Click on your computer’s main storage device, usually named Macintosh HD. To see if you need to clean up your MacBook hard drive, open Finder and click on your MacBook from the DEVICES section in the left hand Sidebar (see first arrow in screen shot below). Our How To Set Up Time Machine for Your Mac will explain the simple process for setting up and using Time Machine if you haven’t already started it. Then expand them when you need to use them again.ĭid you empty the Trash? When you move a file to the Trash, its storage space doesn't become available until you empty the Trash.Is your MacBook hard drive getting full? We’ll show you how to clean up your MacBook hard drive or SSD using some built-in Mac tools or a couple of nice paid and free utilities.īefore jumping in, back up your drive. Use Apple’s Time Machine for the simplest and safest backup. If you don't want to delete certain files, you might be able to save space by compressing them.

Check the Users folder on Macintosh HD for any shared files that you no longer need to share.If your Mac is set up for multiple users, delete users that no longer need access to your Mac. Or ask them to follow the steps in this article after logging in to their user account. Also check the Users folder on Macintosh HD for any undeleted data belonging to deleted users.If you use your Mac to back up your iPhone or iPad, you can delete old backups.Also choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items. If you use the Mail app for your email, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail from the menu bar in Mail.Delete files in your Downloads folder. Open this folder from the Dock, or by choosing Go > Downloads from the menu bar in the Finder.Delete music, movies, podcasts, or other media, especially if it's media that you can stream or download again as needed.You can also delete files that you no longer need. If you have another storage device, such as an external drive connected to your Mac, you can move files to that device. Media files such as photos and videos can use a lot of storage space, so you can take steps such as these:

How to clean hard drive macbook pro