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How do I completely remove application data from my MacBook? In settings, it says I've used 51 GB, but when I click on applications it says I've only used around 3 GB. What can I do to free up space on my MacBook?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 14.4
That’s because Applications is the folder that holds the app executables, it does not have the app data. The app data is in various places, depending on the application. It will usually be in Documents, but can also be in Pictures, or in ~/libary/Application Support, ~library/Application Data, Downloads, or more specialized locations created by apps.
OmniDiskSweeper lists your files in descending order of size, regardless of storage location, so it may be more useful to you.
That’s because Applications is the folder that holds the app executables, it does not have the app data. The app data is in various places, depending on the application. It will usually be in Documents, but can also be in Pictures, or in ~/libary/Application Support, ~library/Application Data, Downloads, or more specialized locations created by apps.
OmniDiskSweeper lists your files in descending order of size, regardless of storage location, so it may be more useful to you.
Gabo0704 wrote:
MacKeeper - a single app for a clean and secure Mac this is a good third-party software to do that.
MacKeeper is absolutely the WORST software for any purpose. It is close to being malware, and many security experts consider it to be malware.
You can see where your storage is being used and manage it with Mac OS itself. Click on the Apple Menu, About this Mac, More Info, General, Storage and it will list all of the data on your drive. If you click on the i next to any entry it will list all of the files in that category, and you can select and delete the ones you don’t need.
There is also a GOOD, free, 3rd party app that is similar to the built in storage management, but slightly more user friendly, because it sorts all of your content in decreasing order of size: OmniDiskSweeper.
Gabo0704 wrote:
MacKeeper - a single app for a clean and secure Mac this is a good third-party software to do that.
Any app that claims to "clean" or "optimize" your Mac is bad news. They should be avoided at all costs.
There is a great section on this subject in this article:
Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community
First, the only accurate record of space used or available is what is shown in Disk Utility. Anything else will be unreliable. Second, you can remove files by deleting them to make space. (What do you men by the term application data?) Deleting Applications may not be a good idea and you cannot remove any Application that is installed as part of the Apple operating system. If you are short on storage the solution is to install an external disk, then copy files on to it which can then be deleted from the Mac's HD to create needed space.
MacKeeper - a single app for a clean and secure Mac this is a good third-party software to do that.
Applications as in apps. When looking at storage in settings the what it categorizes things such as apple calendar, google docs, Microsoft word, etc
That’s what I’m talking about. I go to that and it says I’m using 55GB on apps. When I click on the i button to look at what it’s being used on only about 4 GB worth of apps show up.
You just helped me so much. All of that excess usage was in application support I found stuff for apps I had uninstalled years ago. Thank you.
You’re welcome! glad I could help.
How do I completely remove application data from my MacBook Pro running Sonoma?
