Imagine this: You are working on your Mac computer, and suddenly, it starts acting up, and you receive the dreaded “storage almost full” warning message. You are scratching your head, wondering how this happened.
Most people like to think they are good at managing digital clutter. You are probably among those who are confident they are doing everything right. But there is always unseen clutter hiding in the shadows.
If you are tired of hidden culprits gobbling up your precious hard drive space, this guide is for you. As you reach the end, you will know how to identify and unveil hidden culprits consuming Mac’s storage space, along with learning help tips and tricks to prevent this from happening.
Understanding the Factors Contributing to Storage Hog
Let’s understand what is making your computer run out of storage space. The sneaky culprits are:
- Large files - With time, your computer accumulates heavy files like high-resolution images, movies, and resource-intensive applications. These can take up a lot of storage space if not managed properly.
- System junk - An unbelievable amount of system junk is accumulated as you use your computer for personal and professional use. Caches, temporary system files, and old backups can pile up and cause system shortages.
- Unused applications - Applications you no longer use sit idly, eating away storage space.
- Browser cache - Browsers store data to ensure the faster loading of websites. Although this is convenient, it can result in system bloating.
- Downloads folder - This folder is a sneaky culprit where files of different types are found. There might be documents, mail attachments, installers, videos, images, and more sitting idly in this folder.
So, now you know the culprits that are causing your system storage to feel choked. Let’s focus on eliminating these culprits in the next section.
Identifying and Eliminating Storage Hogs
- Assess the storage situation
The first step is to analyze the storage situation by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage. Here, you will get a summary of your computer’s storage use categorized under Documents, Apps, System, Photos, etc.
- Declutter the desktop
The desktop is the universal digital dumping ground. Most users save the files and documents they are working on for easy access. Although this is convenient, the desktop quickly becomes cluttered.
You must sort the files into folders so they are organized. During organizing the files, you can even start deleting the redundant ones.
- Find and remove large files
Bulky apps, videos, or outdated documents are large files that take up a lot of space on your Mac. You can use the Finder application to search for and remove these space hogs.
Alternatively, you can go to the Storage tab in About This Mac to mac OS find large files. Sort the results by size to identify the largest files and remove the irrelevant ones.
- Uninstall the unused applications
Accumulating applications you don’t need contribute to bloating your system and affecting the overall performance of your Mac. You need to uninstall the applications you do not use by dragging them to the Trash or clicking Uninstall in the App Store.
P.S. Don’t forget to empty the Trash!
- Manage System junk
A large amount of caches and system files are accumulated with time. You can use a cleaning app to quickly scan and delete them. Or, it can be done manually by going through system folders.
- Remove browser cache
Safari and other browsers store cached data to open the websites faster. Over time, these caches can eat away a lot of storage space. You can open the Settings menu in your browser and remove the cache.
How to Prevent Storage Hogs in the Future?
- Regular maintenance - Prevent the resurgence of storage hogs by scheduling regular clean-up sessions. A quarterly or monthly review of digital clutter can make a significant difference.
- Implement a backup strategy - Backing up regularly can ensure the safety of your important data while making room on your Mac for more data to be stored. You can transfer files and other important data from your hard drive to an external drive via Time Machine. Or you can use iCloud to back up large files and access them wherever you are.
- Manage apps - It is important to manage applications installed on your computer. Uninstall the apps you don’t need, or they sit idly, taking up space.
- Organize media files - You can use dedicated photos to organize and manage your media library. This will prevent duplicates.
Summing Up
The storage space on your Mac computer is a valuable resource. Failure to manage the storage space results in system slowdowns and performance bottlenecks. By understanding the sneaky culprits behind storage hogs, you can ensure your computer remains responsive and efficient. Also, you can enjoy the extra space to store more files or download more apps that are necessary.
