How to Free Up Space on Mac Sonoma

You used to download files on your Mac without thinking twice. However, it’s now come to the point where your device can’t take any more files. What’s worse, its performance is affected by your Mac’s memory being so full, and something's got to give.

Here’s how to free up space on macOS Sonoma:

• Clear useless downloads.
• Delete apps you don't need.
• Move photos/videos to external or cloud storage.
• Delete system junk.
• Delete browser cache.
• Compress your files.
• Clean up DMG files.
• Empty trash.
• Find and remove large files.
• Save desktop and documents to iCloud.

Continue reading to learn in more detail how to free up space on Mac.

Before we start

 

It’s easy for your MacBook device to get clogged up with useless files, especially if you don’t keep track of your storage. If you typically download files, attachments, photos, videos, movies, and more, your Mac will eventually start acting up.

 

Going through your Mac to delete built-up files can be a mission. The best thing to do is use dedicated software to get the job done. MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup is a perfect app to free up much-needed space by cleaning up your Mac’s storage quickly and efficiently.

 

Here’s how to clean up your computer with MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup:

1. Download MacKeeper and click Safe Cleanup in the sidebar.
2. Click the Start Scan button at the bottom of the window. MacKeeper will start scanning your device. This could take a few minutes, depending on how full your disk is.
3. When the scan is done, click Clean Junk Files. Now, you can keep your Mac clean around the clock.

How to check storage on Mac Sonoma

You may be wondering where to begin when OS X Sonoma is full. Before you clear your disk, consider checking your Mac’s storage to know where it stands. To check the storage on Sonoma, go to the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage. You’ll be presented with a breakdown of your storage, divided into categories. Here, you can see which categories are taking up the most space on your device.

How to clear disk space on Mac Sonoma

To create more space on macOS Sonoma:

1. Delete unnecessary downloads
2. Remove apps you don't need
3. Transfer photos/videos to external or cloud storage
4. Delete system junk
5. Clear browser cache
6. Compress your files
7. Clean up DMG files
8. Empty trash
9. Identify and remove large files
10. Save desktop and documents to iCloud

Now that you know the state of your Mac’s storage space, it’s time to start clearing it. Follow the guide below to delete and manage the files on OS X Sonoma.

1. Delete unnecessary downloads

Your Mac’s Downloads folder holds a ton of long-forgotten files. This would be fine if they didn’t take up space that could be used for useful files. Freeing up space is possible when you delete unnecessary downloads.

Here’s how to get rid of useless downloads on OS X Sonoma:

1. Launch Finder and select Downloads in the sidebar.
2. Go through your list of files and folders to find old, unused, and unimportant downloads.
3. Select all the downloads you want to delete and either right-click on them and select Move to Trash, or simply drag them to the Trash can in the Dock.

2. Remove apps you don't need

Apps are another culprit that hogs up space unnecessarily. Think about all the apps you downloaded to try but haven’t used in months. For some, the free trial ended, and the subscription wasn't worth it. For others, you didn’t quite like the app. Regardless, there’s no use in holding onto apps if you don’t use them, especially since they take up so much space.

Here’s how to delete unused apps on Sonoma:

1. Launch Finder and select Applications in the sidebar.
2. Go through the list of apps to find the ones you haven’t used in a while, and then drag them to the Trash.

3. Transfer photos/videos to your external or cloud storage

Your precious photos and videos are meant to last forever. That’s why you store them digitally instead of physically like you used to back in the day. But they clutter your Mac device over time. If you have a lot of media, it’s best to save it to your external storage or cloud storage and keep your Mac, which you use daily, free of clutter. This will also protect your photos from loss or damage in the event of viruses infecting your Mac.

Here’s how to transfer your photos and videos to external storage or Cloud:

1. To transfer your photos or videos to an external storage device, connect an external storage device to your MacBook.
2. Launch Finder, find the media files you want to move, and then drag and drop them onto the external storage.
3. To back up your photos or videos to the iCloud, click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud, and enable Photos.

4. Delete system junk

Computer users rarely worry about system junk because it’s barely noticeable. However, it adds up over time and ends up using more space than you realize. Clearing macOS of system junk can help you free up space and improve your device’s performance.

Follow these steps to clear system junk on OS X Sonoma:

1. Open Finder, select Go from the menu bar, and choose Go to Folder.
2. Type ~/Library/Logs, click Go, then drag the target files to the Trash.
3. Go back to Go to Folder, enter /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports this time, and delete those files too.
4. Now, empty the Trash and restart your device.

Hint from our team: 

 

While clearing junk files is a straightforward process, keeping up with Mac maintenance can be a hassle. Not to mention, it’s easy to forget to routinely get rid of junk files to keep your Mac optimized. With MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool, you don’t have to worry about manually scheduling and implementing Mac cleanups.

 

Simply enlist its help to get the job done:

1. Download MacKeeper, click Safe Cleanup in the sidebar, and click the Start Scan button at the bottom of the window.
2. MacKeeper will start scanning your device. This could take a few minutes, depending on how many items are on your Mac’s disk. When the scan is complete, click Clean Junk Files and enjoy a cleaner, more optimized Mac.

5. Clear browser cache

Similar to junk files, cache buildup can limit the storage space on your Mac. Deleting junk files can help you get more storage for important files. Here’s how:

1. Launch Finder and bring up the Go to Folder by pressing the Shift + Command + G keys.
2. Enter the text ~/Library/Caches in the text box and hit Go.
3. Open the folder of the browser containing the cache you want to clear (for example, Safari) and drag the cache files to the Trash can in the Dock. Alternatively, right-click on the folder and select the Move to Trash option. Repeat this process for all the browsers you use on your Mac.

6. Compress your files

One of the most logical ways to capitalize on the space you have is storing it smartly. You can do this by compressing your files. This minimizes them and creates space for more files in the storage location.

This is how you compress files on OS X Sonoma:

1. Go to the file or folder you want to compress in Finder, right-click on it, and choose the Compress option from the menu.
2. Your Mac will create a compact ZIP file in the same location where the original file or folder was stored.

7. Clean up DMG files

Disk image (DMG) files allow you to download and use third-party apps from the internet (instead of the App Store). The files contain the letters .dmg at the end of the file name. Because they aren’t necessary for the day-to-day use of your Mac, you can clean up DMG files to make space.

Here’s how to delete DMG files on macOS Sonoma:

1. Open Finder and look for the DMG file you want to delete. Feel free to use the search function to speed up this process.
2. Drag it to the Trash or double-click on it and select Move To Trash. Repeat the process for other DMG files on your device.

8. Empty trash

Even if you take the time to delete unused and redundant files on your Mac, you may often forget to clear the trash. Mac stores deleted files in the Trash folder, which means they still take up space on your device. Clear the trash to get rid of deleted items permanently.

To empty the trash on a Mac:

1. Right-click on the Trash icon in the Dock
2. Click Empty Trash.

Note from our experts: 

 

MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool can clear the trash and other folders containing unwanted items at the click of a button. Use it to maintain your Mac and create more space for important data.

9. Identify and remove large files

Unlike small, pesky files, large files consume a significant amount of space. Deleting them can free up space on macOS Sonoma and even improve its performance.

1. Go to the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Documents > Large Files.
2. Select a file and hit the Delete button in the bottom-right corner of the window. Repeat the process for other large files listed.

10. Save desktop and documents to iCloud

Similar to images and videos, you can move your desktop items and other documents to your iCloud. This will help you free up space on your Mac and declutter it. Your documents will always be within reach when you need them.

1. Click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud, and select Options next to iCloud Drive.
2. Enable Desktop & Documents Folders and click Done.

How to manage disk space on macOS Sonoma

To manage your disk space on Mac Sonoma:

1. Go to the Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info > Storage Settings.
2. Now, look at the recommendations to optimize your disk space and proceed with them.

Make room for important files on macOS Sonoma

Mac’s operating systems can get weighed down by redundant files, unused apps, and so much more—and Sonoma is no exception. Lucky for you, you can easily free up space using the tips in our article. Additionally, use MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool to remove the guesswork from the process. Explore more of its features to help maintain your Mac.