Modern Apple computers start at least 256GB of storage. However, even average users will quickly run out of this capacity, not to mention those who store large media files or play games on their Mac. Since the hard drive cannot be upgraded after purchasing a Mac, and the expensive laptops that configure larger storage space in the Apple Store, this has led to a difficult problem: how to increase the storage space of your Mac.
Whether you want to clean up your computer to make room for new data or look for an external hard drive as a possible solution, let’s explore some of the best options for both situations.
First and most obvious reason is that your Mac doesn't have enough storage space to suit your needs. That's enough to start thinking "Can I buy more storage on my Mac?" But if you need more reasons, there's more.
Less known to Mac convert free space on boot disk into virtual memory for daily operations. This is why it is recommended to keep at least 10% of disk space on your Mac to avoid slowing down your device. No matter which Mac model you have, it will start to have problems if there is insufficient storage. To prevent this from happening, be aware of how much space is available on your Mac. The method is as follows:
Here you will see a colorful chart showing the Mac's storage usage, with light gray representing available space. Move the pointer to any other color to see the amount of space used by each category (for example, documents, applications, photos, or system data).
The answer to this question depends on the model of Mac you have. Older models have the option to upgrade storage internally by replacing existing hard drives with larger ones, but this has become impossible on newer machines. With these tweaks to modern Mac models, Apple has only left users with an external option for how to add Mac flash storage space on external devices.
Let's start with a virtual solution that is often more cost-effective than getting an external hard drive.
While most Apple users have iCloud, most users will soon find the basic plan for 5GB is very limited and hope to buy more Mac storage by upgrading to a paid iCloud subscription. If you are one of these users, here is how to get more GB of Mac storage from iCloud:
Now you can start using the new iCloud subscription plan now. If you have multiple cloud storage accounts, it is recommended to use CloudMounter to connect these storage spaces to your Mac's Finder.
CloudMounter is a unique utility that allows you to easily access cloud storage directly from your desktop. From Google Drive to Amazon S3 and Box, CloudMounter supports eight of the most popular cloud storage solutions. Use CloudMounter's Connection menu to select the drive you want to install the cloud as a disk, log in, view the information, click Install, and always stop thinking about how to increase disk space on your Mac.
Solid State Drives (SSDs) have high storage capacity, fast and reliable speeds, and are the most thorough and complete solution to increase Mac storage space. Unfortunately, not all MacBooks can upgrade SSDs, as Apple changes the manufacturing process on its latest models.
To check the Mac model you have, follow these steps:
If you find that your model still supports SSD upgrades, the most cost-effective way is to get a suite that includes a new, larger SSD, the required tools, and an old drive housing for transferring data. You can then search for SSD upgrade guides specific to your MacBook model.
Please note that Apple does not recommend SSD upgrades on your own, as you may damage your Mac, which will void the warranty, so it is best to visit the Apple Store or ask a professional to upgrade for you.
Hard drives (HDDs) are one of the most popular solutions to increase the Mac flash storage space externally. These drives come with a variety of storage capacity and price tags, so it's easy to choose one that suits your needs.
The average lifespan of hard drives is about 10 years, making them ideal for storing Time Machine backups and uninstalling files. Since HDD is known to be slower and more likely to crash than SSD, it is not recommended to run programs on Mac.
To connect an external hard drive to your Mac, just plug it in with a USB cable at both ends, and you should be able to view its contents and use them from the Finder.
Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS) is another way to increase disk space in Mac. By connecting a network disk to your router, you can access it wirelessly from your Mac and share files with other devices on the network.
To set up NAS on your Mac, follow these steps:
Now you can access your network disk from the Finder sidebar like other local disks.
One disadvantage of using NAS to buy Mac storage is that its transfer and loading speed will depend entirely on your internet connection. Additionally, you can access and manage your data only if your Mac and virtual disk are on the same network.
Two portable alternatives to increasing Mac storage space are SD cards and USB drives. Investing in a USB drive with large storage capacity is really helpful when your Mac is out of space. To use a USB drive or SD card on your Mac, just connect both via a USB port (if you have a newer MacBook, you need to get an Apple SD card adapter) and start moving files through Finder.
SD cards and USB drives can only be used to store static files, and if you need read and write functionality, it is not a good solution. However, you can actually install and launch some Mac applications from your SD card. First install the app on your Mac and then move it from the Applications folder to the SD card to save space.
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If you are not interested in how to buy more storage on your Mac but still want to make room for other files, another solution is to clean up your Mac manually, or use dedicated software.
We have two folders on our Mac that tend to accumulate a large number of outdated files that we don't actually need: desktop and download. While this method of organizing desktops and deleting all outdated downloads sounds too obvious, it has also proven to be an effective way to increase Mac GB.
Here is how to clean up your download folder:
Now you can right-click on the Trash icon and select "Empty Trash". To automate this process and store files in the Trash folder for more than 30 days before they can be automatically deleted permanently, follow these steps:
Since a messy desktop can negatively affect the performance of you and your Mac, it is a good habit to regularly check the screen and move or delete files you no longer need. However, if you want to maximize efficiency, here is how to get more Mac storage by deleting the largest files on your desktop:
This is a great way to manually free up your Mac space, but there is another way to organize and manage your desktop with a file manager like Unclutter.
Unclutter is a powerful desktop note app and fully-featured memo assistant that provides you with unlimited clipboard copy-paste functionality, and a clean place to store all your temporary notes. Unclutter's tools are unified in a convenient window, ranging from fast full-text search and clipboard history tracking to temporary storage for drag-and-drop file management and merges.
On average, Macs accumulate several GB of junk files, temporary files, and caches over their lifetime. Deleting these files can help you periodically figure out how to get more GB of Mac storage. If you are committed to organizing your laptop, please follow these steps to manually delete system junk:
Tracking these "unnecessary" files is not easy and can take a long time, but there is a faster way to clean up the app with a professional Mac. Try CleanMyMac X.
CleanMyMac X is the easiest and safest way to optimize your Mac. Its intuitive interface allows you to complete various professional-level tasks with just a click of a button. This utility is designed to help you speed up and protect your Mac by running instant system cleaning, uninstalling and updating applications, removing malware, and erasing files of any size.
Here is how to get more Mac storage using CleanMyMac X:
CleanMyMac X can delete up to 74GB of junk files on average. If this seems impossible, try it once to check it yourself!
How many times have you had to re-download something because you can't remember whether you saved it and where did you save it? Meanwhile, all of these duplicate files may be one of the reasons you search for how to get more Mac flash storage space, as they can take up to 30% of the available space!
Searching for duplicate files and deleting them one by one is a tedious task, so even if you do this once, you may not do it again. However, the problem of how to get more GB of Mac storage will not go away. That's why you need to try a reliable duplicate file cleaner like Gemini.
Gemini is the most advanced duplicate file finder on Mac. This utility can search your entire device in seconds, not only showing you a copy of the same file, but also similar files you may not need. Gemini also provides secure file recovery if you accidentally delete something!
Here's how to get more Mac storage using Gemini:
Now all you need to do is wait and see Gemini's discovery results to select the file you want to delete.
Cloud storage allows your files to be used on any device connected to the network anytime, anywhere. Additionally, it can help you offload some data from your Mac's internal storage to the cloud. Apple's iCloud is not the only option for such virtual storage. Some other popular third-party providers include Google Drive, Amazon Drive, and OneDrive.
Most cloud storage applications have similar functions to each other, but offer different spatial capabilities and prices, as well as support for selected operating systems. All three apps support macOS, but Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage, while Amazon Drive and OneDrive offer 5GB of free storage.
Note that like iCloud, Google Drive also mirrors its content locally on your Mac, so storing files there won't automatically move them from the internal drive. Generally speaking, cloud storage services are more suitable for backing up or archive files than files you need to access frequently.
Insufficient disk space is a common problem for many Mac users, unless your machine has TB of storage, sooner or later you will want to use certain tips to clean up space or simply buy more Mac storage.
To solve this problem and help your Mac run smoothly, get into the habit of cleaning up your Mac and removing system junk, duplicate files, and other files that don't need. If this sounds like too much work (usually so!), use Unclutter to automate this process to keep the desktop neat and let CleanMyMac X and Gemini delete unnecessary files quickly while using CloudMounter to retain all important data.
Best of all, the above apps – Unclutter, CleanMyMac X, Gemini and CloudMounter – are available for you for seven days at no cost via a trial version of Setapp, a leading platform with over 240 top-notch Mac apps that can help you with any problem. Try each Setapp app for free today and see what it feels like to be true productivity.
Apart from the above-mentioned ways to get more GB of storage on your Mac, here are some of the answers to the most common questions on this topic.
If you still wonder “Can I buy more storage on my Mac?” – the answer is yes. For example, you can add more storage by purchasing additional iCloud space or getting an external hard drive.
While Macs with large storage capacity are more expensive, it's worth it if you plan to use it for tasks involving processing and storing large files, backing up your iOS device to iCloud, and editing or streaming music and videos.
This is because, by default, everything you save to iCloud is still stored on your Mac. Even with a slow internet connection, it can be convenient to open files quickly, but it can be a problem if your Mac has insufficient storage space.
Starting in 2021, MacBooks' default storage space is at least 256GB, which is enough to meet the regular use of not requiring large amounts of heavy data, media or video games.
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