How to make space on mac for update

Summary: Looking for ways to free up space on your Mac hard drive? Well then you have landed yourself in the right place. We are going to show you 9 of the very best ways to reclaim disk space both easily and efficiently.

If you are reading this, you’ve probably run into the problem of not having enough space left to update macOS or upgrade software. Having your disk space nearly full can also slow down your Mac performance. Perhaps there’s no space left to download that new movie you’ve been wanting and you can’t find any files to delete. Want to know how to get more disk space on your Mac? Keep on reading. Here, we’ll show you 9 great ways to free up space on your Mac hard drive.

Let's get started.

How to make space on mac for update

Table of Content

  1. How to Check Free Space on Mac
  2. 9 Ways to Free Up Disk Space on Mac

Also Read:

How to Delete System Data Storage on Mac

How to Check Free Space on Mac

First things first, let's check how much free space you have left.

  1. Click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
  2. Click on Storage Tab, wait for a few seconds. You'll see a colored storage bar.
  3. Hover over the last dark grey section, and you can see how much free space is left.
How to make space on mac for update

How Much Free Space Should I Have on My Mac?

Studies have shown that your Mac's performance starts to degrade when your storage space usage reaches 85%. For your Mac to run properly, you’ll need to have at least 10GB of free space. But we recommend that you keep at least 15% of your storage space free, so that you can have more freedom to install a new macOS, upgrade software, or download movies.

9 Ways to Free Up Disk Space on Mac

Now that you know how little space you can use, let's take a look at how to clear disk space on Mac.

1. Optimize Mac Storage

The easiest way to free up disk space is to use the built-in optimization tools on your Mac. You can easily find them by clicking on the Manage button above the storage bar. As you can see from the picture, there are four recommended optimization options. Just follow the recommendations to optimize your storage space.

How to make space on mac for update

Store in iCloud: This feature allows you to store your photos, movies, and files in iCloud. Just keep the necessary files on your Mac.

Optimize Storage: Click the Optimize button to turn on this function, and your Mac will automatically remove the movies and TV shows you have already watched and send them to the Trash when storage is needed.

Empty Trash Automatically: Once you turn it on, the items that have been in the Trash for over 30 days will be removed automatically. 

Reduce Clutter: By clicking the Review Files button, you can sort all the files on your Mac and delete the ones you no longer need.

2. Clear Junk Files on Mac

 To quickly and easily clear out all the junk files on your Mac, you need a third-party claner. BuhoCleaner is the tool for you. It's one of the best Mac cleaners, and it can help you clean and speed up your Mac with only a few clicks. It will handle your junk file cleaning, unwanted app removal, duplicate and large file cleanup, and memory release.

How to make space on mac for update

Cleaning out those junk files on your Mac has never been easier. Why not click the button below to see what it can do for you.

Free Download

3. Uninstall Apps You Don't Use

You probably have a ton of programs installed on your Mac. Is there an application that you have only used once? Those unused applications are eating away at the highly needed space you are wanting to free up. If you're sure they are no longer useful to you, deleting them can help you regain some of that space.

You can uninstall unwanted apps manually and automatically. But to be honest, the manual way is time-consuming. We highly recommend that you use BuhoCleaner to do the job for you. Click here to download the free version of BuhoCleaner.

How to make space on mac for update

Related Article: How to Completely Uninstall Apps on Mac

4. Delete DMG Files 

Once you have installed an application, its DMG files are basically useless. Since most apps don't remind you to delete their DMG files after installation, you’ll eventually wind up with a pile of DMG files that will rob you of valuable disk.

Luckily, the process of deleting DMG files is quite simple. You can either delete them via Finder manually or download BuhoCleaner to save yourself a whole lot of time and effort.

How to make space on mac for update

5. Clear Temporary Files

Your hard drive most likely has some temporary files you don't need. Removing them may not speed up your Mac, but it will free up some valuable disk space for you.

How to make space on mac for update

6. Remove Duplicate Files

Deleting duplicate files is also an excellent way to reclaim space. Have you ever noticed how many duplicate files are on your Mac? There are far more of them than you may think. Many operations can create duplicate files, such as downloading the same file multiple times and accidentally copying some files.

If you are an experienced Mac user, you can find duplicate files manually, but this may take you a long time and requires your patience and fortitude. But if you don't know much about Mac or you want to find an easier route, using a duplicate file finder tool to find and delete them is your best choice.

How to make space on mac for update

7. Reduce Photo Library Size

The photo library is where all your photos are stored. If you're a photographer, you probably import a lot of photos to your Mac. That's why your photo library is huge. To avoid running out of Mac storage space, it's a good idea to delete unwanted photos from your photo library.

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. In the Library album you will find all photos. Select the unwanted ones, Control-click them and select Delete X Photos.
    How to make space on mac for update
  3. Open the Recently Deleted album, select the ones you want to permanently remove, and click the Delete X Photos button.
    How to make space on mac for update

8. Compress Files

Another way to clear up Mac space is to compress files that you don't use very often. You don't need to use a third-party compression tool as Apple's built-in compression tool does the trick. All you need to do is select the files to be compressed, right-click them, and select Compress, and your files will be packaged into a Zip file. Since you don't use these files often, you can store the Zip file on an external drive.

9. Empty Trash

So you drag those unwanted files into the Trash bin, but then you forget to clear out the trash? Overflowing trash bins can eat up lots of space. Go ahead and empty it! You will be surprised by how much space you'll get back.

Related Article: Mac Trash Won't Empty? Here's the Fix

Conclusion

Hopefully, we have helped you to free up enough space to get your MAC running smoother, faster and ready to download those movies you’ve been wanting. As you have seen, using BuhoCleaner is the best way to get back that storage space on your Mac that you need. It can save you a whole lot of time, energy and stress. We hope you’ll give it a try.

How do I free up iOS space on my Mac?

How to delete iOS files on your Mac.
Go to the Apple menu..
Choose About this Mac, then More Info > Storage Settings..
Look for iOS Files in the sidebar and select it..
You should see a list of iOS backups in the main window, together with its size and the date it was last accessed. ... .
Click Delete and confirm..

How do I free up space on my Apple update?

Android: Which Is Best For You?.
Delete apps you no longer use: Maybe you have games or old apps you tried a few times but then forgot about. ... .
Clear old or deleted voicemails: It's easy to hear voicemail after voicemail and let them gather in your Phone app forever..

How many GB do I need to update my Mac?

How much space does macOS Catalina need on your Mac? macOS 10.15 Catalina requires 4.9GB of free space to download. You need 12.5GB when upgrading from OS X El Capitan or later, or 18.5GB from OS X Yosemite or earlier.