I was backing up my computer and filled up my 500G passport, now it doesn’t show as a device on my macbook. I used spotlight function on mac to locate it and shows its full. Spotlight only gives me the option to delete the whole lot. I’ve got years of photos on there so only want to delete some files to free up space, not all files. It turned up that this was due to Purgeable storage/Optimized storage feature in macOS (files that macOS deems suitable for removal). One can check it's size in Disk Utility by clicking on Info (it shows both Purgeable space and Free space). Both of these can be used for new files - system does delete those purgeable when needed. These files often take up disk space for no good reason. Mac OS X tries to automatically remove temporary files, but a dedicated application will likely find more files to clean up. Cleaning temporary files won’t necessarily speed up your Mac, but it will free up some of that precious disk space. When you check the free disk space on your Mac, you will get the bad news about the “Disk is Almost Full”. That means a large amount of files are occupying most of the disk space on your Mac. What you need is to delete those junk files and clear disk space on the device. To view this folder—it might be hidden on your Mac—choose the Go menu in the Finder, press the Option key, then choose Library. This Library folder contains a lot of files you generally don’t need to see, but some of them take up a lot of space and can be deleted. View this folder in List View, and then click the Size header to view the.

Sep 08, 2021 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

Content is stored on the cloud and is always there within the reach of the user whenever it is needed through the improved efficiency of storing, processing, andretrieving files on the macOS Sierra. The new system will automatically store up those files that you do not use often in the cloud to free up storage space with macOS Sierra. Optimized versions of your pictures and other frequently used files will stay on your Mac while all other files are saved and can be retrieved by downloading them from the cloud. See how you can do this below.

You can view a summary of your storage pattern on your Mac by clicking on About This Mac from the Apple menu. An overview of your used and free space will be displayed in the storage section.

Click on the Manage button in the top right corner to view options to free up storage space with macOS Sierra. If you already have some options enabled, you will see fewer options available in this window.

1. Store in iCloud

After selecting the Store in iCloud option, you will have the option to choose between 'Files from Desktop and Documents in iCloud Drive' and 'Photos and Videos in iCloud Photo Library'.

  • The first option will store all files that are not used often on iCloud drive whenever space is needed on your system. All files that will be stored in the cloud will have the cloud icon next to it which can be clicked to download the files at any time.
  • For the second option, all full versions of your pictures will be stored in the iCloud photo library with the optimized versions on your system. You can download the originals from the iCloud photo library at any time. The storage space available on your iCloud is according to the plan you are on. You can manage this option to increase or reduce the available space.
How to delete files to free up space on mac os

2. Optimize storage

Here you can choose from the options below after clicking on it;

  • Download only recent attachments - only recently received attachments will be downloaded automatically. Other attachments can be downloaded manually by opening and saving them to the system.
  • Don’t automatically download any email attachments - email attachments will only be downloaded when you open that email or the email attachment and save it on the system.
  • Automatically remove watched iTunes movies and TV shows - all iTunes movies and TV shows that you have watched will be removed from your Mac to cloud storage whenever more space is needed. These items can be downloaded again at any time by clicking on the cloud logo next to them.

3. Empty trash automatically

Selecting this option will mean that you have set your Mac to automatically delete all files that are sent to trash and have stayed there for 30 days. Any files in the trash after 30 days will be automatically deleted to free up storage space with macOS Sierra.

Related: Emptied Trash by accident and lost important data? Get to knowhow to restore emptied trash on Mac.

4. Reduce clutter

This option will help you point out all the large files that you might not be needing any longer. When you click on Review Files, you can select from the options in the sidebar to search your compartments like Documents and Applications. You can delete some files directly from these categories with your pointer hovering over them. Select the X key to delete them from your Mac for good. If you purchased them from iTunes, Apple Store, or iBooks Store, you can download them again later. For categories with compartments, you can see the total size of the file from the side. You can open up the file to see the different compartments and their sizes and choose what to delete from there. These will also be permanently deleted.

Other ways in which macOS Sierra saves space automatically

  • You will get reminders to delete application installers that you have already used and will not be needed again on your Mac
  • Your cache, logs and other data deemed as unnecessary will be cleared automatically to free up storage space with macOS Sierra
  • Any duplicate downloads from safari will be detected by the system. Only the more recent version of the download form the duplicate options will be saved on your Mac.
  • All fonts, languages ad dictionaries that are not being used by your Mac will be deleted

5. Where to find settings for each feature

  • Store in iCloud: choose Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud > Options. Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings will be selected automatically. Deselect iCloud Drive to turn off iCloud Drive entirely. In photos, you can choose Photos > Preference > iCloud. This selects the iCloud Photo Library and Optimize Mac Storage.
  • Optimize Mac Storage: in iTunes choose iTunes > Preferences > Advanced. Optimize Storage will select 'Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows'. In mail choose Mail > Preferences > Accounts. Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments to Recent or None.
  • Empty Trash Automatically: from the finder, choose Finder > Preferences > Advanced. This will choose 'Remove items from the Trash after 30 days'.

6. Learn more

In the About Mac pop-up menu, purgeable content will show in the Storage section if Optimize Mac storage is turned on. Files considered purgeable are those Mac can remove to make space but they can all be downloaded again.

During the process of freeing up space on your Mac, you might delete or lose a file by accident and want it back in the future. You can do this withMac Hard Drive data recoverysoftware.Recoverit for Macis a good option for this. You can recover data from Mac hard drive that has been lost, deleted, or formatted.

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The Optimized Storage features of your Mac help you save storage space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand:

  • When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically.
  • Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it.
  • Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.

If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below.

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

  • Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  • Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  • Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button to save space by automatically removing watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from Apple and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.

Your Mac will also save space by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.


Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  • If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
  • In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
  • In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

  • Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
  • Reminds you to delete used app installers
  • Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
  • Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

How To Free Up Space On Mac After Deleting Files

Even without using the Optimized Storage features described in this article, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

Free Up Space On Macbook Pro

  • Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
  • Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
  • Move files to an external storage device.
  • Compress files.
  • Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Free Up Disk Space On Macbook Air

Learn more

  • The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Other, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
  • When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
  • If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.