How to Use Disk Utility on Apple Devices for Major Space Savings

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If you’re running out of space on your Mac, cleaning up unwanted files in your system data can help free up a lot of storage. The good news is, these files are safe to delete because they’re just unnecessary leftovers that don’t affect your actual data.

Before you start, it’s important to back up your Mac. This way, if anything unexpected happens, you can restore your system easily. You can use Apple’s Time Machine feature to back up to an external drive. Just visit this link for detailed instructions: Back Up Your Mac. Once your backup is complete, you’re ready to clear space.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to clean up your system data files:

Click on your desktop to make sure Finder is open.
From the top menu, select “Go,” then hold down the ‘Option’ key on your keyboard. You’ll see ‘Library’ appear; click it.
Inside the Library folder, look for the ‘Caches’ folder and open it.
Select all the files inside the ‘Caches’ folder and move them to the Trash.
Empty the Trash to permanently delete these files.

Important: Do not delete any files that end with “.plist” because these are system-related files essential for your Mac’s operation.

Next, locate the ‘Containers’ folder within your Library:

Find the ‘Containers’ folder and open it.
Move all its contents to the Trash.
Empty the Trash again.

The ‘Containers’ folder stores files shared between apps and logs. Cleaning it helps clear out unnecessary data without harming your system.

Repeat the same process for other folders like ‘Developer,’ ‘Messages,’ ‘Mobile Documents,’ and ‘Screen Recordings’:

Find each folder.
Move their contents to Trash.
Empty the Trash afterward.

After you’ve completed these steps, check your storage settings again. You should see a noticeable increase in free space, helping your Mac run more smoothly.

Remember, cleaning up these files regularly can help maintain your Mac’s performance and storage health. Just be sure to back up first and avoid deleting any files you’re unsure about.