10 Ways To Clear System Storage On Mac [2023 Updated Guide]

Does this problem sound familiar to you? Are you fed up with “Your Startup Disk Is Almost Full” notification popping over and over? Lack of available space on the startup disk can trigger several issues. It can lead to both unstable & slow performance on Mac. Less space can also prevent some programs from running properly. The problem of frequent system crashes also occurs due to a packed hard drive.

Overall, you need to free up disk space to avoid such errors. This can be done both manually & automatically using a dedicated System Cleanup Tool.

We’ll be discussing both the ways to free up system storage on mac effectively & efficiently.

So, let’s get started!

10 Best Ways To Clear System Storage On Mac

Listed are some of the most effective methods to prevent “Your Startup Disk Is Almost Full” problem on your Mac Machine.

Method 1 – Make Use of Disk Clean Pro

If you don’t feel like spending a lot of time finding and cleaning things one by one, take the help of Disk Clean Pro. It’s a dedicated utility designed to clean, optimize & tune up Mac. It features all the tools and functionalities that help boost system performance & keep it optimized for a longer time.

And, of course, there’s a free trial available. You can even get rid of large files, duplicates, old downloads, & optimize memory.

Features:  Disk Clean Pro is a blend of advanced tools that lets you get rid of junk files, duplicates and other privacy exposing traces. Here’s everything it offers:

• One Click Care = In a single click detect and remove junk files, temp files, crash reports, etc.
• Junk Cleaner = Remove junk files that unnecessarily clutter the hard disk & take up system storage on mac.
• Logs Cleaner = Helps clean outdated log files that sits on your Mac and take unwanted space
• Crash Reports = When an application crashes on Mac a crash report is generated. Over time these reports clutter Mac. Using this module you can easily wipe them.
• Partial Downloads = Lists incomplete or corrupt download items stored on your mac and helps erase them in a jiffy. This cleaning making room for important files

SPACE OPTIMIZATION

• Duplicate Finder = Its single scan, lists all the duplicate photos, videos, folders & other documents. Hence, get rid of all the exact & similar files from a single dashboard.
• Old & Unused Files = Identifies old and unused files thereby, helping improve speed and reclaiming huge chunks of storage space.
• Large Files = Locate the largest files stored on your Mac & delete them if you don’t require them anymore. It’s one of the most useful modules to clear system storage on Mac & recover  space.
• Old Downloads =Lists old downloads in one place, so that you can see which ones to keep and which to delete.

MANUAL CLEANING

• Internet Privacy = Saved info & data on browsers is a potential gateway to identity theft & other breaches. Get rid of them in a single scan with it.
• Misc Cleaning = Lets you know about all kinds of redundant data thus helping improve system speed.

Disk Clean Pro features all the functionalities that you would need to clear system storage on mac. It’s various modules help keep Mac maintained for a longer run!

However, if you wish to delete system storage on Mac using manual methods, read further:

Manual Ways to Clean and Tune-Up Mac

Method 2 – Clean Your Trash

This may sound elementary, but we usually forget to delete files/folders stored on our Trash.  Emptying your Trash folder at least once a week can help you save a lot of unnecessary occupied disk space.

Go to your dock & Right-Click on the Trash > select option Empty Bin

Method 3 – Delete Unnecessary or Failed Downloads

Have a closer look at the Download Folder. You can follow the path to find the location:

/Macintosh HD/Users/Current User/Downloads

You’d be surprised to see how many download items and files have been accumulated, several of them might not be very useful to you. Go on, cleaning out download items that you don’t require or (don’t know that it exists) & recover tons of storage space in a jiffy.

Method 4 – Clear Caches on Mac

Now that you know how much space your other files are occupying. Now it’s the time to reduce the footprint on your Mac. Remove caches from your Web Browser, photo previews & save Apple Music Streams.

Launch Finder from dock > Go > Go to Folder > type ~/Library/caches >

A list of caches from all the active apps would be displayed  now choose App Folder of your choice:

Right-click on it to choose to Move to Trash option.

Method 5 – Remove System Logs

System Logs record the system app’s activity & services. These log files eat up plenty of storage space on your mac machine. They are useful for debugging the developer but are simply useless for ordinary users. So, it’s better to get rid of these log files to cleanup system storage on Mac.

To do so: Launch Finder

Type ~/Library/Logs > Highlight all the Log Files and hit “Command + Backspace” > Restart your Mac.

Method 6 – Remove Unused Languages

Language Resource is the data stored by multilingual apps. If you are using such programs & need all the translations, you can simply get rid of the unneeded ones, apart from the ones you wish to keep for using the app.

Open Applications folder > choose the desired app > Right-click & select Show Package Contents option > Resources

Start deleting useless language files.

These files have extension .Iproj with the language name’s first two letters in prefix.

Method 7 – Delete iPhone Backups

Chances are that you’ve backed up your iPhone/iPad to your Mac using iTunes.  You might not realize but these massive backup files take a shocking amount of space. Check these folders and delete backup files you no longer require.

Open the following path  ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup & start deleting old folders.

Wondering what if you need those backup files in the future? How about storing those important data somewhere else? A place where you can easily access them anytime, anywhere & don’t take any space on your Mac Machine. Try using Right Backup, an amazing cloud storage solution that can help you store your large amount of data effectively & securely.

Method 8 – Erase Mail Downloads

If you’re using the built-in Mail Application on your Mac machine & have the same account for a long time, there’s a good probability that large Email Attachments have accumulated and occupied a great amount of space on your drive. Oftentimes, these files occupy gigabytes of space, hence cleaning them is absolutely worth it. Manually doing this is truly a cumbersome task:

• Open up Mail
• open the folder you want to remove attachments from
• Sort the size to locate biggest attachments
• click on Message & Remove Attachments from the menu.
• Repeat the process for all the messages!

Method 9 – Uninstall Unnecessary Apps on Mac

It’s one of the most common ways to clear system storage on Mac. All you have to do is go through all the applications that you don’t use or exist on your system & uninstall them.

• Open Finder
• Applications
• Find programs you want to uninstall
• select the software’s icon
• Click on Move to Trash. Make sure to Empty the Trash, after uninstalling all the apps, so that no residues are left behind.

Read More: Best Uninstaller for Mac to Remove Apps Completely

Method 10 – Remove Duplicates on Mac

Do not forget those Duplicates & Similar photos, videos, documents & other files. They can literally stack up without you being aware of it. Manually finding them is a hell lot of a time-consuming task. So, it’s highly recommended to use a dedicated application for the purpose. You can try Duplicate Files Fixer by Systweak Software.

The utility can help you scan all the exact & similar-looking photos, videos, music, documents, archives and other multimedia files occupying the largest disk space on Mac. Its single scan can help you clean mac system storage in a few moments.

Wrapping Up

Well, that seems to be all. Using these tips, you can delete system storage on Mac without any hassles. Just note that you can clean up your machine manually, but that may take a lot of your time & if done incorrectly can result in several system issues. Rather, using professional tools like Disk Clean Pro or Cleanup My System is one of the most convenient and effective ways to clear system storage on Mac. Both are quite popular in the market & can help save time & do the quick and efficient cleanup of your Mac.

To know about Cleanup My System or other Mac Cleaning Utilities, go ahead reading our next articles:

• Cleanup My System Review: The Good and the Bad
• Best Free Mac Cleaner Apps to Clean Your Mac