What "Other" Storage Is and Why It Takes Up Space

Other is a catch-all category in your Mac's storage breakdown that holds files macOS cannot sort into Documents, Applications, Photos, or other named categories. It includes system caches, temporary files, language files you do not use, old backups, duplicate files, and data left behind by programs you deleted. On many Macs, Other can consume 20 to 50 gigabytes or more.

The problem is that Other is not one folder you can open and clean out. It is scattered across your system in places you cannot easily see. Some of it is necessary — your Mac needs cache files to run smoothly. Much of it is not. The goal is to remove what you do not need without breaking anything that keeps your Mac working.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your Mac's storage breakdown by clicking the Apple menu, selecting About This Mac, then Storage to see how much space Other is using.
  • Empty the Trash, clear browser caches, and delete old downloads and duplicates before using any third-party tool.
  • Language files, old backups, and duplicate photos are safe to remove and often account for several gigabytes.
  • Use CleanMyMac X, Disk Diag, or similar tools only after manual cleanup, and never delete files you cannot identify.

Check How Much Other Storage You Actually Have

Before you start deleting anything, see exactly how much space Other is taking. Click the Apple menu in the top left, select About This Mac, then click the Storage tab. You will see a colored bar showing how your disk is divided. Other appears as a gray or brown section. If it is smaller than 10 gigabytes, you may not need to do anything — that is normal for a working Mac.

If Other is 20 gigabytes or larger, there is likely something worth removing. Write down the number so you can see how much space you free up as you go.

Delete Files You Know You Do Not Need

Start with the easiest wins. Open Finder and go to your Downloads folder. Most people accumulate months or years of installers, PDFs, and files they downloaded once and never opened again. Select the files you no longer need and drag them to Trash. Then empty the Trash by right-clicking it and selecting Empty Trash.

Next, check your Documents folder for old projects, duplicate files, or things you have backed up elsewhere. Look for folders named things like "Old Stuff", "Archive", or "To Delete" — these are usually safe to remove. You can also search for large files by opening Finder, clicking File, then Find, and sorting by file size to see what is taking up the most room.

Empty your browser cache next. In Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, select Settings, go to the Privacy tab, and click Manage Website Data. Select all and click Remove. In Chrome, click the three dots, go to Settings, select Privacy and Security, click Clear Browsing Data, set the time range to All Time, and check Cached Images and Files, then click Clear Data.

Remove Duplicate Photos and Old Backups

Photos app can hold duplicates without you realizing it, especially if you have synced photos from multiple devices or imported the same folder twice. Open Photos, click File, then Show Duplicates. Review the results and delete the copies you do not need. This alone can free up several gigabytes on many Macs.

Check for old Time Machine backups or iOS device backups taking up space. Open Finder, click Finder in the menu bar, select Settings, go to the Advanced tab, and check Show All Filename Extensions. Then navigate to your home folder and look for a folder named Library (you may need to press Command+Shift+Period to show hidden files). Inside Library, look for Mobile Documents or Caches folders. You can safely delete old cache folders, but be careful not to delete anything from an active process.

Delete Language Files and Unused process Data

Your Mac stores language files for every language it supports, even if you only use English. You can remove the ones you do not need. read a free tool like Monolingual (available from its official website) to remove unused language files safely. The tool shows you which languages are installed and lets you keep only the ones you use. This can free up 1 to 3 gigabytes depending on how many languages your Mac has.

Look through your Applications folder for programs you no longer use. Drag them to Trash, but know that this only removes the main process file — it leaves behind preference files and support data in your Library folder. For a complete removal, use the uninstall feature within the process itself if it has one, or use a tool like AppCleaner (free, from freemacsoft.net) to remove the process and its associated files together.

Use a Third-Party Cleaning Tool if Manual Cleanup Is Not Enough

If you have done the steps above and Other is still large, a cleaning tool can find files you cannot easily locate yourself. CleanMyMac X (paid, with a free trial) scans your Mac and shows you what is in Other, organized by type. You can preview files before deleting them. Disk Diag (paid) shows you what is using the most space and lets you drill down into folders. OmniDiskSweeper (free) displays your entire disk as a visual map so you can see at a glance what is taking up room.

Use these tools carefully. Preview any file before you delete it, and never remove anything you cannot identify. Avoid tools that promise to "optimize" your Mac or claim to speed it up by deleting system files — these often do more harm than good. Stick to tools that show you exactly what they are deleting and let you choose what goes.

Check Your Results and Prevent Other From Growing Again

After you have deleted files, go back to About This Mac and check Storage again. You should see Other has shrunk. If it has not changed much, the files you deleted may not have been in the Other category — they were probably in Documents or Downloads, which show separately.

To keep Other from growing too large again, empty your Downloads folder once a month, clear your browser cache every few months, and uninstall applications you no longer use. Avoid downloading and keeping multiple copies of the same file. If you use cloud storage like iCloud Drive or Google Drive, keep your local copies organized so you know what you actually need on your Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to delete files from the Other category?

Most files in Other are safe to delete — old caches, temporary files, and duplicates will not harm your Mac. However, some system files in Other are necessary for macOS to run. Never delete anything you cannot identify or anything inside a system folder like /System or /Library unless you are certain what it does. When in doubt, leave it alone.

Why does my Other storage keep growing back?

Other grows because your Mac constantly creates cache files, temporary files, and process data as you use it. This is normal. If it grows very quickly — more than a few gigabytes per month — you may have a runaway process creating large temporary files, or your browser cache is not clearing properly. Check your browser settings to make sure cache clearing is turned on.

Will deleting Other storage make my Mac faster?

Freeing up disk space can help your Mac run better if you were very close to full capacity, because your Mac needs some free space to function smoothly. However, deleting cache files will not make everyday tasks noticeably faster — your Mac will just recreate those caches the next time you use the applications. The main benefit is having more room for files you actually want to keep.

What is the difference between emptying Trash and permanently deleting files?

When you drag a file to Trash, it stays there until you empty the Trash. Until you empty it, you can recover the file by opening Trash and dragging it back out. Once you empty the Trash, the file is gone from your Mac. Some third-party tools can recover files even after emptying Trash, but this becomes harder over time as your Mac reuses the disk space.

Can I use Disk Utility to clean up Other storage?

Disk Utility is a system tool for managing disks and partitions, not for finding and deleting files. It cannot help you clean up Other storage. Stick to the manual methods described above or use a dedicated cleaning tool designed for this purpose.