Optimize storage space on your Mac

macOS can help make more room on your Mac by optimizing its storage. For example, when space is needed, you can keep files, photos and videos, Apple TV movies and shows, and email attachments in iCloud, which makes them available on demand. Files don’t take up space on your Mac, and you can download the original files when you need them. Recent files and optimized versions of your photos are always on your Mac.

Note: To save storage space by deleting unneeded files, see Find and delete files on your Mac.

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click Storage on the right.
Open Storage settings for me

View the recommendations and decide how to optimize storage on your Mac.

Recommendation	Description
Store in iCloud	Store files from your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, store photos and videos in iCloud Photos, store messages and attachments in iCloud, and optimize storage by keeping only recently opened files on your Mac when space is needed. See Use iCloud Drive to store documents on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Use iCloud Photos to store photos in iCloud, and Access your messages on all your Apple devices. You can modify these settings later in the iCloud pane of Apple ID settings, Photos settings, and Messages settings.
Optimize Storage	Save space by automatically removing Apple TV movies and TV shows that you already watched, and by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. See Change Files settings in the TV app and Change Account Information settings.
Empty Trash automatically	Automatically erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You can modify this setting later in the Finder. See Delete files and folders.

Recommendation

Description

Store in iCloud

Store files from your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, store photos and videos in iCloud Photos, store messages and attachments in iCloud, and optimize storage by keeping only recently opened files on your Mac when space is needed.

See Use iCloud Drive to store documents on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Use iCloud Photos to store photos in iCloud, and Access your messages on all your Apple devices.

You can modify these settings later in the iCloud pane of Apple ID settings, Photos settings, and Messages settings.

Optimize Storage

Save space by automatically removing Apple TV movies and TV shows that you already watched, and by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed.

See Change Files settings in the TV app and Change Account Information settings.

Empty Trash automatically

Automatically erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You can modify this setting later in the Finder. See Delete files and folders.

When space is needed on your Mac, macOS also clears caches and logs that are safe to delete, including temporary database files, interrupted downloads, staged macOS and app updates, Safari website data, and more.

Note: If your disk is partitioned, recommendations apply to only the partition that contains your home directory.

Helpful?

macOS User Guide

Optimize storage space on your Mac