What To Do When Your Mac's Drive Is Full (7 Steps)

Introduction

If your Mac's internal drive is nearly full, it's essential to free up some space to ensure optimal performance. This tutorial provides you with seven actionable steps to clear out unnecessary applications and files without using any third-party apps. Follow these steps to reclaim storage and improve your Mac's efficiency.

Step 1: Use the Storage Manager

• Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
• Select About This Mac and then navigate to the Storage tab.
• Click on Manage to open the Storage Manager.

Review the recommendations provided for optimizing your storage, which may include

• Storing files in iCloud
• Emptying the trash automatically
• Reducing clutter

Step 2: Remove Applications You Don’t Need

• In the Storage Manager, go to the Applications section.
• Identify applications you rarely use or don’t need anymore.

To delete an application

• Open Finder
• Go to the Applications folder
• Drag the unwanted app to the Trash or right-click and select Move to Trash.
• Remember to empty the Trash afterward to free up space.

Step 3: Remove App Data You Don’t Need

Check for app-specific data that can be deleted

• Open Finder and navigate to Go > Library.
• Look in the Application Support and Caches folders for data from apps you’ve removed or no longer use.
• Delete any unnecessary files to recover space.

Step 4: Archive or Delete Some Documents

• Review your documents in the Documents folder.

Archive files you want to keep but don’t need immediate access to

• Consider moving them to an external drive or cloud storage.
• Delete documents that are no longer relevant by selecting them and moving them to the Trash.

Step 5: Examine Other Items Using Space

• In the Storage Manager, check the Other category.
• This category may include downloads, large files, or miscellaneous items.
• Go through this section and delete or archive any files that are taking up space but are not needed.

Step 6: Examine Your System Library

• Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog.
• Enter ~/Library and click Go.
• Look for large files or folders that may not be necessary, particularly under Application Support and Caches.
• Delete or move files that are not essential for your system’s operation.

Step 7: Examine Your User Library

• Again, use the Go to Folder feature in Finder.
• Enter ~/Library to access your user-specific library.

Review each folder for unnecessary files, especially

• Mail
• Messages
• Preferences
• Remove unwanted files to free up additional space.

Conclusion

By following these seven steps, you can effectively manage your Mac's storage and reclaim valuable disk space. Regularly reviewing your applications and files will help maintain optimal performance. After clearing out unnecessary items, consider setting a routine to check your storage periodically to prevent future issues.