Clear out common clutter
Dig out all the files that other methods won’t get rid of
Most of our tips so far have dealt with zeroing in on large files (using Apple’s own tools), or groups of files (using the likes of GrandPerspective).
But if you’re doing a full tidy-up of your Mac, you need to get rid of files you might not even be aware exist – those that apps have installed at some point, for example, or content that’s been (or is still being) synced automatically to your Mac that you might no longer need.
When uninstalling apps, check to see if there’s an official uninstaller, rather than just dragging the app to the Trash. Sometimes you’ll find the uninstaller is an option in an app’s installer, so run that again to check. Elsewhere, you may find an uninstaller buried within an app’s preferences – especially for third-party System Preferences panes. If there’s no uninstaller for the software you want to remove, visit the developer’s website. Scour help pages for instructions on how to remove every trace of the app, which will likely require you manually remove specific files – or even delve into Terminal.
Often, removing application support files will require a trip to /Library and/or ~/Library (the latter being most easily accessed in Finder by holding å and choosing Go > Library). Be very careful when removing support files, because if you scrap the wrong ones, apps will cease to function correctly. But if you’ve played with GarageBand in the past, you could have tens of gigabytes of instrument files in /Library/Application Support/ GarageBand. Even if you want to keep those, the app’s Learn to Play lessons can be hundreds of megabytes each.
Device backups for iPhones and iPads also end up in ~/Library, although they’re best dealt with in iTunes. Open the Devices tab in the app’s preferences. If you see backups for devices you no longer use or own, select them and click Delete Backup.
Selective sync
Finally, if you work with multiple cloud storage services, chances are files from them will have been synced to your Mac – and could still be getting updated on an ongoing basis. Obviously, don’t make adjustments if you need them all. But if you use the likes of Google Drive and Dropbox, but only need immediate access to one or two folders, you should stop syncing the rest, in order to free up space.
In Google Drive’s preferences, you can do this in the Google Drive section – turn off Sync My Drive, or instead of ‘Sync everything in My Drive’, click ‘Sync these folders only’ and select specific folders. In Dropbox’s preferences, choose specific folders in the Sync tab.