In 2024, how can I effectively free up system storage space on my Mac using five methods?

Why Need to Delete Mac System Data?

Are you worried about running out of space on your Mac? But you should know that you can easily clean up Mac's system storage without much effort! You might be dealing with a lack of storage space and trying to free up more room on your Mac. In that case, you can access the 'About This Mac' menu, find the storage settings, and view detailed information on what's eating up your macOS Ventura space.

If you're wondering why you should remove Mac system data, let us tell you that getting rid of old iOS backups is crucial since they take up redundant space on your Mac. Make sure to create a new backup beforehand using data recovery software or restore data using such a tool after deletion.

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Backup Your Mac and Never Lose Data

Back up and restore your MacBook/iMac without Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive.

And yet, let's dive straight into the top 5 ways to clear system storage on Mac. Along with that, we'll provide you with an insightful video on how to clear system storage on Mac. Here are the key points to consider:

• 00:18 Remove hidden files on your Mac
• 00:38 Optimize storage with iCloud
• 02:58 Contact Apple Support

Solution 1: Free up Mac system storage by emptying the Trash

Dragging files to the Trash doesn't necessarily remove them from your Mac for good, but if you choose to empty the Trash on your Mac, it will delete all system storage.

Users often forget to empty the Trash, which leads to the accumulation of junk files. This is one of the main reasons for excessive storage consumption on your system. Therefore, it's highly recommended to regularly clean up your Mac's data following these steps:

Step 1: Click and hold the Trash icon in the Dock.

Step 2: You'll see the confirmation message "Empty Trash." Go for it!

Step 3: Empty the Trash by pressing Command+Shift and opening Finder.

Step 4: Select “Empty Trash.” If you want the trash to empty automatically, select “Finder.” To do this, choose “Preferences,” then “Advanced,” and check the box that says “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

By the way, you can also use Mac Move to Trash shortcut to empty the Trash.

Solution 2: Delete Mac System Data by Erasing Time Machine Snapshots

If you are wondering how to delete system data on Mac, cleaning up Time Machine snapshots is the best way. When an external drive is unavailable, your MacBook keeps a functional copy of the Mac Time Machine backup. Therefore, here are the steps to manually clear system data:

Step 1. Open Terminal through Launchpad or Spotlight. If you're unsure how to open Terminal on Mac, check out this link.

2. Press Return, and type tmutil listlocalsnapshotdates. You'll see a list of backups, arranged by date.

Step 3. Enter the command tmutil deletelocalsnapshots "xxxxxxx" in your Mac Terminal. If prompted, enter your user account password and hit Return.

[N.B: In this instance, 'xxxxxxxx' represents the backup data you wish to delete.]

Solution 3: Delete Unnecessary iOS Backups to Free Up System Storage

Do you have an iPhone backup on your Mac? If so, you can find it in macOS used with Finder or the older version of iTunes. Follow these steps:

< b > Step 1: < /b > Open the "Finder."

Step 2: Select your iPhone from the left menu.

Step 3: Choose Manage Backup.

Step 4: Flag for deletion the backups you no longer need.

Step 5: Click the “Delete Backup” option once you've made your selection.

If your device isn't listed, that means it wasn't backed up to your Mac. You should use iCloud to back up your iPhone instead.

Are you using macOS Mojave or an earlier version? If so, you'll need to use the discontinued iTunes. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch iTunes.

Step 2: Select “iTunes” in the upper-left corner, and click “Preferences.”

Step 3: Click on the "Devices" tab in the window that appears.

Step four: Flag backups that are no longer needed.

Step 5: Click “Delete Backup.”

Click “Delete Backup”.

Solution 4: Remove cache files from the Library to clear system storage data If the issue persists after trying the above methods, consider cleaning up cache files in your Library. These files can occupy a significant amount of storage space, leading to the "Not Enough Storage" error. Here's how to delete cache files from the Library: 1. Open the "Finder" application. 2. Navigate to the "Library" folder in the sidebar (if "Library" is not visible, press `Shift` + `Command` + `L` on your keyboard). 3. In the "Library" folder, look for the following folders that may contain cache files: - Caches - Containers - Preferences 4. Examine the contents of each folder, paying particular attention to the "Caches" folder, which typically holds temporary cache files from applications. 5. Select the cache files or folders you wish to remove and move them to the Trash. 6. Empty the Trash to ensure the files are permanently deleted. Please note that deleting certain cache files might require restarting applications or the system for them to function correctly. Proceed with caution and avoid deleting important files, as this could cause issues with applications. After performing this step, your system storage should be freed up. If you continue to encounter problems, consider contacting the application developer or Apple Support for further assistance.

Cache files are primarily generated when using apps on your Mac. While they can reduce the load time for reopening websites and apps, too many old caches can affect your memory. If you want to free up space on your Mac, you can choose to delete unnecessary files or rename temporary ones:

Step 1: Open Finder and choose Go to Folder.

Click “Go to Folder” to delete the cache files.

Enter ~/Library/Caches/ and click Go.

When the Mac Cache folder opens, select the cache files you want to delete.

Read Also: [Mac Cache Recovery: How to Recover Deleted Cache Files on Mac](/mac-file-recovery/how-to-recover-deleted-cache-files-on-mac.html)

Solution 5: Update macOS to Remove Mac System Data

This is another way to clear up system storage on your Mac, so remember to get the latest macOS update. If you've installed an upgrade for your Mac but didn't run it, it could be taking up a lot of space on your hard drive. An upgrade can clean up system storage on your Mac. Issues with macOS can also take up a lot of disk space. Your Mac may have a patch for this problem.

Recover Deleted System Data from Mac Using Recovery Software

Accidentally lost data? Want to recover them? Now use the professional Any Data Recovery for Mac software to retrieve deleted system data from MacBook.

This top-notch recovery utility can restore deleted files from Mac Trash, be it an individual Office Word document or a bulk of images saved on your Mac, to cater to varied data loss scenarios. Here are the major instances of data loss due to formatting, repartitioning, system crash, deleted partition loss, and virus attack from which you can recover your files.

On the other hand, this professional tool is considered as the best Mac data retrieval software that can restore any amount of lost data in three simple steps, such as Mac Trash Recovery.

Step 1: Search for the Lost File

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, choose the disk location where you want to search for the lost file (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device). Then, click the “Search Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it is recommended that you click “Disk Backup” on the left sidebar to back up your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can then write new data.

Step 2: Preview the scanning result

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you select immediately and display the scanning results.

Step 3: Select the files and recover them

From the scan results, select the files you want to preview and then click the “Recover” button to get them back.

Abstract

This article explains why you need to free up System Storage on your Mac and introduces 5 different methods to do it. The easiest and most effective way is by using a professional Mac cleaner tool, like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Within System Storage, cache files and Time Machine backups can take up tens of GB of space on your Mac.

macOS is supposed to handle this to prevent your hard drive from filling up, but if you want to clean up system data or free up unnecessary space on your Mac, try the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. You'll be surprised how much storage you can get back.

Frequently Asked Questions about Deleting Data on a Mac

For a better understanding of this topic, please find a detailed FAQ below:

1. Why is my Mac filled with system data?

One of the key reasons for the growth in “System” usage is local snapshots created by Time Machine. While you might think that Apple only creates local snapshots on the startup disk, Time Machine backups also reside locally.

How do I free up space on my Mac's startup disk?

Follow these steps to free up space on “Macintosh HD”:

1. Clean up temporary files and the Downloads folder
2. Delete Time Machine snapshots
3. Remove outdated iPadOS and iOS backups
4. Uninstall unused apps
5. Migrate or export the largest files
6. Find and delete duplicate files
7. Eliminate unused system files

3. How do I clean my Mac system cache and junk files?

Follow these steps to clean system junk and caches from your Mac:

1. Open Finder. 2. Press Command+Shift+G. 3. Type /Library/Caches into the dialog box, then press Return. 4. When the window appears, you may see cache files. 5. As you browse through the folders, delete the contents of each one, but not the folders themselves.

How do I clear MAS system data without software?

After reaching consensus to delete, follow these steps:

1. Click "Go" and then select "Go to Folder" from the Finder menu bar. 2. Type in ~/Library/Caches into the search field, then hit Enter. 3. On your phone, delete the folder related to the app you no longer need. 4. Follow the same steps for any other directories you want to remove. 5. Lastly, after getting rid of unnecessary files, don't forget to empty your Trash.