Where to find your storage information on a Mac
Your Mac stores information about how much space you have used and how much remains available in the System Settings app. Open System Settings (called System Preferences on older Macs), then click General in the sidebar. Look for Storage at the top of the window. You will see a colored bar showing how much of your drive is full, along with a breakdown of what is taking up space — things like Applications, Documents, Photos, and System files.
If you do not see Storage in the General section, your Mac is older and uses a different layout. In that case, click About This Mac instead, then click Storage. The information appears in the same format: a visual bar and a list of what is consuming your drive space.
The storage bar uses color coding to show you at a glance what category is using the most room. Hover your cursor over each colored section to see the exact amount of space that category occupies. This is the fastest way to spot whether photos, videos, or applications are the main reason your drive is getting full.
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings, click General, then look for Storage to see your drive usage broken down by category.
- The colored bar shows you visually how full your drive is, and hovering over each section reveals the exact amount of space it uses.
- If your Mac is older, use About This Mac instead of System Settings to find the same storage information.
- Knowing what is taking up space helps you decide what to delete or move to free up room on your drive.
- Mac storage includes both the files you create and the system files that run your computer, so the total will always be higher than just your documents and photos.
Understanding what each storage category means
The storage breakdown shows several categories, and each one represents a different type of file or function on your Mac. Applications is the space used by all the programs you have installed — things like web browsers, photo editors, and productivity software. Documents includes files you have created or downloaded, such as word documents, spreadsheets, and PDFs. Photos is the space taken by your photo library if you use the Photos app.
System is the space used by macOS itself — the operating system that runs your computer. This includes system files, caches, and temporary files that your Mac needs to function. System space is usually the largest category and grows over time as you use your Mac. Other is a catch-all category for files that do not fit neatly into the other groups, such as email attachments, browser caches, and miscellaneous data from various apps.
The storage information also shows you how much space is actually free — the unused portion of your drive. If your free space is very small (less than 10 percent of your total drive), your Mac may slow down because it needs some empty space to function smoothly. Knowing which category is largest helps you decide what to delete or move to another location.
How to see what is using space within each category
Clicking on a category in the storage breakdown shows you more detail about what files are inside it. For example, if you click on Applications, your Mac displays a list of every installed program along with how much space each one uses. This helps you identify which apps are taking up the most room — sometimes a single large process can use several gigabytes.
For the Documents category, clicking it shows you a list of your largest files and folders. This is useful because a few large video files or archived projects can take up enormous amounts of space without you realizing it. You can see the exact size of each item and decide whether you still need it or can move it to external storage.
The System category does not break down into individual files the same way, because system files are managed by macOS itself. However, you can see how much space is used by caches and temporary files, which sometimes can be cleared to free up room. Be cautious about deleting system files — it is safer to focus on removing applications and documents you no longer need.
When your storage is almost full
If your Mac is running low on free space, the storage bar will show mostly full color with very little white space remaining. When you have less than 10 percent of your drive free, your Mac may become noticeably slower because it cannot create temporary files or cache data efficiently. You may also see warnings from your Mac telling you that storage is almost full.
The fastest way to free up space is to delete large applications you no longer use. Uninstalling an app typically removes it completely and recovers all the space it was using. You can also delete old files from your Documents folder, empty your Trash (which still takes up space until you empty it), or move large photo or video files to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
Before deleting anything, make sure you have a backup of important files. Many people use Time Machine (Mac's built-in backup tool) or cloud storage services to keep copies of their documents and photos. Once you have confirmed your files are backed up, you can safely delete items from your Mac to make room for new files and keep your computer running smoothly.
Checking storage on different Mac models and ages
The steps to check storage are slightly different depending on which version of macOS your Mac runs. Newer Macs (running macOS Monterey or later) use the System Settings app, which has a cleaner layout. Older Macs (running Big Sur or earlier) use System Preferences instead, but the storage information is in the same place — under About This Mac, then Storage.
If you are not sure which version of macOS you have, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select About This Mac. The first line tells you which version you are running. From there, you can click Storage to see your drive usage, regardless of which macOS version your Mac uses.
The storage information itself works the same way on all Macs — it shows you the same categories and the same colored bar. The only difference is where you find it in the settings menu. Once you locate it, the process of understanding what is using your space and deciding what to delete is identical across all Mac models.
Using external storage to manage your Mac's space
If your Mac's built-in drive is consistently full, moving files to external storage is a practical solution. An external hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) connects to your Mac through a USB or Thunderbolt port and gives you additional space without replacing your internal drive. You can move large photo libraries, video projects, or archived documents to external storage and keep your Mac's internal drive free for active work.
Cloud storage services like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox also help manage space. You can store documents and photos in the cloud and remove them from your Mac, but still access them whenever you need them. iCloud is built into macOS and integrates directly with the Photos app and Documents folder, making it seamless to move files to the cloud.
External storage is especially useful if you work with large video files, photo libraries, or music collections. Instead of keeping everything on your Mac's internal drive, you can keep only your current projects there and store older or less frequently used files externally. This keeps your Mac running fast while still preserving all your files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Mac show System taking up so much space?
System space includes the macOS operating system itself, plus caches and temporary files that your Mac creates while you work. This grows over time as you use your Mac. Some of this space can be freed by restarting your Mac or clearing browser caches, but most of it is necessary for your computer to function. If System is taking up more than half your drive, contact Apple Support to investigate.
Can I delete files from the Other category to free up space?
The Other category contains miscellaneous files that are harder to identify. Some of these files are safe to delete (like old email attachments or browser caches), but others are important for apps to work correctly. It is safer to focus on deleting applications you do not use or moving large documents and photos to external storage instead of digging into the Other category.
What does it mean if my free space keeps getting smaller even though I am not adding files?
Your Mac creates temporary files, caches, and logs as you use it. These files accumulate over time and take up space in the System and Other categories. Restarting your Mac clears some temporary files. If space continues to shrink rapidly, a large app may be creating cache files, or your photo library may be syncing in the background. Check the storage breakdown to see which category is growing.
Is it safe to move my Applications folder to external storage?
Moving individual applications to external storage is generally safe, but moving your entire Applications folder can cause problems. It is better to uninstall applications you do not use (which removes them completely) or use an external drive to store large files like photos and videos instead. Applications run faster from your internal drive anyway.
How often should I check my Mac's storage?
Check your storage once a month or whenever your Mac starts running slowly. Regular checks help you catch problems early before your drive becomes dangerously full. If you work with large files like videos or photos, check more frequently so you can move old projects to external storage before your internal drive fills up.