{"id":112585,"date":"2022-10-27T07:40:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T07:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=112585"},"modified":"2025-06-17T08:34:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T08:34:23","slug":"how-to-clear-system-storage-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/how-to-clear-system-storage-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Clear System Data On Mac In 5 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Insufficient storage on your Mac is a common problem with which you are most likely familiar. You probably tried to delete everything you could and save your data on the cloud services<\/a>, but that wasn’t helpful enough.<\/p>

So what is the reason for this headache? The cause of the issue could be full system storage. It’s not always easy to find and understand what you can delete in such a situation. The great news is that we can show you how to resolve this issue! <\/p>

Let’s figure everything out step by step.<\/p>

What is System Data on a Mac?<\/h2>

The primary function of the system data on Mac<\/a> is keeping backups, cached files, temporary files, and essential macOS operating files. When your Mac is overfilled with these files, the storage space decreases respectively. Generally, the Mac system is designed in such a way that it can automatically delete temporary files. However, other useless files aren’t always deleted. This could be a reason for the system overload.<\/p>

How to Check System Data Storage on Mac?<\/h2>

Let’s say you’ve already tried to delete your unnecessary personal files. So, how do you check system storage on Mac?<\/p>

Here are steps to check the storage usage on your Mac:<\/strong><\/p>

    \n
  1. Click on the Apple logo > Choose About This Mac<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
    \n
    \"Apple
    Apple logo > About this Mac<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
      \n
    1. Click on the More Info<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
      \n
      \"Apple
      Apple logo > More Info<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
        \n
      1. Scroll down to see the Storage<\/strong> option and select Storage Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
        \n
        \"Storage
        Storage > Storage Settings<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
          \n
        1. Move your pointer to the colored sections and look for the System Data.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>
          \n
          \"Review
          Review storage categories<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
            \n
          1. This partition shows how much storage is taken by certain types of files.<\/li>\n<\/ol>

            In most cases, the system section takes up approximately 10 GB. However, you may find that system storage shows 100GB or even more on your device.<\/p>

            Please note<\/em><\/strong> that the categories columns are labeled differently in some macOS versions (you may see system or macOS instead of system data, for example).<\/em><\/p>

            Steps on How to Clear System Data on Mac<\/h2>

            Okay, now you’ve figured out that your system storage takes over 10 GB. How to fix that? Managing storage space<\/a> is a manual process.<\/p>

            macOS system usually automatically cleans up memory used for the system tasks. Though sometimes, this doesn’t happen, which could be a reason for the increase in the system data category. Let’s learn how to reduce system storage on Mac using different methods. <\/p>

            I. How to Clear System Data on Mac by Deleting Cache Files<\/h3>

            Generally, caches accumulate when using applications on your Mac or visiting websites. Too much cache will cause an overload on the system storage.<\/p>

            Follow these steps to clear the system cache on your Mac:<\/strong><\/p>

              \n
            1. Open Finder<\/strong> > click the Go<\/strong> menu > choose Go to Folder<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
              \n
              \"Finder
              Finder > Go to Folder<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                \n
              1. Type in ~\/Library\/Caches\/ <\/em><\/strong>> click Go<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                \n
                \"Type
                Type folder name<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                  \n
                1. You should see a folder with your cached files. If you want to delete all files, press CMD+A<\/strong> on your keyboard and right-click<\/strong> on the highlighted section. However, it is recommended to do a clean-up manually to avoid losing important files. Just right-click <\/strong>on the particular file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                  \n
                  \"Cache
                  Cache folder<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                    \n
                  1. Regardless of your choice, click Move to Trash<\/strong> (or Move to Bin<\/strong>). Now, you can click the Trash icon on your dock and hit Empty Bin<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                    \n
                    \"Empty
                    Empty Bin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                    II. How to Delete System Data on Mac by Removing Old iOS Backups<\/h3>

                    Another reason for the overload of system space is old backups of your iPhone or iPad<\/a>.<\/p>

                    Mac system disposes of accumulating iOS backups, which can lead to ample system storage. There are several ways to check and delete backups.<\/p>

                    a. Delete Backups via Spotlight<\/h4>
                      \n
                    1. Enter this path in the Spotlight: ~\/Library\/Application Support\/MobileSync\/Backup\/<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                      \n
                      \"Search
                      Search for iOS backups<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                        \n
                      1. Choose the Backup<\/strong> folder and delete unneeded ones.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                        \n
                        \"Folder
                        Folder with iOS backups<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                        b. Delete Backups via Finder<\/h4>

                        On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, do the following steps:<\/strong><\/p>

                          \n
                        1. Open Finder<\/strong> on your Mac.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        2. From the sidebar, select your device under the Locations<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        3. In the device window, navigate to the General<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        4. Locate the Backups<\/strong> section and click on the Manage Backups<\/strong> option. This will display a list of your backups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        5. Right-click<\/strong> on the specific backup that you wish to remove.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        6. From the context menu that appears, choose the Delete<\/strong> option.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                          \n
                          \"iOS
                          iOS backups<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                          By removing iOS backup, you eliminate unnecessary files and reduce system storage on Mac.<\/p>

                          III. Manage Time Machine Backups<\/h3>

                          Typically, Time Machine regularly backs up your Mac to an external drive. If your Mac isn’t connected to a backup drive, it stores snapshots in your system storage.<\/p>

                          If you made a backup long ago, the accumulation of Time Machine snapshots could take up a lot of system storage on your Mac. To fix this, plug in an external drive and use Time Machine to back up your Mac.<\/p>

                          You can easily remove local snapshots from your hard drive. Simply turn off the Time Machine feature itself. With this maneuver, you will remove all local snapshots stored on your Mac.<\/p>

                          Follow these detailed steps:<\/strong><\/p>

                            \n
                          1. Click on Time Machine<\/strong> from your Menu Bar<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          2. Select Stop This Backup<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                            \n
                            \"Time
                            Time Machine > Stop This Backup<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                            You can also remove backups using the Terminal. Here is how:<\/strong><\/p>

                              \n
                            1. Launch Terminal<\/strong> from Spotlight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            2. Type tmutil listlocalsnapshotdates<\/em><\/strong> and hit Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            3. Review the list of backup files and choose the ones to delete.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            4. Type tmutil deletelocalsnapshots<\/em><\/strong> in the Terminal to delete the selected backup files.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                              \n
                              \"Terminal\"
                              Terminal<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                              Managing Time Machine backup prevents local backups from occupying valuable storage space.<\/p>

                              IV. Optimize your Storage<\/h3>

                              Last but not least. Apple has a built-in Optimization method<\/a>, which can help you as well.<\/p>

                              Follow the instructions below to optimize the Storage on Mac:<\/strong><\/p>

                                \n
                              1. Click on the Apple logo > Choose About This Mac<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                                \n
                                \"Apple
                                Apple logo > About this Mac<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                                  \n
                                1. Click on the More Info<\/strong> button.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                                  \n
                                  \"Apple
                                  Apple logo > More Info<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                                    \n
                                  1. Scroll down to see the Storage<\/strong> option and select Storage Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                                    \n
                                    \"Storage
                                    Storage > Storage Settings<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
                                      \n
                                    1. You will see the Recommendations<\/strong> to reduce space on Mac. You will be given hints on what you may delete from your computer by clicking on the info icon.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                                      \n
                                      \"Storage
                                      Storage Recommendations<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

                                      V. Update macOS<\/h3>

                                      Updating your macOS<\/a> is crucial for maintaining a well-functioning Mac and optimizing system storage. <\/p>

                                      Here’s why you should prioritize updating your Mac:<\/strong><\/p>