What is 'Other' on your Mac's storage and how to remove or clear it?
Determine how much disk space you have. Open Disk Utility (Finder Applications Utilities Disk. Checking your storage on Mac isn't difficult – but managing it can be. One of the more curious storage compartments is the 'other' storage on Mac, which sounds like a catch-all for files that can't be labeled properly. And that's sort of true! But the other volumes in container can get full, and reduce the Mac storage Other space for your Mac.
Computer storage or disk space is the amount of data (measured in 'bytes') that a drive is capable of holding. Mac computer users can check how much disk space is available on their systems by clicking the Apple menu () at the top left of the screen and selecting 'About this Mac', and then selecting the 'Storage' tab. Despite this, even basic information can seem confusing at first, especially with regard to Mac hard drive categories. Mac users often become aware of disk space when a message stating that 'there is not enough free space' appears when downloading files from the Internet. When checking the status of storage on your system, you may notice the category 'Other' occupies a great deal of space.
Files under this section may seem redundant, not important, and can be deleted, but we recommend that you read through this article before removing any files. Duplicate photos fixer pro 2 16 full. Commonly, third-party applications invite you to clean the hard drive quickly, but if the 'Other' category is targeted, you might lose important files. In fact, this particular section does store files that are junk files (for example, cache and temporary files), so you need to differentiate between those and the important files. In this article, we describe files listed under the 'Other' category and show how to safely remove some unnecessary data.
Table of Contents:
It is recommended to run a free scan with Malwarebytes - a tool to detect malware and fix computer errors. You will need to purchase the full version to remove infections and eliminate computer errors. Free trial available.
How to check the storage status on your Mac?
If you are running low on free space, we recommend that you check how much space each category consumes - this will help you to decide what to clean to achieve the best results. To check Mac hard drive usage, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen, and then select About this Mac. Choose the Storage tab. You will see a line with different colors indicating the categories - hover over each to check its title and amount of storage consumed.
What contains in the Other category?
Many users report that this confusing category consumes a lot of hard drive memory, thus prompting them to seek methods to clear the category or reduce the amount of space taken. Before proceeding, you must determine what data is hidden within this particular group of content. The title ('Other') can be misleading, since there are not only junk files, but also important personal files. Below, we clarify this category and include some examples of what 'Other' contains:
Note: If Finder doesn't display folder sizes in List view, open View on the menu bar, select Show View Options, check the box next to Calculate all sizes, and select Use as Defaults. Restart your Mac. If everything looks good, clear the Trash. Repeat steps 1–4, but use the path /Library/Caches/ (which opens the system cache) in step 2 instead. We recently detailed ‘Other' iOS storage, an iTunes-reported section that includes various caches and temporary system files on you iPhone, iPod touch and iPad along with device settings, high-quality Siri and Voice Over voices and other system data. Not many people know that macOS reports ‘Other' storage on Macs, too. This tutorial will detail how you can view a disk usage and storage summary on a Mac. Accessing the Mac Disk Usage Summary. If you want to check a Macs disk space and disk usage, this is one of the simplest ways to do so.
- Common documents and file types, such as PDF, doc, PSD and some others.
- Any type of compressed files, including disk images, zips, dmg, iso, tar and many more archive type files.
- User's personal data.
- Some files in the system folders of Mac OS, such as temporary files, swap, voices, etc.
- Files such as application support, iCloud files, screen captures, and similar.
- Cache items, including browser cache and locally-stored message media content.
- Fonts, app accessories, application plug-ins, and extensions.
- Various data and file types that are not recognized by Spotlight, such as virtual machine hard drive, Windows boot camp partition, and a number of other type files.
How To Find Other Storage On Mac
These files are just a small sample of those that might be contained within the Other category. You might prefer not to lose certain file types, whereas others can be removed without any particular consequences (for example, system caches, temporary files, and other junk files). So, the 'Other' category is a collection of data that includes miscellaneous file types not suitable for any other existing category. Now we have a clear view of this category, we can use methods to clean this group of junk files.
How to clear Other category on Mac running macOS Sierra or later
Some users believe that newer versions of the Mac operating system are well optimized and never run out of free space, but this is not actually correct. Although Sierra and later versions are much better optimized, these system do run out of free space, especially when small capacity hard drives are installed. Even if you are running a system with considerable hard drive space, overfilling it will result in reduced system performance. Fortunately, mac OS Sierra and all later versions include a useful feature called Optimized Storage. Once this tool enabled, the Mac will automatically cleans its hard drive from old or unused files by transferring data to iCloud. All files moved from your computer to cloud storage will be accessible through a website (from which you can later download them to your Mac). Additionally, if you experience significant loss of storage space on macOS High Sierra, read this guide.
Manually clear Cache files on your Mac computer
To remove cache data from your computer, you simply need to visit a specified destination where the files are stored. Launch Finder, which can be found in the Dock. Click Go in the menu at top of the screen and select Go to Folder. Type the following destination, ~/Library/caches and click Go.
In the new window, you will see a list of caches saved from active applications. Select the folder of the program from which the cache you wish to remove. Right-click or control-click on it. In the menu, select Move to Trash. Repeat this procedure with all applications.
How to remove old iOS device backups in iTunes
Creating a backup of the iDevice regularly is a good idea, however, this can result in significant space being occupied by old, unnecessary drive images - especially when backups can take up to 5 Gigabytes. Therefore, removing outdated disk images is advisable. Launch the iTunes application and open Preferences by clicking iTunes in the menu at the top of the screen. In the new window, select the Devices tab. You will find a list with all stored backups of your iDevice. Items in list will have the name of your mobile device and date the backup was created. We recommend that you keep the latest backup, but if you have a copy in the iCloud, you may proceed to complete cleanup. To finish the process, select one of the items and click the Delete Backup button.
Clear up your downloads folder on Mac
The Download folder does not apply any tools for automatic clean-up. Furthermore, clicking it in the Dock only displays a number of recent files. Therefore, many users forget to remove unused data from this area, resulting in a build-up of occupied storage space. To remove files stored under the Downloads folder, launch Finder. Click Go in the menu at top of the screen and select Downloads. Alternatively, click the keyboard shortcut: Option, Command, and L, when finder is launched. A list with all remaining files under Download the folder will appear. Select the content you no longer require and right-click or control-click to enter the menu. Select move to trash, or if you wish to save some content, you can move it to an external drive. When you have finished moving your data, remember to empty the Trash. To perform this action, simply right-click on the Trash bin icon in Dock and select Empty Trash.
Use Combo Cleaner to clean up your computer faster
Using third-party software to clean up your computer is quick and simple. We suggest using Combo Cleaner, which offers features such as disk cleaner, big files and duplicates detector, and others.
Video Showing how to clear 'Other' storage category on Mac:
When you check the storage on your Mac, you might see a significant percentage of space occupied by something called ‘Other.' macOS does not go into much detail. You may wonder what is Other storage on Mac, why it eats up so much space, and how can I delete it? Let me help by telling you more about this to free space on your Mac.
How to Check Storage on Mac
- Click on the Apple logo from the top-left and choose About This Mac.
- Click on Storage. Wait for a few seconds.
- Take the mouse pointer to colored sections. You will see how much space is occupied by different categories like Apps, Photos, System, Trash, Other, etc.
What is Other on Mac Storage?
Just like the ‘Other' on iPhone and iPad, it is home to several files, cached data, and more. This section houses a mix of junk and important files.
Macbook Pro Storage Clear
Issues with catalina. In the simplest of terms, the 'Other' category is a combination of files that are not recognized as one of the other file types. Here are some examples:- Ipv6 link local address calculator.
- Common documents and file types, including PDF, doc, PSD, etc.
- Any type of archives and disk images, including zips, dmg, iso, tar, etc.
- Files in the system folders of macOS, including temporary files, swap, voices, etc.
- Application Support files, iCloud files, Screensavers, etc.
- Cache items, including browser cache and locally stored message media files.
- Fonts, app accessories, application plugins, and app extensions.
- Various file and file types not recognized by Spotlight, for example, a virtual machine hard drive, Windows Boot Camp partitions, etc.
How to Delete Other on Mac Storage
Delete Cache Files on Mac
In typical situations, you do not need to worry much about cache. macOS handles them smartly. But if you are too low on storage or believe in having the cache of unused/uninstalled apps, here is how to delete them.
Note: Caches are there to make your Mac experience better and faster. Make sure you remove only the unnecessary ones.
- From Finder, click on Go.
- Press the option key. You will see a new option for the Library. Click on it.
- Click on Caches.
- Right-click on unnecessary app/service folders and choose Move to Trash.
- Right-click on the Trash icon and choose Empty Trash.
Note + Tip: With regular use, macOS will recreate these caches. If you do not understand what to delete, go back and copy the entire Caches folder to desktop (for backup). Next, open the Caches folder, press Command + A, right-click, and then Move to Trash. Finally, empty the Trash. See if everything works properly or not. In case not, copy the contents of the backup Caches folder from desktop inside the actual Caches folder.
Clearing browser cache and website files for Safari also reduce the Other storage.
Clear Temporary Files Located in Other Storage on Mac
- From Finder, click on Go.
- Press the option key.
- Click on Library.
- Click on Application Support.
- Delete files from here that you do not need. For example, old app folders that you do not need or have.
Remove Safari Extensions on Mac
At times, we install a browser extension for a purpose, and then do not reuse them or simply forget that it exists. The extension continues to occupy space (shown differently than the application itself. It is thus categorized under Other)
To remove an extension:
- Safari: Open Safari → Click on Safari from top left → Preferences → Extensions → Click on an extension → Choose Uninstall.
- Chrome: Open Chrome → Extensions icon (puzzle icon next to account picture) → Manage Extensions → Remove those you do not use.
Remove Old Downloads
Downloads are usually saved in the Downloads folder (unless you changed them). We often download .dmg files, large packages, videos, zip files, and leave them there. For example, many people do not delete the .dmg file even after app installation. Same for zip files.
- Open Finder and click on Downloads from the left sidebar.
- Click on the word ‘Size' to arrange the items by size. This will help you locate the large files quickly.
- To delete, right-click on the file and choose Move to Trash. You may also select the files(s) and press Command + Delete.
Computer storage or disk space is the amount of data (measured in 'bytes') that a drive is capable of holding. Mac computer users can check how much disk space is available on their systems by clicking the Apple menu () at the top left of the screen and selecting 'About this Mac', and then selecting the 'Storage' tab. Despite this, even basic information can seem confusing at first, especially with regard to Mac hard drive categories. Mac users often become aware of disk space when a message stating that 'there is not enough free space' appears when downloading files from the Internet. When checking the status of storage on your system, you may notice the category 'Other' occupies a great deal of space.
Files under this section may seem redundant, not important, and can be deleted, but we recommend that you read through this article before removing any files. Duplicate photos fixer pro 2 16 full. Commonly, third-party applications invite you to clean the hard drive quickly, but if the 'Other' category is targeted, you might lose important files. In fact, this particular section does store files that are junk files (for example, cache and temporary files), so you need to differentiate between those and the important files. In this article, we describe files listed under the 'Other' category and show how to safely remove some unnecessary data.
Table of Contents:
It is recommended to run a free scan with Malwarebytes - a tool to detect malware and fix computer errors. You will need to purchase the full version to remove infections and eliminate computer errors. Free trial available.
How to check the storage status on your Mac?
If you are running low on free space, we recommend that you check how much space each category consumes - this will help you to decide what to clean to achieve the best results. To check Mac hard drive usage, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen, and then select About this Mac. Choose the Storage tab. You will see a line with different colors indicating the categories - hover over each to check its title and amount of storage consumed.
What contains in the Other category?
Many users report that this confusing category consumes a lot of hard drive memory, thus prompting them to seek methods to clear the category or reduce the amount of space taken. Before proceeding, you must determine what data is hidden within this particular group of content. The title ('Other') can be misleading, since there are not only junk files, but also important personal files. Below, we clarify this category and include some examples of what 'Other' contains:
Note: If Finder doesn't display folder sizes in List view, open View on the menu bar, select Show View Options, check the box next to Calculate all sizes, and select Use as Defaults. Restart your Mac. If everything looks good, clear the Trash. Repeat steps 1–4, but use the path /Library/Caches/ (which opens the system cache) in step 2 instead. We recently detailed ‘Other' iOS storage, an iTunes-reported section that includes various caches and temporary system files on you iPhone, iPod touch and iPad along with device settings, high-quality Siri and Voice Over voices and other system data. Not many people know that macOS reports ‘Other' storage on Macs, too. This tutorial will detail how you can view a disk usage and storage summary on a Mac. Accessing the Mac Disk Usage Summary. If you want to check a Macs disk space and disk usage, this is one of the simplest ways to do so.
- Common documents and file types, such as PDF, doc, PSD and some others.
- Any type of compressed files, including disk images, zips, dmg, iso, tar and many more archive type files.
- User's personal data.
- Some files in the system folders of Mac OS, such as temporary files, swap, voices, etc.
- Files such as application support, iCloud files, screen captures, and similar.
- Cache items, including browser cache and locally-stored message media content.
- Fonts, app accessories, application plug-ins, and extensions.
- Various data and file types that are not recognized by Spotlight, such as virtual machine hard drive, Windows boot camp partition, and a number of other type files.
How To Find Other Storage On Mac
These files are just a small sample of those that might be contained within the Other category. You might prefer not to lose certain file types, whereas others can be removed without any particular consequences (for example, system caches, temporary files, and other junk files). So, the 'Other' category is a collection of data that includes miscellaneous file types not suitable for any other existing category. Now we have a clear view of this category, we can use methods to clean this group of junk files.
How to clear Other category on Mac running macOS Sierra or later
Some users believe that newer versions of the Mac operating system are well optimized and never run out of free space, but this is not actually correct. Although Sierra and later versions are much better optimized, these system do run out of free space, especially when small capacity hard drives are installed. Even if you are running a system with considerable hard drive space, overfilling it will result in reduced system performance. Fortunately, mac OS Sierra and all later versions include a useful feature called Optimized Storage. Once this tool enabled, the Mac will automatically cleans its hard drive from old or unused files by transferring data to iCloud. All files moved from your computer to cloud storage will be accessible through a website (from which you can later download them to your Mac). Additionally, if you experience significant loss of storage space on macOS High Sierra, read this guide.
Manually clear Cache files on your Mac computer
To remove cache data from your computer, you simply need to visit a specified destination where the files are stored. Launch Finder, which can be found in the Dock. Click Go in the menu at top of the screen and select Go to Folder. Type the following destination, ~/Library/caches and click Go.
In the new window, you will see a list of caches saved from active applications. Select the folder of the program from which the cache you wish to remove. Right-click or control-click on it. In the menu, select Move to Trash. Repeat this procedure with all applications.
How to remove old iOS device backups in iTunes
Creating a backup of the iDevice regularly is a good idea, however, this can result in significant space being occupied by old, unnecessary drive images - especially when backups can take up to 5 Gigabytes. Therefore, removing outdated disk images is advisable. Launch the iTunes application and open Preferences by clicking iTunes in the menu at the top of the screen. In the new window, select the Devices tab. You will find a list with all stored backups of your iDevice. Items in list will have the name of your mobile device and date the backup was created. We recommend that you keep the latest backup, but if you have a copy in the iCloud, you may proceed to complete cleanup. To finish the process, select one of the items and click the Delete Backup button.
Clear up your downloads folder on Mac
The Download folder does not apply any tools for automatic clean-up. Furthermore, clicking it in the Dock only displays a number of recent files. Therefore, many users forget to remove unused data from this area, resulting in a build-up of occupied storage space. To remove files stored under the Downloads folder, launch Finder. Click Go in the menu at top of the screen and select Downloads. Alternatively, click the keyboard shortcut: Option, Command, and L, when finder is launched. A list with all remaining files under Download the folder will appear. Select the content you no longer require and right-click or control-click to enter the menu. Select move to trash, or if you wish to save some content, you can move it to an external drive. When you have finished moving your data, remember to empty the Trash. To perform this action, simply right-click on the Trash bin icon in Dock and select Empty Trash.
Use Combo Cleaner to clean up your computer faster
Using third-party software to clean up your computer is quick and simple. We suggest using Combo Cleaner, which offers features such as disk cleaner, big files and duplicates detector, and others.
Video Showing how to clear 'Other' storage category on Mac:
When you check the storage on your Mac, you might see a significant percentage of space occupied by something called ‘Other.' macOS does not go into much detail. You may wonder what is Other storage on Mac, why it eats up so much space, and how can I delete it? Let me help by telling you more about this to free space on your Mac.
How to Check Storage on Mac
- Click on the Apple logo from the top-left and choose About This Mac.
- Click on Storage. Wait for a few seconds.
- Take the mouse pointer to colored sections. You will see how much space is occupied by different categories like Apps, Photos, System, Trash, Other, etc.
What is Other on Mac Storage?
Just like the ‘Other' on iPhone and iPad, it is home to several files, cached data, and more. This section houses a mix of junk and important files.
Macbook Pro Storage Clear
Issues with catalina. In the simplest of terms, the 'Other' category is a combination of files that are not recognized as one of the other file types. Here are some examples:- Ipv6 link local address calculator.
- Common documents and file types, including PDF, doc, PSD, etc.
- Any type of archives and disk images, including zips, dmg, iso, tar, etc.
- Files in the system folders of macOS, including temporary files, swap, voices, etc.
- Application Support files, iCloud files, Screensavers, etc.
- Cache items, including browser cache and locally stored message media files.
- Fonts, app accessories, application plugins, and app extensions.
- Various file and file types not recognized by Spotlight, for example, a virtual machine hard drive, Windows Boot Camp partitions, etc.
How to Delete Other on Mac Storage
Delete Cache Files on Mac
In typical situations, you do not need to worry much about cache. macOS handles them smartly. But if you are too low on storage or believe in having the cache of unused/uninstalled apps, here is how to delete them.
Note: Caches are there to make your Mac experience better and faster. Make sure you remove only the unnecessary ones.
- From Finder, click on Go.
- Press the option key. You will see a new option for the Library. Click on it.
- Click on Caches.
- Right-click on unnecessary app/service folders and choose Move to Trash.
- Right-click on the Trash icon and choose Empty Trash.
Note + Tip: With regular use, macOS will recreate these caches. If you do not understand what to delete, go back and copy the entire Caches folder to desktop (for backup). Next, open the Caches folder, press Command + A, right-click, and then Move to Trash. Finally, empty the Trash. See if everything works properly or not. In case not, copy the contents of the backup Caches folder from desktop inside the actual Caches folder.
Clearing browser cache and website files for Safari also reduce the Other storage.
Clear Temporary Files Located in Other Storage on Mac
- From Finder, click on Go.
- Press the option key.
- Click on Library.
- Click on Application Support.
- Delete files from here that you do not need. For example, old app folders that you do not need or have.
Remove Safari Extensions on Mac
At times, we install a browser extension for a purpose, and then do not reuse them or simply forget that it exists. The extension continues to occupy space (shown differently than the application itself. It is thus categorized under Other)
To remove an extension:
- Safari: Open Safari → Click on Safari from top left → Preferences → Extensions → Click on an extension → Choose Uninstall.
- Chrome: Open Chrome → Extensions icon (puzzle icon next to account picture) → Manage Extensions → Remove those you do not use.
Remove Old Downloads
Downloads are usually saved in the Downloads folder (unless you changed them). We often download .dmg files, large packages, videos, zip files, and leave them there. For example, many people do not delete the .dmg file even after app installation. Same for zip files.
- Open Finder and click on Downloads from the left sidebar.
- Click on the word ‘Size' to arrange the items by size. This will help you locate the large files quickly.
- To delete, right-click on the file and choose Move to Trash. You may also select the files(s) and press Command + Delete.
Tip: Use Spotlight Search to search for big file types like – .dmg, .zip, .mp4, .mkv, .avi, etc. Then click on Show all in Finder… from the lower-left of the Spotlight Search screen. Next, you can delete them easily.
Delete Unnecessary iPhone and iPad Backups
iOS and iPadOS device backups might run into various gigabytes. If you have several archived backups or unnecessary backups of old devices, make sure to delete them.
- Click on the Apple logo and choose About This Mac.
- Click on Storage → Manage.
- Select iOS Files from the sidebar.
- Click on the files and choose Delete.
Note: If you accidentally delete a backup, go ahead and easily create a new one now.
Delete Unused Applications
Applications, when combined with their data, folders, etc. might be vast and occupy significant space. If you have several apps that are sitting idle, go ahead and delete them. Additionally, remove macOS install files, if any.
- Click on the Apple logo from the top-left and choose About This Mac.
- Click on Storage. Next, click on Manage.
- Select Applications from the sidebar.
- Click on an unnecessary one and then click on Delete.
Note: You may also use apps like App Cleaner for perfect uninstallation.
Use Third-Party Software to Free Storage on Your Mac
Apart from the inbuilt solutions, several third-party apps do almost the same thing but in an easier way. You launch them, and in a minute or so, they will help you free significant space. The interface for most is visually pleasing. If you have difficulty following the above methods, you may try one of the apps listed below.
- DaisyDisk ($9.99)
- Onyx (free)
- CleanMyMac (free download with paid version $39.95)
Signing Off…
These are some of the effective ways to delete Other storage on Mac. As stated earlier, it has lots of useful files, too (that are different from listed categories). Thus it is tough to remove Otherdata entirely. But the above ways, help you declutter it. Next, it would be an excellent idea to know how to use optimized storage on Mac.
Reeder 3 1 2 – rss reader software. Open rar files windows 10 free. You may also read:
I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.
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