, messages, desktop, and documents. Finally, click on Store in iCloud.
You may also, enable iCloud Photos from System Preferences → Apple ID → iCloud → Photos or the Preferences of the Mac's Photos app. Mac trackpad not clicking.
#9. Optimize Storage Automatically
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click on Optimize next to Optimize Storage. Now, all the movies and TV shows you have watched will be automatically removed.
#10. Delete Attachments from Mac Mail App
Following these steps, you can delete the attachments that have been saved locally on the Mac from the mail app. Depending on the number of emails you receive, this data can be huge.
- Be in Finder and press and keep holding the Option key. Now click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Library.
- Now, Click on Containers.
- Go to com.apple.mail.
- Click on Data.
- Select Library.
- Now, click on Mail Downloads.
- Select all folders and delete them. Or open the individual folders, see the content, and delete the unnecessary ones.
Even if you delete from here, the attachments are still in your email that you can view or download anytime. Further, you may also choose to stop the Mac Mail app from downloading attachments.
#11. Remove Duplicate Files using Third-Party Apps
Duplicate files are a big headache and unnecessarily occupy space. We have a list of some of the best mac cleaner apps that can help you delete duplicate files on your Mac.
Mac Os Mojave System Storage Huge
#12. Use External Drives for Large Infrequently Used Files
Do you have data that you do not use much but can neither delete them nor store them in the cloud? Well, consider investing in an external drive and move infrequently used large files to it.
Signing off…
These were some of the easiest ways to free up space on your MacBook Air. It's a good idea to do these steps every now and then to keep your system performing well. Are there any other Mac tips you're looking for? Let us know in the comments below and we'll help you out.
You may also like to take a peek at:
Macbook System Storage High
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. Where is the home key on a mac keyboard. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
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