Free Up Space On Macbook Air

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Free Up Space On Macbook Air

Free Up Disk Space On Macbook Air
Free Up Space On Macbook Air Startup Disc
Ways To Free Up Space On Macbook Air
Are you getting a disk full warning on your MacBook Pro? It says you need to make more space available on your startup disk and urges you to delete files or save space by optimizing storage.
Like this – 'Your disk is almost full' (for macOS Sierra or later).
Sep 25, 2020 How to Free Up Space on MacBook Air with iMyMac Mac Cleaner. The Mac Cleaner instantly speeds up your MacBook Air. This is an easy tool to use and it only takes a couple of clicks to clean out your MacBook. The steps below will show how to use it. Download the Mac Cleaner from the iMyMac's website. Go over the files. Before wiping the free space on your Mac using the command line, back up your data. Once you've backed up your data, open the Terminal app from the Applications  Utilities folder. Mar 21, 2015 - Clean Up and Free Up Space on Your MacBook Air. Find and Remove Duplicate Files on a Mac, and Speed Up OS X your iMac, Macboo. When storage space is needed, iCloud keeps recent attachments on your Mac and makes your oldest files available on demand. Even though your files are stored in the cloud, you can access them right where you left them on your MacBook Air. See Access your iCloud content on your Mac. See What's Taking Up Space and Delete Old Files The bigger the files you can delete, the more space you can free up—so let's go hunting. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the menu bar.
Or this – 'Your startup disk is almost full' (for earlier macOS versions).
How can you actually 'optimize storage'? Apple has some hints on freeing up storage space, but let's be honest — the tips are fairly generic! For example, one of them is a recommendation to use iCloud, a subscription service that we're not really a fan of because it isn't cheap and the file sync process can be time-consuming.
That's why we decide to write this post, offering a number of better ways to reclaim more space when MacBook startup disk is full. The best part? We'll make it as detailed as possible so you won't feel lost.
Let's get started, but first…
What's Filling up My MacBook Startup Disk?So what exactly is your startup disk? Well, your startup disk is the partition on which your Mac operating system runs. It has a set amount of space (say, 500GB) that you can use to store applications and files. You can't get rid of that disk because it's what your Mac uses to function. However, as time goes on the files and apps you add to the MacBook drive will begin to accumulate and limit the space remaining on that disk.
Note: most MacBook users have just one disk named 'Macintosh HD' by default, but power users may have two or more.
You'll get a message from Apple system when your disk is almost full, and if it fills all the way up you won't be able to download new files, open attachments, or install new programs. An overfilled startup disk will also cause your MacBook to run slower since it won't be able to use RAM as effectively. This means keeping your disk clean is extremely important for daily operations.
To check what's taking up space on your mac, you can choose 'Manage' on the startup disk warning notification. If you're ahead of the curve and trying to clean up your Mac before being warned, you can access the management screen by going to About This Mac from the Apple menu (top left of your screen), and then choosing Storage.
You can also use CleanMyMac (via the Quick Menu shown below) to get a quick overview of how much storage space are taken. By the way, the app does more than just that. You can easily use it to clean up gigabytes of system junk and unnecessary files in minutes.
Regardless of which methods you use, these tools will help you see what's taking up the most space and guide you towards where to start trimming down.
How Do I Free up More Space on My MacBook?Now that you know what's stealing your storage, how can you fix the problem? Aside from the obvious solutions like clearing the trash and downloads folder, there a few different methods you can use.
Tip: Before using any of these methods, backup important files! Time Machine is the built-in app you could use and it's free. You may also use advanced backup software Get Backup Pro, which offers more powerful and convenient backup options.
1. Erase Duplicate or Similar FilesThese days we all are used to back up phone/camera photos to our computer, and believe it or not, identical or similar files can quickly add up and occupy lots of space. They can be duplicate documents, images taken twice (or more times), redundant backups, and several other formats. The tricky part is those files are usually not easy to be found.
Fortunately, you can use a handy app like Gemini to quickly locate them.
Using the app, you can choose folders to scan and find these unneeded duplicates. Gemini then separates exact duplicates from similar files so you know exactly what you're looking at, and you'll be prompted before deleting anything. It can help you reclaim a lot of valuable disk space in just a few minutes.
2. Offload Important but Infrequently Used FilesHow often do you watch the movies you've downloaded to your computer? Do your old photos need to be within reach at all times or only upon occasion? If you're someone who keeps archives of documents, images, movies, programs, or other files but only occasionally reference them you might benefit from transferring them to an external drive.
Then start copying files from your MacBook to the external HDD. If you're copying projects such as unfinished movies or designs, make sure you copy all assets as well or the file will not be able to load properly.
3. Beware of Mac System FilesDepending on the macOS you're using, you might notice that 'System Storage' or 'Other Storage' keeps increasing and as a result, taking too much disk space. The worst part? You can't analyze what's stored inside as this option is greyed out by macOS by default.
Thankfully, you can use CleanMyMac X to get an 'insider' look and clean those unneeded system files. Just download the app and install it on your Mac. Open it, click on Space Lens, run quick scan of your Macintosh HD, then under 'System' folder, you'll be able to see all the details.

4. Sign up for a Better Cloud Storage ProgramYou may have noticed that Mac's storage manage panel prompts you to consider iCloud as a way to clear space (see the screenshot below). While we aren't a huge fan of Apple's subscription cloud storage program, there are plenty of alternatives available.
Two of the most popular are Google Drive and Dropbox.
Google drive will give you 15GB of free storage space, and the companion program Google Photos offers unlimited image and video storage at 16MP or 1080p and less. If you still don't have enough space, you can upgrade your Google Drive to 100GB for just $2/month or a terabyte for $9.99/month.
Dropbox offers a basic account for free with 2GB of space, but upgrading to Dropbox Plus will get you a terabyte of uploads for $9.99/month. According to 9to5mac, Dropbox stands out for its file-sync speed and reliability as he put:
'For me, the crucial benefit of Dropbox is speed and reliability. I've tried all the main services over the years, and Dropbox has always been 100% reliable and has consistently synced within seconds.'
Both programs offer an automatic import function as well to help cut down on your work.
5. Deep Clean Your MacBook DriveIf storage space seems to be a recurring problem, you will benefit from cleaning out system junk and useless files to stay on top of any storage issues. Again, CleanMyMac is the best solution to handle this. It's an app that provides you insightful information on what's taking away your storage.
You can use the app to scan unnecessary files such as temporary documents, attachments, and iTunes/iMovie junk that usually require extensive searching to find buried in your Mac's library. After the scan, it then offers a number of suggested actions you can take to reclaim more space.
6. Manually Delete Old Large Files & AppsIf you're looking for a quick and short-term fix, manually clearing out those old large files will help you get a few extra gigabytes of space without sacrificing a great deal of time.
First, open Finder and navigate to 'All My Files' from the sidebar. Make sure your files are in list view (the icon that looks like 4 stacked lines should be dark grey) and then choose 'Size' from the header.
If you're on an older macOS, you'll need to click the settings gear in Finder and select ARRANGE BY > SIZE. This will produce a slightly different layout which groups your files by category (100MB – 10GB, 1MB – 100 MB, etc). You can find the size of each file by right-clicking and choosing 'Get Info'.
Once you know which files are largest, you can start removing those you no longer need and clearing space as efficiently as possible. Some common space hogs include videos, old DMGs, creative applications, and large audio files.
A quicker way to spot out old big files on your Mac is to run CleanMyMac X (again) and navigate through the Large & Old Files feature as it will sort all those items based on file size.
That's all we want to share with you in this article. Did you manage to address the disk almost full issue on your MacBook Pro? Which method(s) do you find most helpful? Or you have another awesome tip to reclaim more storage quickly? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save 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 MacChoose 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. This button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.
Manage storage on your MacFree Up Disk Space On Macbook AirThe Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloudClick 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 StorageClick the Optimize button, then choose from these options. 
Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac. 
Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.
Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.
Empty Trash AutomaticallyEmpty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
Reduce ClutterReduce Clutter helps you to 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.
Free Up Space On Macbook Air Startup DiscLearn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.
Where to find the settings for each featureThe 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, 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. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive. 
In 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.
Ways To Free Up Space On Macbook AirIf you're using macOS Catalina, 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 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 spaceWith 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

4. Sign up for a Better Cloud Storage ProgramYou may have noticed that Mac's storage manage panel prompts you to consider iCloud as a way to clear space (see the screenshot below). While we aren't a huge fan of Apple's subscription cloud storage program, there are plenty of alternatives available.
Two of the most popular are Google Drive and Dropbox.
Google drive will give you 15GB of free storage space, and the companion program Google Photos offers unlimited image and video storage at 16MP or 1080p and less. If you still don't have enough space, you can upgrade your Google Drive to 100GB for just $2/month or a terabyte for $9.99/month.
Dropbox offers a basic account for free with 2GB of space, but upgrading to Dropbox Plus will get you a terabyte of uploads for $9.99/month. According to 9to5mac, Dropbox stands out for its file-sync speed and reliability as he put:
'For me, the crucial benefit of Dropbox is speed and reliability. I've tried all the main services over the years, and Dropbox has always been 100% reliable and has consistently synced within seconds.'
Both programs offer an automatic import function as well to help cut down on your work.
5. Deep Clean Your MacBook DriveIf storage space seems to be a recurring problem, you will benefit from cleaning out system junk and useless files to stay on top of any storage issues. Again, CleanMyMac is the best solution to handle this. It's an app that provides you insightful information on what's taking away your storage.
You can use the app to scan unnecessary files such as temporary documents, attachments, and iTunes/iMovie junk that usually require extensive searching to find buried in your Mac's library. After the scan, it then offers a number of suggested actions you can take to reclaim more space.
6. Manually Delete Old Large Files & AppsIf you're looking for a quick and short-term fix, manually clearing out those old large files will help you get a few extra gigabytes of space without sacrificing a great deal of time.
First, open Finder and navigate to 'All My Files' from the sidebar. Make sure your files are in list view (the icon that looks like 4 stacked lines should be dark grey) and then choose 'Size' from the header.
If you're on an older macOS, you'll need to click the settings gear in Finder and select ARRANGE BY > SIZE. This will produce a slightly different layout which groups your files by category (100MB – 10GB, 1MB – 100 MB, etc). You can find the size of each file by right-clicking and choosing 'Get Info'.
Once you know which files are largest, you can start removing those you no longer need and clearing space as efficiently as possible. Some common space hogs include videos, old DMGs, creative applications, and large audio files.
A quicker way to spot out old big files on your Mac is to run CleanMyMac X (again) and navigate through the Large & Old Files feature as it will sort all those items based on file size.
That's all we want to share with you in this article. Did you manage to address the disk almost full issue on your MacBook Pro? Which method(s) do you find most helpful? Or you have another awesome tip to reclaim more storage quickly? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save 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 MacChoose 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. This button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.
Manage storage on your MacFree Up Disk Space On Macbook AirThe Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloudClick 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 StorageClick the Optimize button, then choose from these options. 
Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac. 
Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.
Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.
Empty Trash AutomaticallyEmpty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
Reduce ClutterReduce Clutter helps you to 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.
Free Up Space On Macbook Air Startup DiscLearn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.
Where to find the settings for each featureThe 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, 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. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive. 
In 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.
Ways To Free Up Space On Macbook AirIf you're using macOS Catalina, 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 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 spaceWith 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 manuallyEven without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:
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.
Learn moreThe 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, 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.