It’s recommended that you keep at least 15-20% of your Mac’s memory free to keep it running smoothly. Optimizing storage is an efficient way to do this. But there are also several other steps you can take to free up space on MacBook Air, Pro, or any other macOS device. Doing these routinely will ensure you don’t face any storage issues and are able to make the most of your system. So let’s have a look.
12 Easy Ways to Free Up Space on MacBook Air or Pro Running macOS Catalina
There are two ways to do that: you can delete them manually or use a MacBook cleaner like CleanMyMac X to do the job for you. Of course, the second way is an easy and fast one. However, if you decide to clean up the cache manually, check out a comprehensive guide on “How to Clear Cache on a Mac.”. Find resource-hungry processes. Some apps are more power-hungry than others and can slow your. MacBook Pro’s can be cleaned and should be cleaned to keep them in their best condition. Here are the recommended cleaning procedures from Apple and other computer resources. Cleaning the Outside and Screen of the Computer. You Will Need: Soft, lint free cloth; Distilled water; Steps to Clean the Outside and Screen of the Computer. How to Wipe MacBook Pro Clean: Chip and Dale are There for You! You may be surprised, but you don’t have to search for your saviors elsewhere: MacBooks have the solutions set by default. There are several things a user can do to achieve the cleaning goals: Just remove the useless items. Check Your Activity Monitor. Checking your Activity Monitor will give you a precise look at all of the.
#1. Delete Large Files on your Mac
Instead of deleting a hundred small files and images, first of all, let us go for the big fish.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click Documents. Mostly, this is where the big files are. Here you will see the video files, ZIP/RAR files, etc. By default, the biggest files are at the top. Select one or hold the command key and select multiple files
- Finally, click on Delete from the bottom right and confirm.
#2. Remove iOS and iPadOS Backups
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now Select Storage tab and click on Manage.
- Click iOS Files from left sidebar
- Select and
Related:How to Find iPhone Backup Location on Mac & Windows
#3. Delete Unwanted Applications
You can delete Mac applications in various ways. You may follow the above steps, click on Applications, and remove the large ones.
#4. Clear Cache to Free Up Space on Mac
- Be in Finder and click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Go to Folder.
- Type or copy-paste ~/Library/Caches
- Delete the files from here that are taking the most space. You may even delete everything. With normal usages, these files and folders will be recreated by macOS.
- Next, click on Go again and then Go to Folder. Now type or copy-paste /Library/Caches
- You may delete files from here too. After this empty the trash and restart you Mac
#5. Remove Old Downloads
This comes down to what you are willing to keep and what you are happy to let go of. Nowadays everything is online in the cloud. Thus there is no point in storing too may videos, music, etc. on the local storage.
- Click on the Finder icon (leftmost) from the Dock
- Click Downloads and remove unnecessary files from here, by right-click and selecting Move to Trash.
You may also right-click and sort by size to quickly locate and delete the biggest files first.
#6. Compress Folders and Files
If you have many images and word files that you rarely use, but can not delete, then it is a handy idea to compress them. Linux technical drawing software. Here is how to zip and unzip files on Mac.
#7. Empty Trash Automatically
- Right-click on the Trash icon in the dock (the rightmost option)
- Click Empty Trash and confirm
To empty Trash automatically:
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Turn On for Empty Trash Automatically.
Many times, GBs of files pile up and are stored in the Trash, thus occupying significant space. It is better to empty it regularly.
#8. Use iCloud to Store Documents
It is best to use iCloud to Store docs etc. on Mac if you have a paid iCloud plan that gives you more than 5 GB of online storage. Here is how to use iCloud to Store Documents.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Store in iCloud.
- Review what all will be stored. Uncheck if you wish to exclude photos, messages, desktop, and documents. Finally, click on Store in iCloud.
You may also, enable iCloud Photos from System Preferences → Apple ID → iCloud → Photos or the Preferences of the Mac’s Photos app.
#9. Optimize Storage Automatically
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click on Optimize next to Optimize Storage. Now, all the movies and TV shows you have watched will be automatically removed.
#10. Delete Attachments from Mac Mail App
Following these steps, you can delete the attachments that have been saved locally on the Mac from the mail app. Depending on the number of emails you receive, this data can be huge.
- Be in Finder and press and keep holding the Option key. Now click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Library.
- Now, Click on Containers.
- Go to com.apple.mail.
- Click on Data.
- Select Library.
- Now, click on Mail Downloads.
- Select all folders and delete them. Or open the individual folders, see the content, and delete the unnecessary ones.
Even if you delete from here, the attachments are still in your email that you can view or download anytime. Further, you may also choose to stop the Mac Mail app from downloading attachments.
#11. Remove Duplicate Files using Third-Party Apps
Duplicate files are a big headache and unnecessarily occupy space. We have a list of some of the best mac cleaner apps that can help you delete duplicate files on your Mac.
#12. Use External Drives for Large Infrequently Used Files
Do you have data that you do not use much but can neither delete them nor store them in the cloud? Well, consider investing in an external drive and move infrequently used large files to it.
Signing off…
These were some of the easiest ways to free up space on your MacBook Air. It’s a good idea to do these steps every now and then to keep your system performing well. Are there any other Mac tips you’re looking for? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll help you out.
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The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
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If you have a relatively old MacBook, the chances are that you’ve been typing away at the keys, smudging the screen and gliding over the trackpad with some pretty disgusting things on the tips of your fingers. But how do you clean your dirty MacBook?
(I’ll admit that there are probably those among us who keep their MacBook in a sleeve everywhere it goes, have a cover over their keyboard, regularly use a can of compressed air to remove dust and dirt from around the individual keys and always wash their hands before touching their prized possession. But I doubt that most of us live that way. (As a matter of fact, I’m typing this on a relatively dirty MacBook Air.)
Macbook Pro Clean Up Scam
Just think about it: how many times have you broken bread over your MacBook’s keyboard? How many times have you went straight from your greasy slice of pizza to your trackpad? You might as well face it: your MacBook is disgusting. Cleaning it should be a priority, so we’ve compiled a few tips that you can use to clean your dirty MacBook.
The Fan
If you’re using a MacBook Pro, you’re probably used to hearing the laptop’s fans click on when you’re working on an intensive task that’s using a large portion of your available RAM, but if you’re using a MacBook Air, you may not even know that your computer has a fan. (The new MacBook actually doesn’t have a fan.)
Laptop fans are designed to help distribute the computer’s heat more efficiently, pushing the heat the computer produces out of air vents, but when dust starts to collect on the MacBook Pro and Air’s fans, dust begins to threaten the air’s ability to flow through your laptop, causing the laptop to retain heat and work harder to muscle through the tasks you’re doing on screen. And, obviously, all of this has a negative effect on your MacBook’s battery life.
To clean the fan, position a can of compressed air at the hinge of your computer and spray. Be careful that you don’t spray with too much pressure, though; you could knock one of the components inside of the machine loose.
If you want a more thorough cleaning, you can take the laptop apart and spray air on the fan more directly, but unless you know exactly what you’re doing, I wouldn’t recommend removing any screws. How to check macbook pro for malware.
Warning: taking your MacBook apart can void your AppleCare warranty.
For more information about the fan in your MacBook, check out Apple’s webpage on fans. Adobe photoshop elements 2019 software.
The Keyboard (And Trackpad)
The chances are that your keyboard is the most disgusting part of your entire dirty MacBook. When was the last time you wiped down those keys? How often do you use your keyboard?
See. Gross.
There are all sorts of viruses and bacteria living on your keyboard, and you’ve heard the stats before, but you still haven’t cleaned it. Well, here they are again: did you know that that the average keyboard has around 7,500 bacteria per swab? Compare that to how many bacteria are on a single swab of a toilet seat — just 5,400.
To clean your keyboard, turn off your MacBook and unplug the power cord. Apple recommends that you use a disinfectant wipe to gently dab each key. Then, use a damp, lint-free cloth to remove the cleaning agent. Finally, dab each key with a dry, lint-free cloth. Others have used put a bit of rubbing alcohol on the tip of a lint-free cloth and dabbed each individual key.
Whatever you do, do not put any kind of liquid directly on your MacBook. While your MacBook might be clean, it also may never work again.
Please, for your sake (and everyone else around you), clean your keyboard.
![How How](https://fthmb.tqn.com/Hvh-6DmZT-F4jxEZ76r4e5Xt51Q=/768x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/a-cd-ejecting-out-of-a-laptop-80486808-577ed8783df78c1e1f11b610.jpg)
On second thought, maybe those keyboard protectors aren’t such a bad idea.
The Display
Your display is probably the cleanest part of your entire MacBook, right? I mean, that’s what you look at every single day, so there might be a smudge here and there, but it’s pretty clean, right? Well… not exactly.
You probably don’t touch your display as often as you touch your keys or trackpad, but bacteria can live on your display as well.
(If you have an iPad or iPhone — and, let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you probably do — the touchscreen is probably even more disgusting than your MacBook’s keyboard. Remember all those times you took your iPhone into the bathroom?)
Apple suggests that you use a damp, lint-free cloth (their solution for everything) to gently wipe away the smudges from your screen, but a damp cloth isn’t going to kill the bacteria that live on your screen — you need a real disinfectant. There are disinfectants that are designed specifically for screens. When you’ve wiped your screen with the disinfectant, go back over it with Apple’s damp, lint-free cloth and dry lint-free cloth.
How Do You Clean Up A Macbook Pro Louder
How often do you clean your MacBook? How do you keep your MacBook clean? What tips have you heard about? Let us know in the comments below.