- How To Free Up Space On Macbook
- Free Up Space On Macbook Air Startup Disc
- Free Up Space On Macbook Air
- Free Up Space On Macbook Air
- How To Free Up Space On Macbook Air
I own a MacBook Pro 13 inch with 128gb and this update was stressful. I had to move basically everything on Mac to an external ssd including the Big Sur installer. Whatever I moved the storage was not updating. I almost gave up but then I restarted my Mac and finally it showed there was enough space available. Jan 22, 2021 The quickest way to free up space on your Mac is to automatically remove files that you don't need. Without realizing it, you can accumulate gigabytes worth of duplicate files and folders on your computer. The problem is that it can take so much time to find and delete these duplicates that people do not bother to do it even if they want to. A better solution would be to free up space on your Mac by moving your photo library to an external hard drive. Read about how to move your photo library from your Mac to an external drive here. Delete the files/folders that are taking up the most space. Now click on 'Go to Folder' Type in /Library/Caches (simply lose the symbol) And, again, delete the folders that take up the most space. Check the available storage space on your Mac to ensure at least 30 GB available storage. Otherwise, you will need to remove some content from your Mac to clean up the storage space. If you don't have an idea how to clean up your Mac.
macOS Big Sur brings the big update that makes you want to install it for sure. The OS has not officially released yet, but the public beta version is available to test. Though, waiting for the final version is most advised. However, compatibility and storage availability are two things you should check in the first place before updating macOS. You will need at least 30GB available on your Mac storage for Big Sur. Otherwise, the downloading process won't run and the installer will ask you to free up space on Mac for macOS Big Sure update. This is what we are going to discuss here. So, let's dive in.
Read also – Top Best Mac Cleaner
How To Free Up Space On Mac For macOS Big Sur Update
To make sure you have enough space on your Mac computer, simply click the Apple menu on the left corner of the screen, and click About This Mac. Then, select Storage. If your Mac is running out of space, use one of these methods to free up your Mac storage.
Empty Trash
The first thing that comes to your mind when it comes to free up storage is probably emptying the Trash. Simply click the trash icon on the dock, click the Empty button on the upper screen. However, this method may only contribute a few hundred MB or less.
Uninstall The Unnecessary Apps
You may get 5 GB free from your Mac storage by deleting the apps. However, to remove the app completely from Mac you need to uninstall it using a third-party tool. Dragging it to the trash may still leave some parts of the app.
To uninstall the apps from your Mac completely you can use a third-party tool like CleanMyMac X. Yes, it is the latest version CleanMyMac 3. If you already have the old version, you can use it as well, but I suggest you upgrade to the new version. It comes with a major upgrade and new features, such as Malware Removal and Updater.
- Download and install CleanMyMac X on your Mac.
- Launch CleanMyMac X.
- Select the Uninstaller section from the left tab
- Choose one or more apps that you don't use anymore.
- Click Uninstall.
Try to check the Leftover section as well. You may find some parts of the old apps that you thought have been removed from your Mac forever.
Delete Large Files
When was the last time you cleaned your Mac? You must have a load of files store in your Mac, from videos, documents, eBooks, etc. Finding that kind of files amongst thousands of data on the Mac folder is quite challenging. That's why it would be better if you start looking for files with the largest sizes.
Launch the Finder on your Mac, choose Desktop, Download, or the other folder. On the upper menu bar, click the settings/ gear icon. Select Arrange By from the drop-down menu, then chooses Size. To delete it, click right the file and click Move to Trash.
For a simpler and easier way, use CleanMyMac X instead. I assume you have downloaded and install the tool on your Mac.
- Launch CleanMyMac X.
- On the left menu, select the Large & Old Files under the Files section
- Click the Scan button
- Choose the files and hit Remove.
Clear System Junk
You may have deleted tons of documents, a bunch of large files, and uninstalled as many apps as you could. But still, the installer said that you don't have enough space for installing macOS Big Sur. Try to clean the system junk on your Mac. You may be surprised by the result. You will probably release around 2 to 5 GB by doing this. Foremost, if you have never cleaned the junk files on Mac.
To clear system junk on Mac, first open Finder. Then, press the Command + Shift + G buttons altogether and type ~/Library/Caches on the field and click Go. To delete all files at once, press the Command + A buttons.
Alternatively, use CleanMyMac X which is my favorite.
- Open CleanMyMac X.
- Click the System Junk under the Cleanup section.
- Hit the Scan button.
- Click Clean.
Turn Off Time Machine Temporary
Time Machine can store some files from back-ups (local snapshots) to your Mac when the back-up disc is not connected. Free picture creating software. Therefore, if you are using Time Machine, turn it off temporarily. It can help you to free up space on Mac for the macOS Big Sur update.
- Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences
- Choose Time Machine
- Click the Turn Off/On switch.
Get A Clean Manager Tool For Your Mac
It is recommended to clean up your Mac regularly. It will not only make your computer faster but also ease you in finding certain files. But, it seems like exhausting work. Emptying the trash on your Mac is a piece of cake, but then you have to delete unnecessary files, clean system junk, photo junk, uninstall apps that use different methods. That is what I felt before I met CleanMyMac X.
Once you launch CleanMyMac X on Mac, you can start cleaning the computer by clicking the SystemJunk > Scan > Clean. Then, go back to the main page and clean the Photo Junk, Mail Attachments, iTunes Junk, and Trash Bins using a similar method in the same place. To remove the unused apps, select the Uninstaller under the Applications section on the left tab.
I have been using CleanMyMac X for MacPaw for a long time and I found it as an effective tool to manage my Mac. You can free up space on Mac, free up RAM, uninstall apps, and else, all in one place. You don't need to jump from one method to another one to free up large storage. Why complicate something if you can make it simpler. The latest version which is CleanMyMac X even adds the Protections section including the Malware Removal feature. I believe you will love CleanMyMac X too as I do. It makes cleaning up the Mac simple and enjoyable.
'No matter what I do, my Mac is still slow', an average tech-consultant hears this phrase multiple times a day. Give a person even the most powerful computer, and pretty soon it will be cluttered with apps, extensions, and things that are too much for it to handle. To reverse it, one has to go back and сlean up the mess, removing memory agents one by one. Prepare for a fight — every byte of memory is at stake. So let's put your Mac on a diet and get it more free RAM to breathe freely.
First, remove desktop clutter. Get a combination of Setapp apps that clear away unneeded desktop files.
Download Declutter Free'Your system has run out of application memory'
How do you know your Mac is low on memory? Floating 'rainbow wheels' aside, you may notice your Mac now takes ages to load. You'll also see many browser applications crashing. You'll be also thrown warning messages as 'Your system has run out of application memory'. To help it, you should first visit the Activity monitor to see memory usage on Mac.
How to check RAM usage on Mac
Go to Applications and type in Activity Monitor in the search bar. This invokes a good old Activity Monitor that should tell how much free memory you've got left.
A shortcut to open Activity Monitor:
Press F4 and start typing Activity Monitor in the search bar.
I've attached a screenshot from my Mac and as you can see my memory usage almost reached full capacity. Here's what it all means:
App memory: taken by apps and processes
Wired memory: reserved by apps, can't be freed up
Compressed: inactive, can be used by other apps
Swap used: memory used by macOS
Cached files: memory you can really use
Notice the colored graph under Memory Pressure. If your graph is all but red and yellow, your Mac is really gasping for fresh memory. It seems counter-intuitive, but 'available memory' your Activity Monitor is not that important after all. In fact, it's a system intended behavior to use all memory resources when available. On the contrary, the Memory Pressure graph is much more telling, so grow a habit to check this graph in the Activity Monitor every now and then.
How to check CPU usage on Mac
Open the CPU tab in Activity Monitor to keep in check CPU-heavy processes. Normally an app would be using 0-4% of CPU. If it takes abnormally more than that, go inside that particular item in the list and press the Quit button.
How to free up memory on Mac
Tip # 1. Remove Login Items to lower Mac memory usage
Login items are programs that load automatically upon Mac startup. Some of them covertly add themselves to the list and this is no good. If you're looking to free up RAM, they are the first candidates for deletion. Don't worry, you're not deleting the app itself, you just stop it from auto-launching every time.
So, to remove Login Items and at the same time reduce your memory usage of your Mac, you need to:
- Open System Preferences and select Users & Groups.
- Click your nickname on the left.
- Select the Login Items tab.
- Check programs you don't want to load as your Mac starts.
- Press the '–' sign below.
Now, you won't see these apps pop up the moment you turn on your Mac. Although this method doesn't require some superpowers of yours, some special Mac optimization and memory cleaner tools may do the job faster and ensure the smooth performance of your Mac. CleanMyMac X is an excellent example of such software. Here's how to disable Login Items with CleanMyMac X:
- Download it for free and go to the Optimization tab.
- Check Login Items to see the list of apps that get opened when you start your Mac.
- Click Remove.
How To Free Up Space On Macbook
As you've already come to the Optimization module of CleanMyMac, you can also fix hung apps and heavy memory consumers there. In this way, you'll free up the solid amount of RAM on Mac — 100% free of charge.
Tip # 2. Free up disk space if Mac is low on memory
The available space on your Mac's drive translates into virtual memory. This comes to save you when you've run out of physical RAM. So now your computer relies on your hard drive space to keep your apps going.
The classic geek rule of thumb holds it that you should keep at least 20% of disk space on your startup drive. Not only this potentially reduces your future spending on iCloud storage but it also keeps your Mac speedier.
What to delete to free up space:
- Large unused files, like movies
- Old downloads
- Rarely used applications
- System junk
But here's a simpler solution to save your time — clean up your drive with CleanMyMac X— the app I've mentioned above. Many users recommend it as an excellent way to free up more space because it searches for large & old files, useless system files, Photo junk, mail attachments and shows everything you can safely delete. Interestingly, it finds about 74 GB of junk on an average computer.
Extra trick: How to free up RAM on Mac with CleanMyMac X
If you have downloaded CleanMyMac, you may also take advantage of its amazing feature — the ability to free up RAM in a few seconds. Try this next time you see 'Your system has run out of application memory' message.
- Go to the Maintenance tab on the left.
- Click Free Up RAM.
- Click Run.
As simple as that!
And you can do it even if you download a free version of the app.
Tip # 3. Clean up your Desktop
This tip always comes at the bottom of instructions and unfairly so as it is quite effective. Without even looking at your Desktop I would assume it's cluttered with mountains of icons. Thing is, your macOS was designed in a way that it treats every Desktop icon as a little active window. The more icons, the heavier memory usage on Mac. So in order to release available memory resources, it's recommended to keep your Desktop clean.
You don't have to do it all by yourself. With apps like Declutter and Spotless, every desktop cleaning session will be scheduled in advance and executed automatically. Your only job is to define the rules on how your files should be organized.
Tip #4. Clear cache files
Another way to free up RAM on Mac is to clear it of cache files. Of course, it won't save you gigabytes of space, but deleting cache regularly, you can help your Mac run faster and avoid system issues.
So, to remove cache files on your Mac, you need to:
- Open Finder.
- From the Go menu, select Go to Folder.
- Type ~/Library/Caches in the field and press Go.
- In the window that appears, you will see all your cache files.
- Press Command+A to select all files or delete files one by one.
- Enter your user name and password to confirm.
If you find some files still in the folder after you emptied it, maybe you have some windows open on your Mac. Just like that, you can save up some space on your Mac. Don't forget to empty the bin afterward.
Tip # 5. Tune up Chrome's Task Manager
Although Google Chrome is not the one to blame for massive memory usage, it can indeed affect your Mac's performance. If you use Chrome as your primary browser, you probably have many windows opened there. Chrome runs a lot of processes to ensure a fast browsing experience for you. So, it uses your RAM for storing your tabs, plugins, and extensions. Look at how many entries Google Chrome has in Activity Monitor:
The question then arises, 'Why does Chrome use so much RAM?' The thing is that each process is responsible for a separate plugin or extension of your browser. For example, when a tab unexpectedly falls, you need to refresh it to continue your work there. If one process were responsible for all tabs and extensions, you would need to restart the whole browser instead. Can you imagine how many times would you do that? That's the proper answer to why Chrome uses so much RAM.
I've been using Chrome for some years only to discover (recently) that Chrome had a task manager of its own. You can use it to force quit memory-heavy processes in the browser. It's a handy tool because it lets you see how a page weighs on CPU usage on a Mac.
Free Up Space On Macbook Air Startup Disc
- Go to Chrome settings (dotted icon in the top right corner)
- Click More tools -> Task Manager
To free up even more RAM, close the GPU process. The GPU Process, though helpful in theory to accelerate pages, eats up a considerable amount of memory. Click to end it to free up RAM on your Mac.
Tip # 6. Manage RAM usage with CleanMyMac X menu
CleanMyMac X has another useful and convenient feature for managing your Mac's performance and memory usage. As you install CleanMyMac X and start it for the first time, it's icon will appear in your menu bar. Click the icon to open the CleanMyMac X menu. Here you can find updates on the current condition of your Mac and perform quick tweaks to increase your Mac's speed. Whenever you feel like your Mac underperforms, open the CleanMyMac X menu to check how much RAM is available and free it up as well.
Tip # 7. Close Finder windows
Okay, suppose you're still asking yourself, how do I clear RAM on my MacBook Pro/MacBook Air. The next trick is as magical (you'll see for yourself) as it is time-saving. It's no secret that each window in the Finder eats up RAM. But how many open windows are there? Some of them are collapsed or stacked in some blind spot on your screen. This Finder command merges all your windows into one. See how to do it:
Click on Finder > Window > Merge All Windows
Free Up Space On Macbook Air
Now you can manage Finder windows more effectively and free up memory on MacBook.
What else you can do to minimize memory usage on Mac
I've saved the easiest tips for the end, as long as these ones are self-explanatory.
- Replace AdBlock (very memory-demanding) with a lighter extension
- Keep fewer opened tabs in the browser
- Restart your Mac more often to free up RAM
- Close all hung-up print queues
That was my take on how to make your Mac a bit speedier to use. If you're looking for more guidance, check simple ways to speed up your Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check application memory on Mac?
To check RAM usage on your Mac, go to Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities). In the Memory tab, you will see all the active processes that are using your Mac's RAM. At the end of the window, there is a Memory Used graph, which indicates how much application memory is used.
Free Up Space On Macbook Air
How to find out whether your Mac needs more RAM?
Your Mac may be using almost all its RAM, but you don't need more if it's using it efficiently. Open Activity Monitor and go to the Memory tab. The Memory Pressure graph shows the current condition of your RAM: green color means your Mac's using RAM effectively, while yellow is a sign that some application or process is using too much of application memory. The red memory pressure signals that your Mac needs more RAM.
How to quickly free up RAM on your MacBook?
How To Free Up Space On Macbook Air
To free up RAM on your Mac, firstly, you should find out what app uses so much of your memory. The memory-heavy programs are listed in Activity Monitor, Memory tab. If there is an app you aren't using at the moment, click it and press the 'X' sign to quit it. This will, in turn, free some of the application memory
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