Want to create more free space on your Mac’s hard drive? Maybe you want to make space for installing the latest macOS Ventura or clear space to boost your system’s speed. Whatever the reason, here are the best ways to quickly clean up your Mac without hassle.
Clear Other Storage
Usually, Macs break down the stored files into different categories like docs, apps, etc. The ones that don’t fit into any of these categories fall into the mysterious Other, and here you will find caches, temporary files, system files, app plugins, extensions, etc.
Therefore, the Other storage holds different kinds of things, and it might contain redundant files that should have been deleted long ago. You will find the Other storage tab over the bar that shows the breakdown of your disk storage. When you see the colored compartments, you must click on the gray one to see the Other storage.
Click Apple > Storage > Manage to clear Other storage on Mac.
Trim Down the Login Items List
Login items are programs or apps that automatically start running when you switch on your computer. These apps consume a lot of memory and may make your system sluggish. Moreover, you might not need all the login items; they’re only hogging space.
Remove them by going to System Preferences > clicking Users & Groups > choosing your name on the left > selecting the Login Items tab > checking the startup apps you wish to remove > pressing the minus sign below.
If you want to add apps to the login item list again, follow the same steps but click on the plus sign at the end.
Delete the Apps you Don’t Need
The apps installed on your device are taking up precious storage space. In addition, with time, you might have filled your device with many apps you don’t need anymore. This may result in your Mac running slowly.
You can clean your device by removing the apps you don’t need anymore. You can do this by right-clicking on the application you wish to remove and moving it to the Trash.
However, sending a single application won’t do you much good. First, you must identify and remove all unused apps. Also, remove the app leftovers that might remain on your computer and take up storage space.
Clear Out the Duplicates
Identical music tracks, photos, PDF files, and others might take up precious storage space and prevent you from adding new files and documents. Therefore, you need to find these duplicate files and remove them.
Empty the Trash
Deleting the files isn’t enough. These files are sent to the Trash and remain there, taking up space. Remove them entirely and get your hard drive space back by emptying the Trash. Click the Trash icon in the Dock > Empty to empty Trash.
Clear out the Downloads Folder
The Downloads folder can get bogged down with time. You may have stored several old downloads and forgotten about them. So, don’t forget to check this folder and delete the items you don’t need.
Clean the Desktop Clutter
While this may seem the most obvious step, most Mac users overlook it. With time, their Mac desktops start to appear chaotic and confusing. While it is the perfect place to store files and doc, you must stop before the desktop gets cluttered.
So, clean the desktop clutter and neatly organize the files and documents into relevant folders. This will help you to quickly find what you need. You don’t have to go through the maze of files to find the one you need.
If you didn’t know, the Finder treats any file or folder on the desktop as a window. Some items on the desktop are welcome, but if it is cluttered, the Finder might slow down and prevent you from having a smooth Mac experience. Therefore, don’t forget to sort the documents and files into separate folders.
Find and Delete Hidden Files
On your Mac, many files are made invisible, so you don’t accidentally delete them. These files might be critical components, so they must be protected from accidental deletion. However, you may encounter remains of old applications, invisible adware, and even extensions that are hidden from view. So, these items occupy a significant space on your Mac computer.
You can reveal hidden files by going to the Documents or other directory > clicking Shift + Command + the period key. You will see the grayed out files, and these were hidden before.
If you find any suspicious files or doc or don’t need them, delete them immediately.
The Bottom Line
From boosting the speed to ensuring there’s enough space for you to upgrade to Ventura, regular clean up is necessary.
After reading this guide, you have no more excuses for delaying cleaning your Mac. So get started, and you’ll instantly see the difference it makes to your Mac’s experience.
