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How do I remove "Other" storage from my MacBook?

Good day


On my Macbook I have a 251GB flash storage however 115.95GB of this is taken up by "other".


How do I go about finding what this other is and removing what is appropriate to clean up space on my laptop?


Thanks



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Jun 2, 2021 7:34 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 2, 2021 9:55 AM

See used and available storage space on your Mac


  • Other: Contains files that don’t fall into the categories listed here. This category primarily includes files and data used by the system, such as log files, caches, VM files, and other runtime system resources. Also included are temporary files, fonts, app support files, and plug-ins. You can't manage the contents of this category. The contents are managed by macOS, and the category varies in size depending on the current state of your Mac.



3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 2, 2021 9:55 AM in response to MOG_

See used and available storage space on your Mac


  • Other: Contains files that don’t fall into the categories listed here. This category primarily includes files and data used by the system, such as log files, caches, VM files, and other runtime system resources. Also included are temporary files, fonts, app support files, and plug-ins. You can't manage the contents of this category. The contents are managed by macOS, and the category varies in size depending on the current state of your Mac.



Jun 2, 2021 7:37 AM in response to MOG_

MOG_ wrote:

Good day

On my Macbook I have a 251GB flash storage however 115.95GB of this is taken up by "other".

How do I go about finding what this other is and removing what is appropriate to clean up space on my laptop?

Thanks



How to free up storage space on your Mac - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206996


See used and available storage space on your Mac

https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/see-available-storage-space-syspf9b375b9/10.14/mac/10.15


User tip: "Other and What Can I Do About It ?"

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5142


Try something like OmniDiskSweeper for a GUI to get a good look at itemized file size and location:

OmniDiskSweeper http://www.omnigroup.com/more


Jun 2, 2021 12:04 PM in response to MOG_

Some info on "Other":


The Other category is a potpourri of files which can include:


• System temporary files

• macOS system folders

• Archives and disk images (.zip, .iso, etc. - often found in the Downloads folder)

• Personal user data

• Files from the user’s library (Application Support, iCloud files, screensavers, etc.)

• Cache files: browser, Mail

• Mail messages & attachments

• Fonts, plugins, extensions

• Safari reading list

• iTunes backups

• Crud resulting from jailbreaking your iDevice

• Game data

• Saved data files

• Call history

• Notes

• Media

• Voice memos

• Other files that are not recognized by a Spotlight search

• Media files that cannot be classified by Spotlight as a media file because they are located inside of a package

• Files created and modified by other user accounts on your Mac.


They can be located anywhere on your hard drive.


The files that you have control over are located in the Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music and Movies folders.  You can use either of these two free apps, GrandPerspective  or OmniDiscSweeper, to find the largest files on your drive so you can determine if they can be deleted or moved to an external HD for storage.  


Note: you can empty the Downloads folder after the apps and/or updates that were downloaded have been installed or applied.  Many users have found a couple of Gigabytes of files in their Downloads folder which are no longer needed. 


How do I remove "Other" storage from my MacBook?

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