What is Other in Mac Storage? How to Find & Delete It?

Is your Mac's startup disk full, even though you've deleted unnecessary files? The culprit might be hidden in the mysterious "Other" storage category. This guide shows you how to identify and reclaim valuable disk space by cleaning up this often-overlooked area.

"Other" storage encompasses various file types not easily categorized as videos, photos, music, apps, or emails. It includes miscellaneous files, temporary data, and system files.

Locating "Other" Storage:

macOS Ventura and later:

1. Open Finder.
2. Go to Go > Go to Folder.
3. Enter ~/Library.
4. Examine the container folders for large, unnecessary files.

macOS Monterey and earlier:

1. Click the Apple menu > About This Mac.
2. Go to Storage > System Data.

Clearing "Other" Storage:

Several methods can help you free up space:

1. Clear Cache: Manually delete cache files:
   1. Open Finder, Go > Go to Folder, enter ~/Library.
   2. Locate the Caches folder, back up its contents to your desktop.
   3. Move the original Caches folder to Trash and empty the Trash.

2. Delete Old Time Machine Backups: Manage backups through Time Machine settings.

3. Remove Disk Images and Archives: Delete unnecessary .zip and .dmg files using Finder's search function.

4. Delete Extensions and Plugins: Uninstall unnecessary browser extensions and plugins.

5. Remove DMG Installers: Delete outdated .dmg installer files from your Downloads folder.

6. Delete Downloaded Files: Regularly clear out your Downloads folder.

7. Remove iTunes Device Backups: Delete old backups of iOS devices (macOS Catalina and later).

8. Remove Application Logs and Support Files: Delete unnecessary log files from ~/Library/Logs or /var/log.

Automated Cleaning with MacKeeper (Optional):

MacKeeper's Smart Uninstaller can automatically identify and remove unnecessary files.

FAQ:

• Why is "Other" so large? It accumulates various file types not easily categorized.
• What's included in "Other"? Cache data, system files, miscellaneous data.
• Is it safe to delete "Other" files? Generally yes, but avoid deleting critical system files.
• How to decrease "Other" storage? Manually or with apps like MacKeeper.

Remember to back up important data before deleting any files. Regularly managing "Other" storage keeps your Mac running smoothly.

The above is the detailed content of What is Other in Mac Storage? How to Find & Delete It?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!