🧹 How to Clean Up Space on Your MacBook: A Complete Guide

2025-08-04 — By Siddharth Jain · 6 min read

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Keeping your MacBook clean and fast isn't just about hardware—managing your storage properly is just as important. If you're seeing warnings like "Your disk is almost full," or wondering why your storage is mysteriously consumed by “System Data,” this guide is for you.

🧠 Why MacBook Storage Gets Full

Over time, your Mac accumulates a variety of files:

Cache and log files
App leftovers and temp data
Old iOS backups
Local Time Machine snapshots
Downloaded files and large documents
Duplicate files and unused apps

🧼 Step-by-Step: Clean Up Space on MacBook

1. 🗑️ Empty Trash and Downloads Folder

Start with the basics:

Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash
Go to ~/Downloads and delete files you no longer need

2. 📁 Clear Cache Files

Caches help apps run faster but can grow too large over time.

✅ Remove user-level caches:

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*

✅ Remove system-level caches (use caution):

sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/*

3. 🛠️ Clear Xcode & Developer Files (if applicable)

If you're a developer using Xcode:

rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator

This can save several GBs of space.

4. 🔍 Delete Large Files in Documents

Navigate to your Documents folder and:

Switch to List View
Sort by Size
Delete or move large files to external storage or cloud

5. 📱 Remove iOS Device Backups

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/

These backups can take up gigabytes of hidden space.

6. 🧭 Delete Local Time Machine Snapshots

tmutil listlocalsnapshots /
sudo tmutil deletelocalsnapshots 2025-08-03

Repeat for each snapshot listed. These hidden backups are safe to remove.

7. 🧊 Clear System Logs

sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/*

This frees system-generated logs that aren’t usually needed.

8. 🔍 Use Storage Tools (Optional)

Use tools like:

DaisyDisk
GrandPerspective
OnyX (Advanced)
AppCleaner (for full app removal)

These apps help visualize or clean up space safely.

9. ⚙️ Turn On Storage Optimization

Go to:

 > System Settings > General > Storage

Enable:

✅ Optimize Storage
✅ Empty Trash Automatically

🚫 Don’t Delete These!

Avoid touching:

/System and /Library
macOS essential apps
System files unless you know what you're doing

✅ Bonus: Automate Cleanup (Safe Script)

Create a shell script to automate cleanup:

#!/bin/bash
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*
sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/*

Save as cleanup.sh and run using:

chmod +x cleanup.sh
./cleanup.sh

🧮 Final Result

After cleaning:

Faster app performance
More free space
A healthier, smoother Mac experience