How to Delete Junk Files and Free Up Space on a MacBook Air

To delete junk files and free up space on a MacBook Air, choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage, click the Info button next to a category such as Documents or Applications, select what you no longer need, and click Delete. Then empty the Trash, because deleted files keep using space until you do.

That is the shortest reliable route, and it uses only tools that come with macOS. The rest of this guide walks through each cleanup area in order, explains which files you should leave to macOS, and covers what to do when a setting is missing or the free space number does not change.

Before You Start

These steps follow Apple’s current instructions for macOS Ventura 13 or later, which includes macOS Sonoma 14, macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS 27. They apply to every MacBook Air that runs one of those versions, and to other Mac models too. On older versions of macOS the Storage screen is in a different place, which is covered in each section where it matters.

A few things to know first:

• “Junk files” is not an Apple term. In this guide it means files you no longer need (old downloads, installers, unused apps, old device backups, deleted mail) plus temporary system files such as caches and logs.
• Emptying the Trash is permanent. Apple warns that items emptied from the Trash are permanently deleted and no longer available. If a file might matter later, copy it to an external drive or make sure it is in a Time Machine backup first.
• You may need an administrator password. Deleting apps and unlocking locked files can ask for the name and password of an administrator account on the Mac.
• You do not need extra software. Everything below uses System Settings, the Finder, Mail and Safari.

How Much Space Is Left on My MacBook Air?

Check first, so you know which categories are worth your time.

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.
2. Click General in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down to see it.
3. Click Storage on the right.

A bar chart shows how much storage each type of file uses and how much is free. Below it are Apple’s recommendations and a list of categories such as Applications, Documents, Mail, Messages, Photos and Trash. The categories you see depend on the apps and files on your Mac. Click All Volumes if you want a more detailed chart for each volume on the internal disk.

On macOS versions before Ventura, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Storage.

The numbers on this screen update on their own as you delete things, so you can leave the window open and watch your progress. If you like to keep an eye on your disk in the Finder as well, you can show your hard drive on the Mac desktop.

How to Find and Delete Large Files

The Storage screen has a built-in file browser, and it is the fastest way to find the biggest items.

1. Open System Settings > General > Storage.
2. Find Documents in the category list and click its Info button (the small circled “i”).
3. Click Large Files or Downloads to see those items. Click a column heading (Name, Kind, Last Accessed or Size) to sort the list.
4. Click File Browser if you want to see how much space each folder uses.
5. Select a file. Click Show in Finder if you want to check what it is first.
6. Click Delete to remove it.

According to Apple, the Documents category holds files in your home folder that do not fit another category, such as PDFs and Pages documents, plus photos and videos that are not managed by your Photos library. Some folders appear dimmed in the File Browser because another category already counts them.

Repeat the same steps for other categories that have an Info button. Apple calls out Applications, Documents, Messages, Music Creation, Podcasts, Trash and TV as especially useful places to look. Categories for TV, Music, Books and Podcasts list purchases that can be removed from the Mac and downloaded again later.

How to Delete Junk Files on a Mac

Work through these areas one at a time. Each one is something Apple lists in its own article about freeing up storage space.

Clear out the Downloads folder

1. Click the desktop or a Finder window so that Finder appears next to the Apple menu.
2. Choose Go > Downloads from the menu bar. You can also open Downloads from the Dock.
3. Select the old installers, disk images, zip files and documents you no longer need.
4. Drag them to the Trash in the Dock, or press Command-Delete.

If you review downloads regularly, you can make Downloads the default Finder folder. That only changes where new Finder windows open; it does not delete anything.

Erase junk and deleted mail

If you use the Mail app, open it and choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail from the menu bar. Then choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items. Both actions remove messages for good, so look through the Junk mailbox first if you think a real message may have landed there.

Delete old iPhone and iPad backups

Backups made on your Mac can be very large. Warning: a deleted backup cannot be used to restore a device, so keep the most recent one unless the device is also backed up somewhere else. Our guide on how to back up an iPhone to iCloud or a computer explains the two options.

1. Open the Finder and connect the iPhone or iPad with a USB cable.
2. Click the device in the Finder sidebar if it is not selected already. Trust the device if you are asked to.
3. On the General tab, click Manage Backups to see the list of backups.
4. Control-click (right-click) the backup you do not need and choose Delete.
5. Click OK when you are finished.

The Storage screen may also show an iOS Files category, which Apple says contains iOS backups and firmware. If you only want to see where the backups are stored, choose Go > Go to Folder in the Finder and enter ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/.

Uninstall apps you no longer use

Deleting an app does not remove documents you made with it, and it does not cancel a subscription you bought through the app.

1. Quit the app if it is open.
2. In the Finder, click Applications in the sidebar, or choose Go > Applications.
3. If the app is not made by Apple, look for an “Uninstall” or “Uninstaller” app in the same folder, or an uninstall option inside the app. Apple says that is the best way to remove the app along with any login items, extensions or other data it stored elsewhere.
4. If there is no uninstaller, drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File > Move to Trash.
5. Enter an administrator name and password if asked.
6. Choose Finder > Empty Trash to make the space available.

See Apple’s Delete or uninstall apps on Mac for the full details. Removing an icon from the Dock is not the same as uninstalling; it only removes the shortcut.

Remove media you can get again

Apple suggests deleting music, movies, podcasts and other media, especially items you can stream or download again. Use the TV, Music, Podcasts and Books categories on the Storage screen to find downloaded purchases.

Move or compress what you want to keep

Deleting is not the only option. If you have an external drive, you can move large files to it. Photos and videos use a lot of space, and Apple notes that you can move a whole Photos library or iMovie library to another storage device.

For files you rarely open, Control-click the file or folder in the Finder and choose Compress. macOS creates a .zip file next to the original. The original stays where it is, so space is saved only after you confirm the .zip opens and then delete the original. Double-click the .zip file to expand it again when you need it.

Check for other user accounts

If the Mac is set up for several people, Apple recommends deleting user accounts that no longer need access, or asking each person to log in and follow these same steps. Apple also suggests checking the Users folder on Macintosh HD for data left behind by deleted users and for shared files nobody needs anymore.

What About Caches, Logs and System Data?

Many cleanup guides tell you to open hidden Library folders and delete cache and log files by hand. Apple’s instructions do not ask you to do that, and there is a good reason to be careful.

The Storage screen groups these files under System Data (called Other on some older versions). Apple describes it as files used by the system, such as log files, caches, VM files and other runtime resources, along with temporary files, fonts, app support files and plug-ins. Apple states that you cannot manage the contents of this category, that macOS manages it, and that its size changes depending on the current state of your Mac.

macOS also does some of this cleanup for you. When space is needed, Apple says macOS clears caches and logs that are safe to delete, including temporary database files, interrupted downloads, staged macOS and app updates, and Safari website data.

In practice, that means two things. First, do not delete files from system folders you do not recognize; removing the wrong item can stop an app or macOS from working correctly. Second, if an app you installed has stored a lot of its own data, Apple’s advice is to manage it in the Finder or in the app that created it. Many apps have their own setting for clearing downloads or cached data.

Safari is one example with a documented control:

1. Open Safari and choose Safari > Settings.
2. Click Privacy.
3. Click Manage Website Data.
4. Select one or more websites and click Remove, or click Remove All.

Apple warns that removing this data may sign you out of websites or change how they behave, so do it only if you are comfortable signing in again.

How to Find Duplicate Files

Apple’s storage articles do not describe a dedicated duplicate file finder for documents, so the reliable method is to look for copies yourself. In the Finder, open a folder such as Downloads or Documents, choose View > as List, and click the Name or Size column heading. Copies then sit next to each other.

Two files with similar names are not always identical. Open each one, or select it and choose File > Get Info to compare the size and dates, before you delete either one.

How to Empty the Trash on a MacBook Air

Nothing you have deleted so far frees space until the Trash is emptied. Warning: this step cannot be undone. Open the Trash and look through it first.

1. Click the Trash icon in the Dock.
2. To get a file back, drag it out of the window, or select it and choose File > Put Back.
3. To remove a single item, Control-click it and choose Delete Immediately, then click Delete.
4. To remove everything, click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window, or choose Finder > Empty Trash.
5. Click Empty Trash in the warning message.

On a MacBook Air trackpad, Control-click means holding the Control key while you click. If you prefer a two-finger click, see how to right click on a MacBook Air.

To have macOS do this for you, turn on Empty Trash automatically in the recommendations on the Storage screen. It erases items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You can change the same setting later in the Finder: choose Finder > Settings, click Advanced, and select or deselect Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.

Let macOS Optimize Storage

The Storage screen lists recommendations above the categories. The ones you see vary with how your Mac is set up.

Recommendation	What it does	Keep in mind
Store in iCloud	Keeps Desktop and Documents files in iCloud Drive, photos and videos in iCloud Photos, and messages in iCloud. Only recently opened files stay on the Mac when space is needed.	Uses space in your iCloud storage plan. You need an internet connection to download a file that is not on the Mac.
Optimize Storage	Removes Apple TV movies and shows you have already watched, and keeps only recent email attachments on the Mac when space is needed.	You can download the items again later.
Empty Trash automatically	Erases items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.	Erased items are permanently deleted.

To undo Store in iCloud later, Apple says you can change the settings in the iCloud section of your Apple Account settings, in Photos settings, and in Messages settings. Apple’s Optimize storage space on your Mac page describes each recommendation.

Temporarily Free Up Space for a macOS Update

If the startup disk is almost full and you only need room for one task, such as installing a macOS update, Apple suggests starting up in safe mode. Safe mode clears some system caches, including font caches and the kernel cache. macOS creates them again as needed, so the gain is temporary.

On a MacBook Air with Apple silicon (the M-series models):

1. Shut down the Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button (the Touch ID button) until you see “Loading startup options,” then release it.
3. Select your startup disk, usually named Macintosh HD.
4. Press and hold the Shift key and click Continue in Safe Mode.
5. Log in. You might see “Safe Boot” in the corner of the login window.

On an Intel-based MacBook Air, turn on or restart the Mac and immediately hold the Shift key until the login window appears. To leave safe mode on either type, restart the Mac normally. Some features, including Wi-Fi and file sharing, might not work as expected while you are in safe mode.

How to Confirm It Worked

Go back to System Settings > General > Storage and compare the free space with the number you saw at the start. The categories you cleaned, and the Trash category, should be smaller.

Deleted something by mistake? If the Trash has not been emptied, open it and use File > Put Back. After the Trash is emptied, the file can only come back from a backup, such as Time Machine or a copy on an external drive. An uninstalled app can be installed again from the place you originally got it.

Troubleshooting

• There is no Storage option in System Settings. Your Mac is probably running a macOS version before Ventura. Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Storage.
• A category has no Info button. Apple says you cannot select and delete files in the macOS, System Data and Other Users categories. They only show how much space they occupy.
• An app will not go in the Trash. Apps that macOS requires, such as Mail, Music, Notes and Maps, cannot be deleted in the Finder. If the Mac says another app is in use, make sure it is not open. Apple suggests restarting, or starting up in safe mode, and trying again.
• A file is locked. Click Continue to confirm that you want to move it to the Trash, or select it, choose File > Get Info, and deselect Locked.
• Free space did not go up. Check that the Trash is empty. Files deleted from iCloud Drive are not counted in the Trash category at all, so removing them may not change the number.
• The Finder and Storage settings show different numbers. Apple explains that available space includes free space plus purgeable caches, so space can be both used and available at the same time.
• Time Machine snapshots seem to be using space. Apple says local snapshots are counted as available storage and are deleted automatically as they age or when space is needed, so you normally do not need to remove them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a cleaner app to delete junk files?

No. System Settings, the Finder, Mail and Safari cover every step in Apple’s own storage instructions, and macOS clears caches and logs that are safe to delete when space is needed. Whether to install a third-party cleaner is your choice, but it is not required to free up space. If you are weighing a paid option, our Setapp review explains how its membership and single-app pricing work. For one common example, see how to get CleanMyMac from the Mac App Store, which also covers what the App Store edition leaves out.

Is it safe to delete the Caches folder in the Library?

Apple’s storage instructions do not tell you to delete cache folders by hand, and Apple says the System Data category that holds caches and logs is managed by macOS. If you want to clear temporary system caches, starting up in safe mode is the method Apple documents. For a single app, look for a clear-data option in that app’s own settings.

Does deleting an app remove my files?

No. Apple says deleting or uninstalling an app does not remove documents or other files you created with it, although you may need the app to open them again. It also does not cancel a subscription purchased through the app.

Can I recover files after emptying the Trash?

Not from the Trash. Apple states that emptied items are permanently deleted. You would need a backup, such as a Time Machine backup or a copy on another drive. Items deleted from iCloud Drive are a separate case: Apple points to iCloud.com for restoring those.

Does Store in iCloud delete files from my Mac?

It does not delete them from your account. The files are kept in iCloud, and when space is needed the Mac keeps only recently opened files and optimized versions of photos locally. You can download an original when you need it. The files count against your iCloud storage plan.

Next Step

Start with the Storage screen, clear the Documents and Applications categories, and empty the Trash. If you want the official version of this checklist, see Apple’s Free up storage space on Mac.

More Mac Guides

• How to change the login password on a MacBook Air
• How to take a screenshot on a MacBook Air