How to Clean Up a Hard Drive on a Mac

Posted By Volodymyr Chubei | 16 Dec 2024

Over time, your MacBook's hard disk may overflow with unnecessary files and data, slowing it down and reducing system performance. In this article, we'll explore several ways that will help you to deal with the issue of how to clean up hard drive on Mac and explain how to put them into practice to free up space and optimize the performance of your device.

Why You Need to Clean Up Your Hard Drive

Regular cleaning the hard drive on your MacBook is important for several reasons. Each of them directly affects system performance, longevity, and user experience.

The main reasons why you should pay attention to Mac hard disk cleanup:

Improves system performance. Over time, the hard disk fills up with outdated data. which slows down performance. The system requires more time searching for the right files in crowded memory.
Free up space for important files. If your disk runs out of free space, it makes it impossible to install new applications or save large files.
Prevents system errors and crashes. Lack of free space can cause applications and the operating system malfunction. Your Mac may freeze, and you may encounter errors when updating applications or the system.
Speeds up application performance. Software accumulates temporary files and data, which slows down their startup and overall performance. For example, browsers store cache that takes up more space over time and slows down page loading speeds.
Increases system stability. A full disk, if there is little space left on it for temporary OS files to run, can lead to unexpected program terminations or system-wide crashes.
Extends the life of the device. A hard disk drive, especially if it is a traditional HDD, wears out faster with constant overflow and frequent write/read operations.
Makes it easier to create backups. Full or cluttered devices can make it difficult to create backups using Time Machine or other backup tools.

10 Ways to Clean Your Hard Drive on a Mac

Regular cleaning your hard disk is an important process that helps keep your MacBook running smoothly and prevents unnecessary files from overflowing your memory. Here are some basic ways that can help you effectively manage the data on your device to free up space and optimize performance.

1. Manage Large Files and Folders

Long videos, software, and backups discreetly take up a lot of space. Delete them or move them to an external drive to free up disk space.

How to manage files:

Open the Apple Menu and go to About this Mac.
Click on Storage and Manage. Here you will see an analysis of the space used.
In the Documents section, select the files you no longer need and move them to the Recycle Bin.

You can also use Finder to find large files. Open it, select All my files, sort by size, delete or move them to an external disk.

2. Uninstall Unnecessary Applications

Over time, your Mac may accumulate applications that you no longer use. These programs continue to take up space even when you're not using them. Uninstalling old applications is an easy and effective way to free up space, especially if these are large programs.

Click the Programs tab from the Finder menu.
Find the unwanted software and drag it to the trash.
Empty the basket.

Alternatively, you can use Launchpad's built-in uninstall feature. Pinch the app icon until it shakes, then click the X to uninstall it.

3. Clear Browser Caches and Temporary Files

When you use a browser, the system saves temporary files and cache. This helps websites load faster, but eventually these files take up too much space, so it's best to get rid of them.

In Safari, go to Settings to the Privacy tab and select Manage Site Data.
Select the sites the data of which you want to delete, or click Delete All.

For Chrome:

From the settings menu, go to the section under Privacy and Security.
Open the Clear View Data tab.
Select the time period, mark the files to be deleted (e.g. cache, cookies) and confirm the action.

Also: How to Clear System Data on MacBook

4. Remove Old iOS Backups

If you use an iPhone or iPad backup device, old copies can take up a lot of space. They are saved automatically and are often quite large.

To remove them:

Open Finder and select your device in the left column.
In the backups section, you can view all your saved copies and delete those that you no longer need.

If you have an older version of macOS, this process is done through iTunes: open settings, go to the Devices tab, and delete your old backups.

5. Empty the Downloads Folder

The Downloads folder is a repository for all files downloaded from the Internet. Over time, large installation files, documents or images that are not needed accumulate here.

To clear the folder:

Navigate to Downloads in the Finder.
Select unnecessary files and delete them.

Also: MacBook Won't Download Files: Causes and Tips for Quick Fix

6. Clear the Trash

Everything you delete actually stays in the recycle bin can and continues to take up space.

To finally get rid of the files:

Click on the Trash icon in the dock.
Select Clear Cart.

7. Use macOS Disk Utility to Clear Space

Sometimes hard disk problems can cause loss of free space. Using the Disk Utility can help you fix file system problems and recover some of the lost space.

Open the Utilities menu and navigate to Disk Utility.
Select your drive and click First Aid to analyze and correct errors.

8. Offload Media to External Storage

Transfer photos and videos to an external hard drive or to iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox cloud services. This will help free up space on your internal drive for other data.

9. Use Third-Party Tools

If you are looking for an automated solution to clean up your Mac hard drive, there are several third-party applications that can be used. These programs automatically scan your disk for unwanted files and offer to delete them.

CleanMyMac X is a powerful tool to scan your disk ana for junk files and safely delete them in a few clicks.
DaisyDisk - allows you to visualize disk space usage and delete large files.

10. Optimize Storage with macOS Tools

macOS has built-in storage optimization features that help you manage space automatically. They store files in the cloud, delete watched media files, and optimize storage.

Open the Apple Menu, go to About this Mac, Storage, and the Manage tab.
Enable Store in iCloud to move documents and photos to the cloud.
Use Storage Optimization to automatically delete movies and TV shows that you watched.
The Reduce Clutter feature allows you to find and delete unnecessary files.

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FAQ

1. How do I clean my hard drive on my MacBook?

To clean up your hard drive, delete unnecessary files, cache, and apps via Finder or built-in macOS tools like Storage Management.

2. How do I completely clean my Mac hard drive?

To completely erase data from your hard drive, restart your Mac in recovery mode (hold Command+R), open Disk Utility, and select Erase.

3. How do I clean up my Mac memory to make it run faster?

To speed up your Mac, uninstall unnecessary apps, clear cache and temporary files, and disable unnecessary autorun items through System Preferences.

4. Does Mac have a disk cleanup?

Yes, macOS has built-in tools for disk cleanup. Open the Apple Menu, go to About this Mac, click Storage and Manage to set up automatic storage optimization and cleanup.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Volodymyr Chubei
Computer Repair Specialist at TechToro.io

Volodymyr was born in Ukraine and has found his passion for electronics from his childhood. At the age of 13, he was capable of soldering some basic elements of a logic board and today he is one of the co-founders of TechToro.io