How to Clean Up Your Mac: 8 Easy Methods

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Hashir Ibrahim

Last updated: August 20, 2024

Expert verified

Mac running slower than usual? It might be time for a cleanup. This guide covers quick tips to clean up your Mac and get it running smoothly again.

8 Best Methods to Clean Up Your Mac

Below is a list of some super-effective methods to clean up your Mac:

1. Delete Unused Apps on Mac

There are two ways to effectively uninstall applications on your Mac:

a. Manually Delete Apps on Mac

To uninstall apps downloaded from the App Store or directly from developers’ websites, follow these steps:

1. Open the Finder on your Mac.

2. Go to the Applications folder in the left sidebar.

3. Right-click the app you want to delete and select Move to Bin or drag it to the Bin.

Some apps leave leftover files after uninstalling and you’ve to manually search for these files to delete them. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Click Go in the menu bar and select Go to Folder.

3. A pop-up will appear.

4. Type the following paths in the search bar one by one:

/Library/Application Support

/Library/Preferences

/Library/Caches

~/Library/Application Support

~/Library/Preferences

~/Library/Caches

Open each folder and delete the app leftovers. Then, empty your Bin to permanently remove them from your Mac.

b. Automatically Delete Apps on Mac

To avoid the hassle of finding and deleting app leftovers, it’s best to use a third-party app. I use MacKeeper to remove apps and their files in a few clicks. It’s quick, effective, and safe.

Here’s how to uninstall apps on your Mac using MacKeeper:

1. Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Open MacKeeper and click Smart Uninstaller under Cleaning.

3. Click Start Scan.

4. When the scan completes, click Applications in the left sidebar, select the unused apps and click Remove Selected.

5. Tap Remove on the pop-up window.

6. This will delete the selected apps from your Mac, and you’ll get a Removal Completed notification. Click Rescan to start the scan again.

2. Delete Large and Old Files 

Regularly removing large and old files frees up storage and keeps your Mac organized. Follow these steps to delete large and old files on your Mac:

1. Open a new Finder window and go to your desired location (e.g., Documents, Downloads, or specific folders).
2. From the View menu, select as List to display the files in a list format.

3. Click the Size column to sort the files in descending order.

4. Find the largest files and see if you still need them. If not used daily, move them to an external drive or iCloud.
5. Select all the files you want to delete, right-click them, and select Move to Bin. You can also drag them to the Bin.

6. After deleting large files, right-click the Bin icon in your Dock and select Empty Bin.

3. Remove Old Backups

Old iOS and Time Machine backups can consume significant storage space on your Mac. To delete the old iOS backups, follow the steps below:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Use a USB cable to connect your device and click Trust Your Device if it’s the first time you’re connecting it.
3. In the General tab, click Manage Backups to see a list of your backups.
4. Right-click the backup you want and select Delete, Archive, or Show in Finder.
5. If you select Show In Finder, a Finder window will open.
6. Once you’re done, click OK to return to Finder.

To manually find your old iOS backups, open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, and select Go to Folder. Then, paste this path and press Enter:

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

To delete the old Time Machine backups, follow these steps:

1. Connect your Time Machine backup drive to your Mac.
2. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Enter Time Machine.
3. Use the timeline on the right side of the screen to go to the backup you want to delete.
4. Right-click the back up and select Delete Backup.
5. You may be asked to enter your administrator password to confirm the deletion.
6. After deleting the backup, empty your Bin.

4. Clear the Downloads Folder

Your Downloads folder can quickly fill up with old and unnecessary files. Regularly clearing out this folder keeps your Mac tidy and running smoothly. Here’s how to delete downloads on Mac:

1. Open a Finder window.

2. Click Downloads in the left sidebar under Favourites.

3. Select the files or folders you want to delete, then press Command ⌘ + Delete or right-click and choose Move to Bin.

4. Lastly, right-click the Bin icon in the Dock and select Empty Bin.

5. Clear Temporary Files

Your Mac stores data in cache files for quick access, but they can take up space and cause slowdowns. Here’s how to clear temporary files on your Mac to boost your system:

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock.

2. In the menu bar, click Go and then Go to Folder.

3. In the Go to Folder window, type the following path and press Enter:

~/Library/Caches

4. Find the folder for the app you want to clear the cache for. If you’re unsure, look for folders named after the app.
5. Right-click the folder and select Move to Bin from the menu.

6. Click Empty Bin to delete the folder permanently.

6. Find and Delete Hidden Files on Your Drive

Hidden files can quietly consume space on your Mac and you can free up significant space by deleting them. Here’s how to find and delete hidden files on your Mac:

1. Open Finder and go to the location where you want to search for hidden files (e.g., Home folder).
2. Press Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Period (.) to reveal hidden files.

3. Find unnecessary files or folders, such as cache, logs, temporary files, or app-specific files.
4. To delete a hidden file, right-click it and select Move to Bin or press Command ⌘ + Delete. Alternatively, you can drag the file to the Bin.

5. Once you’ve finished deleting the hidden files, empty the Bin.

7. Empty the Trash

Files you move to the Bin still occupy disk space until permanently deleted. Here’s how to empty the Trash on Mac to clean up space:

1. Find the Trash icon on your Dock and click it to open the Bin.

2. Click Empty in the upper-right corner of the Bin window.

3. Confirm the action by clicking Empty Bin when prompted to delete all items in the Bin permanently.

8. Optimize Your Storage

Apple has considered the clutter that can build up on Macs and offers a solution. Here’s how to keep your disk clean via the Optimise Mac Storage option:

1. Click the Apple logo and go to System Settings.

2. Click Apple ID > iCloud.

3. Toggle on the Optimise Mac Storage option.

Your Mac will now automatically manage your storage by moving older, lesser-used files to iCloud when your local storage starts to fill up.

More Ways to Speed Up and Clean Your Mac

Beyond traditional methods, lesser-known tips can also boost your Mac’s performance and keep it clutter-free. Here are some more ways to clean up your Mac:

1. Clear Browser Cache

Cached files from websites can build up over time and take up valuable storage. This easy step is often used as a web browser troubleshooting tip but is effective for overall Mac maintenance. Regularly clearing your browser cache on Mac frees up space and keeps your browser running smoothly.

2. Update Your macOS

Updating macOS on your Mac along with other system software can improve file storage and management. Updates might also shrink software file sizes without losing any functionality.

3. Declutter Your Desktop

Decluttering your Mac desktop won’t free up space, but it creates a more organized look, boosts productivity, and can slightly improve performance.

Here are some tips to declutter your desktop:

1. 📁 Organize Files: Group related files into folders and subfolders.
2. 🗂️ Use Stacks: Enable Stacks to automatically organize files by type, date, or tags.
3. 🗑️ Delete Unnecessary Files: Regularly delete old or unused files and empty the Bin.
4. ☁️ Move Files to the Cloud: Store less-used files in iCloud Drive or other cloud services.
5. 🖼️ Set a Simple Wallpaper: Choose a minimalistic background to reduce visual clutter.

4. Physically Clean Your Mac

Physically cleaning your Mac won’t free up space, but it can improve performance if dust is blocking your cooling vents, keyboard, or ports. Turn off your Mac, use compressed air for dust, and wipe surfaces with a slightly damp soft cloth.

Clean Up Your Mac Like a Pro

Regular cleaning will keep your Mac optimized. Here are more tips to boost performance:

• Clean junk files on Mac regularly to prevent them from piling up and slowing down system.
• You should also check your Mac for malware regularly to see if virus is affecting its performance.
• If you’re facing frequent crashes or freezing, run Apple Diagnostics test on your Mac to diagnose the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions