Out with the Old: How to Free Up Space on Mac?

Having problems with your computer for being too slow is a universal problem for anyone with a computer. Apple users are no different from the rest of them.

Apple has recently updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with new features and better storage specs. If you have the cash, you could buy it to access more space. But to those who cannot afford at the moment, we need to stick to clearing and deleting some stuff for now.

If you don’t know where to start, we have a simple guide to learn more about de-cluttering your computer. If you’re new to it, this is an invaluable guide to speed up your computer while being cost-effective. Here is the step by step instructions on how to free up space on Mac:

 

1. Check the Disk Space on Your Computer

When you free up space on mac, you need to learn to run mac check disk space first. Try to make this a habit every time it shows hints of slowing down and lagging. It’s crucial for speeding up your computer.

Here’s how to check disk space on mac:

The first step is going to your desktop and clicking the little Apple logo on the topmost left corner. On the menu bar, select About This Mac until a window will pop. This pop up shows your current operating system.

Find the Storage tab around the top of the window. You will see the segments of files that are taking up space on your computer.

 

2. Manage Your Storage Space

To get inside the Storage Management window, click on the Manage tab.

It may take some time to load but it will show you the storage summary on the left part. You can see the list of files and applications within your Mac. It will calculate how much space they are occupying at the moment.

On the right part of the window, your macOS shows options to free up more space. But there are some things you need to know before turning these recommendations on:

Store in iCloud

It is a good way to get rid of files, messages, and photos on your computer. But take note that your iCloud Drive will upload this data to all your Mac products. This happens if they’re connected in the same iCloud Drive account.

If you find that inconvenient or prefer an alternative, that’s where Optimize Storage comes in useful.

Optimize Storage

Turning on Optimize Storage means you are letting macOS delete files if you are running out of space. The computer itself will delete it for you and they are still going to be in iCloud for safekeeping.

But here’s the thing: You can still access the files on Mac.

When you find the files and click it, you can see the contents inside. This is only possible if you’re connected to the internet.

Empty Trash Automatically

The files are only going to move to the Trash or Bin when you delete them. To get rid of them after 30 days, turn on this recommendation.

Reduce Clutter

This is the easiest way to find huge files on your computer. You can also search files you often don’t access or need anymore. You only need to select the Review Files on the left side of the recommendation.

To see who takes up the most space, click on the Large Files tab on the top.

 

3. Cloud-Based Storage Backups

The iCloud Drive has 5GB of free storage for every Mac user. When you want to upgrade your storage space, it will cost you more than $0.99 to $9.99 once a month.

If you’re tight on a budget nowadays, consider the following free cloud-based storage backups:

Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the best cloud storage services available with free 15GB storage. It works on any operating system and supports a split-screen to sort your files more efficiently.

You can even put your Mac/iPhone/iPad back-ups in Google Drive.

MediaFire

It offers you 12 GB of space with even more ways to earn more storage up to 50GB! MediaFire is available as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi so you can use it on any Apple device. Sync, create and manage files on-the-go.

 

4. Delete It Yourself

It could be a little tiring for everyone to go through all your files but there are certain perks in doing so. You could preserve some files you still need or important to you for easy access. There are many instances that you delete something by accident and you couldn’t take it back anymore.

Delete Linked Files and Apps

If you need even more space, consider deleting the data of apps you have uninstalled.

Go to the /Library/ folders in your Mac to find the associated files and even applications. Be sure to read and determine if it’s connected to the app you wanted to delete.

Clear Out the Backups

Unless you have an important reason, you don’t need to create multiple back-ups.

Select on the Finder icon on the Dock bar. Click on any of your devices and tap Manage Backups. Delete the old ones except the latest backup to get a TON of space back on your computer.

Perhaps your mac notifications are bothering you to no end about low storage. If so, check this article out to prevent the ‌startup disk full Mac notifications from popping up.

 

5. Utilize Cleaning Applications

If you want to do this the easy way, consider investing in a few apps. Using cleaning applications is the fastest method to remove files and speed up your computer.

CleanMyMac X

This is a famous cleaning application for Apple devices. Besides optimizing your storage space, it removes malware to protect your privacy.

CleanMyMac X also functions as a disk manager for both your internal and external hard drives. You only have to click on the Run button and let it do the job for you.

Gemini 2

Gemini 2 has a user-friendly interface that scans your whole computer for any duplicates. Duplicates often accumulate and take up storage. This app builds you a map of suspected duplicated files and folders for easy cleaning.

You could even limit the search field is you want to get more specific results.

 

What Are the Best Ways to Free up Space on Mac?

Here are some of the ways to remove some storage space and speed up your Mac! Don’t hesitate to go back to this list whenever your hard drive begins to fill up! Keep your Mac in tip-top shape with these simple steps!

But learning doesn’t need to stop right here. You could read more of our blog posts for more guides and tricks to free up space on Mac today!