{"id":90816,"date":"2024-09-27T12:27:16","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T04:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=90816"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:29:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T04:29:06","slug":"how-to-check-storage-and-free-up-disk-space-on-your-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/en\/2024\/09\/how-to-check-storage-and-free-up-disk-space-on-your-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to check storage and free up disk space on your Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/p>

How to check storage and free up disk space on your Mac<\/p>

If you ever truly loved a MacBook, you\u2019ve gotten your heart broken by one, too.\u00a0<\/p>

Apple\u2019s longstanding MacBook line has a dream-like appeal; its stellar design sensibility suggests nearly limitless possibilities.\u00a0<\/p>

Apple\u2019s willingness to buck trends also results in some stubborn decisions. Notably, it has stripped audio jacks from iPhones<\/a>, insisted on a proprietary lightning cable<\/a>, and typically charges a premium for memory and hard drive<\/a> space.\u00a0<\/p>

When an additional 512 GB can cost $600\u2014like the 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro<\/a>\u2014you may opt to make do with less.\u00a0<\/p>

How do you free up disc space on your Mac? Read on to learn how to check storage on your Mac<\/a> to avoid stuffing your hard drive to the brim.\u00a0Use Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows<\/a> to greatly simplify hard drive management\u2014there are a ton of extra handy tools included too!\u00a0<\/p>

How to check storage on your Mac<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

Th<\/s>ere are a few ways to check the storage on your Mac\u2019s hard drive<\/a>. The steps differ depending on your MacOS version<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

Which MacOS are you running? You can check by hovering over the top menu bar, clicking the Apple icon on the far left, and then clicking About This Mac<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>

Instructions will differ if you have Ventura or later updates, including Sonoma or Sequoia, or if you have Monterey and earlier releases.\u00a0<\/p>

How to check the storage on your Mac using About My Mac<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

Our first method begins with the same steps as above. Navigate to About My Mac<\/strong> once more.\u00a0<\/p>

For Monterey and earlier<\/strong>: You\u2019ll see a rectangular-shaped window with several tab options. Click Storage<\/strong>, and the following window will present a bar chart breaking down used and available space, sorted by file types (Like media, documents, and applications).\u00a0<\/p>

For Ventura and later<\/strong>: These users will see a smaller About My Mac<\/strong> window with a single button: More Info\u2026<\/strong> Once clicked, you\u2019ll arrive at the About<\/strong> tab in system settings. Scroll to the bottom and click Storage Settings<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Check<\/figure>

Here, you\u2019ll spot a bar chart illustrating your current storage usage, with different file types color-coded. Red represents documents, orange denotes applications, gray describes system data, and black is for free space.\u00a0<\/p>

How to check storage on your Mac through system settings<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

Accessing System Settings<\/strong> is simple. Click the Apple icon in the top menu bar and hit System Settings<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>

Scroll down the left-hand menu bar and click Storage<\/strong>. You\u2019ll then arrive at the same Storage Settings<\/strong> window.\u00a0<\/p>

How to free up disk space on your Mac<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

Next, I\u2019ll use the Storage Settings<\/strong> window to free up much-needed hard drive space.\u00a0<\/p>

Below the bar chart, you\u2019ll see a table of file types and the volume of space they occupy. Clicking the encircled i<\/strong> for \u201cinformation\u201d next to each will launch a pop-up detailing that category\u2019s largest files in descending order.\u00a0<\/p>

Typically, most of your space will be dedicated to apps or documents.\u00a0<\/p>

Let\u2019s look at my MacBook Pro\u2019s hard drive.\u00a0<\/p>

\"check<\/figure>

It looks like my Applications folder is stuffed. The largest apps are either video games or office tools. To save some space, I\u2019d probably delete the games Ultros and Terra Memoria\u2014I already beat them anyway.\u00a0<\/p>

I\u2019ll also ditch Microsoft PowerPoint<\/a>; I rarely use it, and Google Slides is free and good enough for my purposes.\u00a0<\/p>

Now, I\u2019ll navigate to my document storage tab since it\u2019s the largest file type by far.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Check<\/figure>

At the top, you\u2019ll see Parallels Desktop, which I use to virtualize Windows 11<\/a>, play Windows games, and use Windows applications<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

I\u2019ll keep that, and instead I\u2019ll delete a bunch of somewhat smaller files, such as application setup files, corrupted downloads, and already-extracted compressed files.\u00a0<\/p>

And look! I saved another 5 gigabytes.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Delete<\/figure>

Free up space on your Mac using Mac System Settings and Disc Utilities<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

Apple has developed a range of simple tools to help you manage hard drive space.\u00a0<\/p>