The Macworld site has a detailed list of cleaning tips that explains how to find and trash old Mail downloads, cache files and disk images. If you are running a version of the operating system older than macOS Sierra, you can manually wade through your drive tossing old files or get a third-party cleaning app to sweep up for you. Click the X next to each file to delete it. To see what the Mac considers “clutter,” click the Review Files button and go through the lists of files deemed large, old or unnecessary.

Using the Reduce Clutter feature is another way to find big files hogging drive space and remove them. (In macOS Sierra and later, the system also automatically dumps duplicate Safari downloads, cache files, logs and other unneeded files.) The Empty Trash Automatically setting permanently deletes files that have been living in the Mac’s trash for longer than 30 days. The setting also changes the Mail program’s behavior regarding file attachments to retrieve only recent files - or only those that came with messages you have opened. While this does free up room on the computer, you may have to buy more iCloud storage space from Apple if you fill up your five gigabytes that come free with an iCloud account.Įnabling the Optimize Storage feature dumps iTunes videos you have already watched, but you can download them again later. The resulting storage-management screen offers four ways to clear off old files: Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash Automatically and Reduce Clutter.Īs one might expect, the Store in iCloud option punts documents, photos and Messages off your Mac’s drive and into your iCloud online storage locker. Click the Manage button on the right side of the box to get started. On the Storage screen, you should see a graphic showing your drive’s available space. If your Mac is running at least that version of the system, go to the Apple Menu, select About This Mac and click the Storage tab. For years, Mac computers did not come with utilities like Disk Cleanup and the newer Storage Sense found in Windows, but Apple added new tools in 2016 with the release of its macOS Sierra system.

Could you also address the same issue for Macs?Ī. You recently wrote about hard-drive cleanup for Windows.

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