Mac storage, explained.

“Your disk is almost full”: what to do

A 10-minute checklist to free up space safely, step by step.

How much space does Apple Intelligence use?

Up to 14 GB or more on macOS 27, and the safe ways to get space back.

What's safe to delete on a Mac?

System Data, Containers, iCloud Drive, Spotlight, swap and more, in one table.

What is System Data on a Mac?

What's in that grey bar in Storage settings, and which parts you can safely reduce.

How to uninstall apps completely on a Mac

Why dragging an app to the Trash leaves files behind, and how to find them.

Lost storage after a macOS update?

Why free space drops after updating, what you can't change, and what you can.

iPhone backups taking up your Mac's space

Find them, delete old ones, or keep them on an external drive.

Pangalin Space Manager vs free disk tools

An honest comparison, including when a free tool is all you need.

Final Cut Pro library too big?

Render files, proxies and where to put them so your library stays small.

How to find large files on a Mac

Storage settings, Finder search and folder sizes: see what's really using the space.

How to clear the cache on a Mac

Which caches are safe to clear, how to do it, and why the space partly comes back.

How to find duplicate files on a Mac

Photos' Duplicates album, Finder searches, and merging copies without deleting.

How to move big folders to an external drive

Free space without deleting, and keep apps working with a link.

Time Machine local snapshots

What they are, when to leave them, and how to see and delete them.

Leftovers from apps you already deleted

Where old settings, caches and helpers hide in your Library.

“The app can't be moved to the Trash because it's open”

Find what's still running, quit it, and delete the app.

How to remove login items and startup apps

Open at Login, background items and launch agents, step by step.

“Background Items Added”: what it means

Whether to worry, and how to switch the item off.

What is purgeable space on a Mac?

Why Finder and other tools disagree about free space, and what to do.

Not enough space to update macOS?

The order to free space, quick wins first.

iCloud Drive taking up space?

Optimise Mac Storage and Remove Download, step by step.

Move your Photos library to an external drive

Apple's way: the right drive, the right setting, and checks before deleting.

Messages taking up space?

Trim it safely inside Messages, never in Finder.

How to reduce Mail storage

Erase deleted mail, remove big attachments, and leave ~/Library/Mail alone.

Delete or move local AI models

Ollama, LM Studio and Hugging Face, with each tool's own commands.

How to clear Xcode's cache

DerivedData, simulators, device support and archives.

Uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe's uninstallers, in the right order.

Uninstall Docker Desktop

Or reclaim its disk space without uninstalling.

Uninstall Microsoft Office and Teams

The apps and the Library folders Microsoft lists.

Uninstall Zoom

Zoom's own Uninstall command, and the optional clean step.

Optimise Storage: what each setting does

Store in iCloud, Optimise Storage and Empty Trash Automatically, and how to undo them.

Clean out your Downloads folder

What's usually safe to remove, and how to keep it tidy.

Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive taking up space?

Keep files online-only with each provider's own option.

Keep your Music library on an external drive

Media Location and Consolidate, the way Apple describes.

Delete duplicate photos safely

Photos' own Duplicates album and Merge.

GarageBand and Logic Pro sound libraries

Delete unused packs or move the library, by version.

Docker using too much disk space?

See what's using it and reclaim it with Docker's own tools.

Clear developer caches

Homebrew, npm, pnpm, Yarn, pip, uv, Gradle, Cargo and Go.

Reset an app without reinstalling

Start fresh by removing its settings and caches, safely.

Delete App Store apps

On current macOS and older versions, plus data and subscriptions.

Uninstall audio plug-ins

Where AU, VST, VST3 and AAX plug-ins live, and how to remove them.

Launch agents and daemons, explained

What they are, where they live, and how to switch one off.

Full Disk Access, explained

What it lets an app see, and how to add or remove an app.

Uninstall Steam

Keep or remove your games, the way Valve describes.

Uninstall antivirus software

Avast and Norton's own uninstallers, and what to check after.

Uninstall Google Chrome

The app, and your profile data if you want a clean slate.

Uninstall Spotify

Or just clear its cache.

Uninstall a VPN app

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Cisco, and leftover VPN settings.

Uninstall Ollama

The app, the command-line tool and its models.

Uninstall OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive

Unlink first, keep your files, then remove the app.

Log files: should you delete them?

What they are, where to see them, and why it rarely matters.

Find and delete old screenshots

Clear the pile and change where new ones are saved.

Update apps on a Mac

App Store, macOS and apps from the web.

iMovie library too big?

Delete render files, trim events, or move the library.

Remove browser extensions

Safari, Chrome and Firefox.

Uninstall Parallels Desktop

And delete or shrink virtual machines.

Uninstall Xcode or Android Studio

And the simulators, SDKs and caches they leave.

Uninstall Logi Options+

Logitech's steps for a complete removal.

Remove Skype

Skype was retired in May 2025; remove the app.

Uninstall BlueStacks

Its built-in uninstaller, or by hand.

AppCleaner and Pearcleaner alternatives

Three free Mac uninstallers compared, honestly, with sources.

CleanMyMac alternatives

Prices, duplicates, malware scanning and refunds, side by side.

DaisyDisk vs Pangalin Space Manager

When the $9.99 disk map is the better buy, and when it isn't.

Uninstall Slack

Every copy of the app, and its data folder.

Uninstall Discord

Quit every process first, then two folders.

Uninstall Visual Studio Code

And its settings and extensions, if you want a clean start.

Uninstall Malwarebytes

Its built-in uninstaller, and the fallback tool.

Uninstall Bitdefender

The Bitdefender Uninstaller, and what to remove if it fails.

Uninstall Logitech G HUB

Quit, Trash, restart, and where its profiles live.

Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher

What happens to your games, and the folders to check.

Uninstall TeamViewer

Its own uninstall dialog, and QuickSupport.

Uninstall VirtualBox

Oracle's uninstall tool, and keeping or deleting your VMs.

Uninstall Webex

Cisco's Webex Uninstaller, or by hand.

Uninstall McAfee

McAfee's own uninstaller, and its system extension.

Uninstall Sophos Home

Remove Sophos Home, never the Trash.

Uninstall Cisco Secure Client

Cisco's uninstall script, for AnyConnect too.

Uninstall GlobalProtect

The installer's Uninstall option, or its script.

Uninstall Citrix Workspace

Drag to the Trash, or the uninstaller on its disk image.

Uninstall VMware Fusion

No uninstaller: the folders Broadcom lists, and your VMs.

Uninstall IntelliJ IDEA or PyCharm

With Toolbox or by hand, and the settings it keeps.

Uninstall Java

The plug-in, Control Panel and JDKs, where Oracle says.

Uninstall the Wacom driver

Wacom Tablet Utility, then the leftovers Wacom lists.

Uninstall Razer Synapse

Razer's own uninstaller.

Uninstall Firefox

And your profile, if you want it gone.

Uninstall Box Drive

Box's Reset Tool, and your unsynced files.

Uninstall Adobe Acrobat

Acrobat's uninstaller, or Reader to the Trash.

Uninstall Grammarly

And what to do if it says it's still open.

Uninstall 1Password

The app, and its local data if you're sure.

Uninstall Kaspersky

Its built-in uninstaller, from the Help menu.

Uninstall ESET Cyber Security

The uninstaller hidden inside the app.

Uninstall Intego X9

Deauthorize, then Intego's Uninstall.

Uninstall Trend Micro

Its uninstaller, and the fallback tool.

Uninstall Surfshark

App Store or website version.

Uninstall Tunnelblick

Export your setup first.

Uninstall Roblox

Force quit, then the Trash.

Uninstall Elgato Stream Deck

Elgato's uninstaller package; back up profiles.

Uninstall Native Instruments software

Native Access, then the plug-in folders NI lists.

Uninstall HP printer software

HP Uninstaller, or HP's folders by hand.

Uninstall MacKeeper

Quit it properly first, then the leftovers MacKeeper lists.

Uninstall CleanMyMac

With its own Uninstaller, as MacPaw recommends.

Uninstall Avira

Trash starts its uninstaller; the fallback if not.

Uninstall AVG AntiVirus

Its uninstaller, from the app menu.

Uninstall Homebrew

Homebrew's own script: what it removes and keeps.

Uninstall Anaconda or Miniconda

The uninstall script, and saving your environments.

Uninstall Karabiner-Elements

Its built-in uninstaller, and harmless leftovers.

Uninstall Little Snitch

Finder only, plus macOS 15.3's extra step.

Uninstall Paragon NTFS

Its Uninstall button, not the Trash.

Uninstall Tuxera NTFS

From its System Settings pane.

Uninstall AnyDesk

The hidden Uninstall button, and two folders.

Uninstall Brave

The app, and its BraveSoftware folder.

Uninstall Seagate Toolkit

From System Settings; your drive is untouched.

Uninstall Private Internet Access

Its own uninstaller; the Trash leaves its service.

Uninstall Mullvad VPN

Trash, or Mullvad's own script.

Uninstall Windscribe

A drag to the Trash.

Uninstall CyberGhost VPN

Quit, Trash, and your subscription.

Uninstall Webroot

From its About window, not the Trash.

Uninstall Snagit

The app goes; your captures stay.

Uninstall Camtasia

Deactivate your licence first.

Uninstall Loom

The app and two Library folders.

Uninstall Audio Hijack

Its Scheduler first, then the app.

Uninstall Loopback

Help › Uninstall Loopback removes its devices.

Uninstall BlackHole

The uninstaller for your 2ch, 16ch or 64ch version.

Uninstall UAD software

Universal Audio's uninstaller app.

Uninstall Focusrite Control

Plus the receipts, before Control 2.

Uninstall Ableton Live

And the folders Ableton lists; keep your User Library.

Uninstall FL Studio

Back up projects, then Image-Line's steps.

Uninstall Plex Media Server

Its data folders; your media stays.

Uninstall Backblaze

The hidden Uninstall item, or its installer.

Uninstall CrashPlan

Its Uninstall app, and backups to save first.

Uninstall Carbon Copy Cloner

Snapshots first, then Uninstall CCC.

Uninstall Setapp

Keep or remove its apps; cancel separately.

Uninstall Alfred

The app, and where your workflows live.

Uninstall Tor Browser

The app and its TorBrowser-Data folder.

Uninstall Proton Drive

Sign out, back up, then Proton's folders.

Uninstall Rust (rustup)

One command, and what it removes.

Uninstall Go

Its folder and path file, as go.dev says.

Uninstall Python (python.org)

Three things to remove; leave Apple's Python.

Uninstall OrbStack

The app, and its containers if you want.

Uninstall Rancher Desktop

Factory reset, then its data folders.

Uninstall Podman Desktop

Podman first, then the app.

kernel_task using lots of CPU

What it is, and why not to stop it.

mds_stores and the Spotlight index

Rebuild it; don't delete it.

mediaanalysisd and photoanalysisd

Why Photos analysis is busy.

~/Library/Containers

When deleting one is safe.

bird and Mobile Documents

iCloud Drive's files, and Remove Download.

sleepimage and swap files

Part of macOS memory and sleep.

“Other volumes in container”

What it means in Storage settings.

.DS_Store files

Tiny, harmless, recreated by Finder.

com.apple.quarantine

Why downloads are checked, and why to leave it.