Finding the amount of storage space left on your MacBook Air is something that you will need to do if you are getting warnings that your startup disk is almost full, or if you have attempted to download or install something, only to find that you are unable to complete the action. If you are coming to the Mac operating system from Windows, then viewing hard drive usage is a little different than you are probably accustomed to.
- How Much Storage Should I Get On Macbook Air
- How Much Storage Needed On Macbook Air
- How To Find How Much Storage On Macbook Air
- From 2010 the Macbook Air used a M.2 (card) shaped SSD that was non standard. These cloning instructions are for the 2010 Macbook Air to the 2017 Macbook Air. It is important to note the Envoy external case that is shipped with the new SSD is for the Apple SSD only.
- In March 2020, Apple refreshed its MacBook Air lineup with a new Magic Keyboard with scissor switches, faster processors for better CPU and GPU performance, and more storage space, but with.
Fortunately you can find the remaining hard drive space information on your Mac by opening a menu that provides much of the information about the computer. You can even see a breakdown by file type so that you can have a solid understanding about which types of files are using the most space on your hard drive. Best security software for macbook pro.
How to View the Available Hard Drive Storage Space on a MacBook
The steps in this article were performed on a MacBook Air running the macOS Sierra operating system. However, these same steps will work for most other versions of the Mac operating system as well.
Step 1: Click the Apple icon at the top-left corner of your screen.
MacBook Pro 13″: This is another 13″ laptop, however, it's a bit heavier and thicker than the MacBook Air. That's because it has significantly better internals which allows you to get more power out of the MacBook. The MacBook Pro 13″ is a great option for pro users on a budget or casual users who want extra performance when they need it.
Step 2: Click the About this Mac option.
Step 3: Click the Storage tab at the top of the window.
Step 4: View the available storage space remaining on your MacBook. In the image below I have 29.58 GB of space left out of a possible 120.1 GB. Note that this laptop has a 128 GB hard drive, but not all of that space is available for file storage. Some of that space is needed for the operating system files. In the example image below, that is 7.9 GB of space.
If you hover over one of the sections in the bar, it will show you how much space that particular group of files is using.
If you are almost out of available storage, see how to remove junk files from your Mac to give yourself additional room without needing to delete important files.
Do you have an iPhone, and would like to check the available storage on there? See how to determine the amount of space an app is using on your iPhone, as well as how much space is being used and available on the device.
Disclaimer: Most of the pages on the internet include affiliate links, including some on this site.
It's recommended that you keep at least 15-20% of your Mac's memory free to keep it running smoothly. Optimizing storage is an efficient way to do this. But there are also several other steps you can take to free up space on MacBook Air, Pro, or any other macOS device. Doing these routinely will ensure you don't face any storage issues and are able to make the most of your system. So let's have a look.
12 Easy Ways to Free Up Space on MacBook Air or Pro Running macOS Catalina
#1. Delete Large Files on your Mac
Instead of deleting a hundred small files and images, first of all, let us go for the big fish.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click Documents. Mostly, this is where the big files are. Here you will see the video files, ZIP/RAR files, etc. By default, the biggest files are at the top. Select one or hold the command key and select multiple files
- Finally, click on Delete from the bottom right and confirm.
#2. Remove iOS and iPadOS Backups
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now Select Storage tab and click on Manage.
- Click iOS Files from left sidebar
- Select and
Related:How to Find iPhone Backup Location on Mac & Windows
#3. Delete Unwanted Applications
You can delete Mac applications in various ways. You may follow the above steps, click on Applications, and remove the large ones.
#4. Clear Cache to Free Up Space on Mac
- Be in Finder and click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Go to Folder.
- Type or copy-paste ~/Library/Caches
- Delete the files from here that are taking the most space. You may even delete everything. With normal usages, these files and folders will be recreated by macOS.
- Next, click on Go again and then Go to Folder. Now type or copy-paste /Library/Caches
- You may delete files from here too. After this empty the trash and restart you Mac
#5. Remove Old Downloads
This comes down to what you are willing to keep and what you are happy to let go of. Nowadays everything is online in the cloud. Thus there is no point in storing too may videos, music, etc. on the local storage.
- Click on the Finder icon (leftmost) from the Dock
- Click Downloads and remove unnecessary files from here, by right-click and selecting Move to Trash.
You may also right-click and sort by size to quickly locate and delete the biggest files first.
#6. Compress Folders and Files
If you have many images and word files that you rarely use, but can not delete, then it is a handy idea to compress them. Here is how to zip and unzip files on Mac.
#7. Empty Trash Automatically
- Right-click on the Trash icon in the dock (the rightmost option)
- Click Empty Trash and confirm
To empty Trash automatically:
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Turn On for Empty Trash Automatically.
Many times, GBs of files pile up and are stored in the Trash, thus occupying significant space. It is better to empty it regularly.
#8. Use iCloud to Store Documents
It is best to use iCloud to Store docs etc. on Mac if you have a paid iCloud plan that gives you more than 5 GB of online storage. Here is how to use iCloud to Store Documents.
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click Store in iCloud.
- Review what all will be stored. Uncheck if you wish to exclude photos, messages, desktop, and documents. Finally, click on Store in iCloud.
You may also, enable iCloud Photos from System Preferences → Apple ID → iCloud → Photos or the Preferences of the Mac's Photos app.
#9. Optimize Storage Automatically
- Click on the Apple logo from the upper left and select About This Mac.
- Now, click on Storage and then click on Manage.
- Click on Recommendations from the top of the left sidebar
- Click on Optimize next to Optimize Storage. Now, all the movies and TV shows you have watched will be automatically removed.
#10. Delete Attachments from Mac Mail App
Following these steps, you can delete the attachments that have been saved locally on the Mac from the mail app. Depending on the number of emails you receive, this data can be huge.
- Be in Finder and press and keep holding the Option key. Now click on Go from the top menu bar
- Click Library.
- Now, Click on Containers.
- Go to com.apple.mail.
- Click on Data.
- Select Library.
- Now, click on Mail Downloads.
- Select all folders and delete them. Or open the individual folders, see the content, and delete the unnecessary ones.
Even if you delete from here, the attachments are still in your email that you can view or download anytime. Further, you may also choose to stop the Mac Mail app from downloading attachments.
#11. Remove Duplicate Files using Third-Party Apps
Duplicate files are a big headache and unnecessarily occupy space. We have a list of some of the best mac cleaner apps that can help you delete duplicate files on your Mac.
#12. Use External Drives for Large Infrequently Used Files
How Much Storage Should I Get On Macbook Air
Do you have data that you do not use much but can neither delete them nor store them in the cloud? Well, consider investing in an external drive and move infrequently used large files to it.
How Much Storage Needed On Macbook Air
Signing off…
These were some of the easiest ways to free up space on your MacBook Air. Autocad 3d design software. It's a good idea to do these steps every now and then to keep your system performing well. Are there any other Mac tips you're looking for? Macbook hard drive case. Let us know in the comments below and we'll help you out.
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The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
How To Find How Much Storage On Macbook Air
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