There are a certain number of MacBook or iMac users that are complaining 'why is system taking so much disk space on Mac' and want to know 'how to clean up system storage on Mac'. If your MacBook or iMac has a relatively small storage space, the huge system storage can be quite troublesome. Jul 17, 2020 Choose “About This Mac.”. Note - If you are running an older version of macOS you may have to first click “More Info” and then “Storage”. You’ve probably got a bit more space, and you’ll want to keep it that way. The only way to prevent a “your disk is almost full” is by keeping your Mac clean. MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.5) Posted on Feb 16, 2014 8:58 AM Reply I have this question too (28) I have this question too Me too (28) Me too. How to clean up Mac with CleanMyMac X: Download CleanMyMac X (a link to a free edition of the app) Launch the program. Go to the Large and Old Files section on the menu. Review the details, select what to clean, and then click Clean.
Solid-state drives are fast but expensive. And high-capacity SSDs are very expensive, which is why many of us opt for the bare minimum when we purchase a MacBook. But here’s how you can add more storage.
Upgrade Your SSD
The most radical option to expand your MacBook’s storage is to upgrade its SSD. Unfortunately, you can’t upgrade all MacBooks because Apple changed the manufacturing process on its newest models.
However, you can upgrade the following models:
MacBook Pro non-Retina up to late 2016
MacBook Pro Retina up to 2015
MacBook Air up to 2017
MacBook up to 2010
If you’re unsure which model you have, our guide on how to upgrade your Mac includes a section on how to find out and more. If your model isn’t supported, then, unfortunately, you can’t upgrade the SSD. If you have a supported model, the easiest way to upgrade is to purchase a kit.
Other World Computing sells MacBook (and other Mac) SSD upgrades in two flavors: drive only, or as a kit. If you opt for the kit, you get the SSD upgrade, required tools, and an enclosure into which you can place your old drive to transfer data.
You might be able to source the correct drive for your machine elsewhere. In that case, you can follow the guides over at iFixit. Just search for your MacBook model, and there should be a guide complete with photos to help you. iFixit also sells tools to perform this task and other maintenance.
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If you decide to go to all this hassle, make sure the upgrade is worth it. Get a big enough drive that you’re sure to notice the difference. In terms of cost, it’s around $300 for a 1 TB upgrade as part of a kit, or $250 for just the drive. Most MacBooks can handle volumes up to 2 TB, while others are restricted to 1 TB. Make sure your machine is compatible with your chosen upgrade before you buy.
If your Mac is old and still has an optical drive (like a pre-2012 MacBook Pro), you might be able to upgrade your drive and add a second or third one if you replace the optical drive to create space. That’s a pretty old machine, though, so consider whether the upgrade is worthwhile. You might be better off just buying a new MacBook.
If you do buy a new MacBook, opt for a larger, solid-state drive rather than the bare minimum. You might wince at the cost, but you’ll be thankful for the years of use you get out of all that space.
RELATED:Can You Upgrade the Hard Drive or SSD In Your Mac?
Low Profile USB Drives
If your MacBook has USB Type-A connectors (the old USB standard, not the new reversible one), then you can use a low profile USB drive to add storage. These small devices fit into a spare USB slot and protrude slightly from the side of your MacBook. They’re also one of the cheapest ways to increase your machine’s total storage.
The SanDisk Ultra Fit is our pick. It has a speedy USB 3.1 interface that attains read speeds up to 130 MB per second. According to one (verified) Amazon reviewer, its write speed is 30 to 80 MB per second. This isn’t high-speed storage, like the SSD in your MacBook, but it’s nifty enough to store documents and media. It comes in sizes up to 256 GB for around $70.
USB Type-C MacBook owners are, unfortunately, out of luck. USB Type-A is a larger port, and manufacturers have been able to take advantage of the size to squeeze in flash memory. This results in a drive that looks more like a wireless dongle, and you can leave it attached to your MacBook at all times. Nothing quite like it exists in USB Type-C form—not yet, anyway.
USB-C Hub with Integrated Storage
The newest MacBook Pro and Air models only come with USB Type-C connectors. This means you’ll likely need a hub to get access to a decent range of ports. So, why not get one with an integrated SSD?
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The Minix NEO is the world’s first USB Type-C hub that adds both ports and storage to your MacBook. Inside the hub is a 240 GB M.2 SSD, which supports read and write speeds of up to 400 MB per second. You also get four useful ports: one HDMI out with support for 4K at 30 Hz., two USB 3.0 Type-A, and one USB Type-C (which you can use to power your MacBook).
Due to the shockproof nature of an SSD, you can throw the Minix NEO in your bag without worrying about damaging your data. The unit itself is small enough to be portable, but you might not want to leave it connected to your Mac all the time. However, some people might consider attaching the unit to the lid of their MacBook with adhesive strips.
You can also buy the Minix NEO with 120 GB of storage for a bit less.
Add Storage with SD and MicroSD
If you’ve got an older MacBook with a memory card reader, you can also use SD or MicroSD cards to boost your Mac’s total storage. Just pick up an SD card and slot it into your Mac. To use MicroSD cards, you’ll also need an SD-to-MicroSD converter.
This is a relatively cheap way to add, potentially, a lot of additional space. You can snap up a 512 GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I MicroSD card for under $200 (at this writing). And the 128 GB card is only about $25 (at this writing). Unfortunately, these cards do suffer from the same limited read and write speed issues as the USB-attached storage.
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If you’re looking for a slightly more svelte solution, you might consider Transcend’s JetDrive Lite. They’re only compatible with certain models of MacBook Pro and Air manufactured between 2012 and 2015, but they sit perfectly flush against the Mac chassis. They’re available in 128 GB and 256 GB configurations, with the larger variant priced around $99, at this writing.
Network-Attached Storage
Network-attached storage is ideal for people who rarely venture outside their home or work network. You can configure a NAS drive to be shared across the network, or you can use another Mac or Windows PC that has free space. Once you configure it, you can even back up your MacBook via Time Machine to a network location.
However, if you go out of your network’s range, your storage is unavailable unless you have a solution that supports access over the cloud. This might not be an issue if you use it to store rarely-accessed files and archives, but it’s not ideal for your Photos or iTunes library.
The speed of your network limits your network storage. Things get significantly slower if you use a wireless connection. For best results, make sure your network drive (or shared computer) uses a wired connection to your router and, if possible, to your MacBook, too.
You can buy a bare-bones NAS drive, like the Netgear ReadyNAS RN422, and then purchase hard drives separately, or you can opt for a ready-to-go solution, like the Western Digital My Cloud EX2. Many modern NAS drives also support cloud-based access to your files.
How to Map a Network Drive
To reliably access a network drive, you have to map it in Finder. Follow these steps to do so:
Launch a Finder window and click Go > Connect to Server.
Enter the address to the network share you would like to map (e.g., smb://yournasdrive)
Enter any login details required, and then click OK.
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Your network drive now appears in the Finder sidebar and on the desktop. You should be able to select it as a location whenever you save or open files, too.
How to Create a macOS Network Share
If you have another Mac and want to share its drive over the network, follow these steps:
On the machine you want to share, head to System Preferences > Sharing.
Check the box next to File Sharing to enable the service.
Click the plus sign (+) and specify a location to add Shared Folders.
Click the share location, and then set permissions (you’ll want to enable write access).
You can also click “Options” to specify whether to use AFP (Apple’s protocol), SMB (Windows equivalent), or both.
Store Data in the Cloud
Online storage is another option that’s now baked into macOS. Apple’s “Store in iCloud” setting uses available iCloud space to take the strain off your Mac. When you store files you rarely access to the cloud, you have more space on your Mac for the things you use regularly. This all works automatically, so you have to have a certain degree of faith in macOS.
Files stored in the cloud appear on your computer as if they’re still there. To access these files, your computer downloads them from iCloud. How long this takes depends on the speed of your internet connection and the size of the file. If you can’t access a reliable internet connection, you won’t be able to get any of your files stored in the cloud.
To enable this setting, follow these steps:
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, and then select About This Mac.
Click the “Storage” tab, and then click “Manage…” on the right.
Click “Store in iCloud…” to begin the process.
macOS analyzes your disk and attempts to save space. To get an idea of which files your system might move, click the “Documents” section in the sidebar. This shows you a list of large documents on your Mac, and when you last accessed them.
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To make proper use of iCloud storage, you’ll likely have to purchase some space—you only get 5 GB free. If your cloud storage space starts to dwindle, you can learn how to free up some here.
Third-Party Cloud Storage
You don’t have to use Apple’s cloud servers. If you just need to offload some files to free up some space on your machine, any old cloud storage service will do.
Here are a few you might want to consider:
Amazon Drive: 100 GB from $11.99/year
Google Drive: 100 GB for $1.99/month
OneDrive: 100 GB for $1.99/month
pCloud: 500 GB for $3.99/month
Mega: 200 GB for €4.99/month
If you want to try before you buy, check out all of the services that offer free storage.
External Storage
If you really need space, are limited by budget, and don’t mind carrying a bit of extra weight with you, then a good old-fashioned external drive is the answer.
External Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
The cheapest option is to purchase a standard USB external hard disk drive. Because they rely on cheaper, mechanical hard disk drives, they also offer high capacities. However, they’re more prone to fail and also more susceptible to damage from bumps and drops. And you do have to carry your drive with you if you go this route.
Reliability aside, one of the most important factors to consider when you purchase an HDD-based external drive is the speed of the interface. Don’t accept anything older than USB 3.0—ideally, USB 3.1 or 3.1 rev 2.
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One of the most affordable drives is the Western Digital Elements portable hard drive. At this writing, it’s available with USB 3.0 and up to 4 TB for around $100. You can splash more cash on something like the G-Technology G-Drive, which features volumes of up to 14 TB, and comes with dual Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 for lightning-fast file transfers. At this writing, the G-Drive starts at around $300 for the base 4 TB model.
External Solid State Drives (SSD)
Solid-state drives are superior to hard disk drives in both speed and reliability. They have no moving parts and, thus, aren’t susceptible to mechanical breakdown. Their superior read and write speeds are limited only by the speed of the connection to your computer.
There are two drawbacks to an external SSD: capacity and price. SSD storage is still relatively expensive compared to traditional HDDs. You’ll likely pay double the price of an HDD, and the higher-capacity drives are much more expensive.
But SSDs are smaller, faster, and much more reliable. Solutions like the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD fit in a pocket and are rugged enough to swing from your bag. The Corsair Flash Voyager GTX offers the benefits of SSD storage in a more traditional “flash drive” form.
External RAID Array
RAID is a technology that allows you to connect multiple hard drives. This allows you to do things like merge multiple drives into a single volume, which provides faster read and write speeds since you can access multiple drives simultaneously. You can also use RAID as a rock-solid backup solution, to mirror one (or multiple) drives to another. This allows you to swap out any drives that fail.
This is an expensive way to add storage, and it’s also bulky. You can’t carry a RAID enclosure in your bag (not comfortably, at least), so it’s only a solution for a desktop. However, the benefits include the flexibility of a RAID system and high-speed access.
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If you decide to get a RAID enclosure, make sure you choose one with a Thunderbolt interface (ideally, Thunderbolt 3). This provides the fastest speeds possible (up to 40 GB per second) of any external connection. Like NAS drives, RAID enclosures come diskless, like the Akitio Thunder3 RAID, or in ready-to-go units, like the G-Technology G-RAID.
Clean Up Your Mac
Of course, the easiest way to create more space is to clean up the files on your MacBook. There are many tips you can try to create space on macOS. Apple provides all the tools you need to clear up gigabytes of space.
Most of the time, your hard drive is just bogged down by files you’ve forgotten about, and applications you never use. If you take a more critical look at how you manage your Mac’s storage, you might be able to limp by until your next upgrade.
In the meantime, we can all hope Apple increases the base SSD storage capacities on its laptops soon.
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“No matter what I do, my Mac is still slow”, an average tech-consultant hears this phrase multiple times a day. Give a person even the most powerful computer, and pretty soon it will be cluttered with apps, extensions, and things that are too much for it to handle. To reverse it, one has to go back and сlean up the mess, removing memory agents one by one. Prepare for a fight — every byte of memory is at stake. So let’s put your Mac on a diet and get it more free RAM to breathe freely.
First, remove desktop clutter. Get a combination of Setapp apps that clear away unneeded desktop files.
Download Declutter Free
“Your system has run out of application memory”
How do you know your Mac is low on memory? Floating “rainbow wheels” aside, you may notice your Mac now takes ages to load. You’ll also see many browser applications crashing. You’ll be also thrown warning messages as “Your system has run out of application memory”. To help it, you should first visit the Activity monitor to see memory usage on Mac.
How to check RAM usage on Mac
Go to Applications and type in Activity Monitor in the search bar. This invokes a good old Activity Monitor that should tell how much free memory you’ve got left.
A shortcut to open Activity Monitor:
Press F4 and start typing Activity Monitor in the search bar.
I’ve attached a screenshot from my Mac and as you can see my memory usage almost reached full capacity. Here’s what it all means:
App memory: taken by apps and processes Wired memory: reserved by apps, can’t be freed up Compressed: inactive, can be used by other apps Swap used: memory used by macOS Cached files: memory you can really use
Notice the colored graph under Memory Pressure. If your graph is all but red and yellow, your Mac is really gasping for fresh memory. It seems counter-intuitive, but “available memory” your Activity Monitor is not that important after all. In fact, it’s a system intended behavior to use all memory resources when available. On the contrary, the Memory Pressure graph is much more telling, so grow a habit to check this graph in the Activity Monitor every now and then.
How to check CPU usage on Mac
Open the CPU tab in Activity Monitor to keep in check CPU-heavy processes. Normally an app would be using 0-4% of CPU. If it takes abnormally more than that, go inside that particular item in the list and press the Quit button.
How to free up memory on Mac
Tip # 1. Remove Login Items to lower Mac memory usage
Login items are programs that load automatically upon Mac startup. Some of them covertly add themselves to the list and this is no good. If you’re looking to free up RAM, they are the first candidates for deletion. Don’t worry, you’re not deleting the app itself, you just stop it from auto-launching every time.
So, to remove Login Items and at the same time reduce your memory usage of your Mac, you need to:
Open System Preferences and select Users & Groups.
Click your nickname on the left.
Select the Login Items tab.
Check programs you don’t want to load as your Mac starts.
Press the “–” sign below.
Now, you won’t see these apps pop up the moment you turn on your Mac. Although this method doesn’t require some superpowers of yours, some special Mac optimization and memory cleaner tools may do the job faster and ensure the smooth performance of your Mac. CleanMyMac X is an excellent example of such software. Here’s how to disable Login Items with CleanMyMac X:
Download it for free and go to the Optimization tab.
Check Login Items to see the list of apps that get opened when you start your Mac.
Click Remove.
As you’ve already come to the Optimization module of CleanMyMac, you can also fix hung apps and heavy memory consumers there. In this way, you’ll free up the solid amount of RAM on Mac — 100% free of charge.
Tip # 2. Free up disk space if Mac is low on memory
The available space on your Mac’s drive translates into virtual memory. This comes to save you when you’ve run out of physical RAM. So now your computer relies on your hard drive space to keep your apps going.
The classic geek rule of thumb holds it that you should keep at least 20% of disk space on your startup drive. Not only this potentially reduces your future spending on iCloud storage but it also keeps your Mac speedier.
What to delete to free up space:
Large unused files, like movies
Old downloads
Rarely used applications
System junk
But here’s a simpler solution to save your time — clean up your drive with CleanMyMac X— the app I’ve mentioned above. Many users recommend it as an excellent way to free up more space because it searches for large & old files, useless system files, Photo junk, mail attachments and shows everything you can safely delete. Interestingly, it finds about 74 GB of junk on an average computer.
How To Free Disk Space On Mac
Extra trick: How to free up RAM on Mac with CleanMyMac X
If you have downloaded CleanMyMac, you may also take advantage of its amazing feature — the ability to free up RAM in a few seconds. Try this next time you see “Your system has run out of application memory” message.
Go to the Maintenance tab on the left.
Click Free Up RAM.
Click Run.
As simple as that!
And you can do it even if you download a free version of the app.
Tip # 3. Clean up your Desktop
This tip always comes at the bottom of instructions and unfairly so as it is quite effective. Without even looking at your Desktop I would assume it’s cluttered with mountains of icons. Thing is, your macOS was designed in a way that it treats every Desktop icon as a little active window. The more icons, the heavier memory usage on Mac. So in order to release available memory resources, it’s recommended to keep your Desktop clean.
You don’t have to do it all by yourself. With apps like Declutter and Spotless, every desktop cleaning session will be scheduled in advance and executed automatically. Your only job is to define the rules on how your files should be organized.
Tip #4. Clear cache files
Another way to free up RAM on Mac is to clear it of cache files. Of course, it won’t save you gigabytes of space, but deleting cache regularly, you can help your Mac run faster and avoid system issues.
So, to remove cache files on your Mac, you need to:
Open Finder.
From the Go menu, select Go to Folder.
Type ~/Library/Caches in the field and press Go.
In the window that appears, you will see all your cache files.
Press Command+A to select all files or delete files one by one.
Enter your user name and password to confirm.
If you find some files still in the folder after you emptied it, maybe you have some windows open on your Mac. Just like that, you can save up some space on your Mac. Don’t forget to empty the bin afterward.
Tip # 5. Tune up Chrome’s Task Manager
Although Google Chrome is not the one to blame for massive memory usage, it can indeed affect your Mac's performance. If you use Chrome as your primary browser, you probably have many windows opened there. Chrome runs a lot of processes to ensure a fast browsing experience for you. So, it uses your RAM for storing your tabs, plugins, and extensions. Look at how many entries Google Chrome has in Activity Monitor:
The question then arises, 'Why does Chrome use so much RAM?' The thing is that each process is responsible for a separate plugin or extension of your browser. For example, when a tab unexpectedly falls, you need to refresh it to continue your work there. If one process were responsible for all tabs and extensions, you would need to restart the whole browser instead. Can you imagine how many times would you do that? That’s the proper answer to why Chrome uses so much RAM.
I’ve been using Chrome for some years only to discover (recently) that Chrome had a task manager of its own. You can use it to force quit memory-heavy processes in the browser. It’s a handy tool because it lets you see how a page weighs on CPU usage on a Mac.
How To Make Space On Mac Air
Go to Chrome settings (dotted icon in the top right corner)
Click More tools -> Task Manager
To free up even more RAM, close the GPU process. The GPU Process, though helpful in theory to accelerate pages, eats up a considerable amount of memory. Click to end it to free up RAM on your Mac.
Tip # 6. Manage RAM usage with CleanMyMac X menu
CleanMyMac X has another useful and convenient feature for managing your Mac’s performance and memory usage. As you install CleanMyMac X and start it for the first time, it’s icon will appear in your menu bar. Click the icon to open the CleanMyMac X menu. Here you can find updates on the current condition of your Mac and perform quick tweaks to increase your Mac's speed. Whenever you feel like your Mac underperforms, open the CleanMyMac X menu to check how much RAM is available and free it up as well.
How To Free Up Space On Mac
Tip # 7. Close Finder windows
Okay, suppose you’re still asking yourself, how do I clear RAM on my MacBook Pro/MacBook Air. The next trick is as magical (you’ll see for yourself) as it is time-saving. It’s no secret that each window in the Finder eats up RAM. But how many open windows are there? Some of them are collapsed or stacked in some blind spot on your screen. This Finder command merges all your windows into one. See how to do it:
Click on Finder > Window > Merge All Windows
Now you can manage Finder windows more effectively and free up memory on MacBook.
What else you can do to minimize memory usage on Mac
I’ve saved the easiest tips for the end, as long as these ones are self-explanatory.
Replace AdBlock (very memory-demanding) with a lighter extension
Keep fewer opened tabs in the browser
Restart your Mac more often to free up RAM
Close all hung-up print queues
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That was my take on how to make your Mac a bit speedier to use. If you’re looking for more guidance, check simple ways to speed up your Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check application memory on Mac?
To check RAM usage on your Mac, go to Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities). In the Memory tab, you will see all the active processes that are using your Mac’s RAM. At the end of the window, there is a Memory Used graph, which indicates how much application memory is used.
How to find out whether your Mac needs more RAM?
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Your Mac may be using almost all its RAM, but you don’t need more if it’s using it efficiently. Open Activity Monitor and go to the Memory tab. The Memory Pressure graph shows the current condition of your RAM: green color means your Mac’s using RAM effectively, while yellow is a sign that some application or process is using too much of application memory. The red memory pressure signals that your Mac needs more RAM.
How to quickly free up RAM on your MacBook?
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To free up RAM on your Mac, firstly, you should find out what app uses so much of your memory. The memory-heavy programs are listed in Activity Monitor, Memory tab. If there is an app you aren’t using at the moment, click it and press the “X” sign to quit it. This will, in turn, free some of the application memory.