How can I clear system data from my Mac memory without doing harm?

To clear system caches, you can use a tool like SpeedUp Mac or CleanMyMac.

Please do some research on the forum before recommending junk ware to other people. Never install any app that claims to "tune up", "speed up" or "clean up" your Mac. These apps exist for one reason: to separate the unwary and inexperienced user from their hard-earned money. At best they do very little, at worst, they can damage your OS installation and cause far more problems than they "solve".

sunny_mike wrote:

2. Clear system caches: Mac OS X creates temporary cache files to store frequently accessed data. These files are generally safe to delete and can help free up a lot of space on your Mac. To clear system caches, you can use a tool like SpeedUp Mac or CleanMyMac.

 Very, very bad advice from someone using an AI to attempt.... sell things?

CleanMyMac is pretty close to being malware. I think SpeedUp Mac may actually be malware.

To anyone reading: Do NOT follow this advice.

Follow the good work from Previous Contributor

Memory is RAM ( Random Access Memory ) and Storage is Drive Capacity of the Drive.

The two are very different as RAM is constantly being used by the Operating System and Applications on the computer. RAM usage goes up when needed and goes down when not needed

To add some additional info on this issue

It is generally a good computer practice to alway keep at least 15% to 20% of the Total Drive Capacity’s as Empty Space. Allowing the computer to drop below these guidelines may eventually, cause unintended consequences.

There is Purgeable Space and there is Empty Space.

Purgeable Space which is Controlled by the Operating System. When the Operating Systems decides the computer needs additional Empty Space, it will move a portion of the Purgeable to Empty space

AFAIK - there is no User Actions to hasten this transition from Purgeable to Empty Space

It can day or longer before this will occur  

The links below will assist in identifying what is taking up space on the Internal Drive and provide possible ways to remove data that is under the direct control of the User ( Home Folder ) . 

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac

What is “Other” storage on a Mac, and how can I clean it out?

Free up storage space on your Mac

OmniDiskSweeper Safe to use

GrandPerspective 

How to delete Time Machine snapshots on your Mac.  

Often caused if the Time Machine Drive has not been attached  to the computer and TM Backup is set to run on a Schedule. 

TM Backup will make Snap Shot on the Internal Drive awaiting the TM Backup Drive to be attached. 

Only then will the Snaps Shots be transferred to the External Drive and deleted the Internal Drive.

See used and available storage space on your Mac

Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Notation - If the user is using a cloning software like Carbon Copy Cloner - suggest tweaking the Safety Net Feature in this software. It may be making additional Snap Shots that are not being Cloned to the Eternal Drive. If this should be the case, these Snap Shot could be using additional space on the drive 

The final word from Apple on Managing the " Other/ System Data “ Category

Other / System Data: 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.

Clearing system data from your Mac can be a helpful way to free up space on your hard drive. Here are some steps you can follow to safely clear system data from your Mac:

1. Check the storage space: First, check your Mac's storage to see how much space is being taken up by system data. To do this, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then choose "About This Mac." Click on "Storage" to see how much space is being used and what's taking up the most space.

2. Clear system caches: Mac OS X creates temporary cache files to store frequently accessed data. These files are generally safe to delete and can help free up a lot of space on your Mac. To clear system caches, you can use a tool like SpeedUp Mac or CleanMyMac.

3. Delete system backups: If you've been using Time Machine to back up your Mac, you may have several backups taking up a lot of space. To delete older backups, open the Time Machine preferences and click on "Delete Backup." You can then select the backup you want to delete and click "Delete."

4. Remove old iOS backups: If you use iTunes to back up your iPhone or iPad, you may have several backups taking up space on your Mac. To remove old iOS backups, open iTunes, go to Preferences, and click on "Devices." You can then select the backups you want to delete and click "Delete Backup."

5. Uninstall unused apps: If you have apps on your Mac that you don't use anymore, consider uninstalling them to free up space. To do this, open the Applications folder and drag any unwanted apps to the Trash.

It's important to be careful when deleting system data from your Mac, as deleting the wrong files could cause problems with your system. Always make sure you have a backup of your important files before making any major changes to your system or else be prepared with a reliable data recovery tool such as Stellar Data Recovery for Mac to recover data in case of any data loss situation.

[Link Edited by Moderator]

Any of the below should be removed as per Developers Instructions 

1 - Disk Cleaner 

This will include CleanMyMac , aka “ BrickMyMac “

MacKeeper,

Dr Cleaner Pro Plus

Open Cleaner one Pro

Macmechanic

Good catch which I missed on first pass

Should have realized as the post was edited