How to Check Storage on Mac

This article teaches you how to check your Mac storage levels and how to check space on Mac. It offers three different methods in order of difficulty.

How to View Storage on Mac

Worried you're running out of space on your Mac? Memory and storage may seem interchangeable, but this relates to checking your storage space rather than the memory on Mac. Here's a look at how to check what storage space is remaining on your Mac's hard drive.

1. Click the Apple icon on the top left of your screen.

2. Click About This Mac.

3. Click Storage.

4. You can now view your remaining space or wait a moment for a breakdown of what type of files are stored on your Mac.

   Hover over the colored bars to see what type of files are on your hard drive.

5. Click Manage to be given recommendations of files that can be deleted or moved to the Cloud to save storage on your Mac. 

How to View Storage on Mac via Finder

Another way to view how much storage space you've used up is via Finder. Here's how to check your disc capacity using Finder.

1. Open Finder.

2. Click on your hard drive or user name's Mac.

   This can be listed as either Macintosh HD or username's MacBook or similar.

3. Right-click Macintosh HD.

   You can also tap space on Macintosh HD to get a glance view of the remaining storage space.

4. Click Get Info.

5. View the available capacity of the hard drive under Available.

How to View Storage on Mac Using Disk Utility

Disk Utility is a useful app for Mac that makes it easier to learn more about your Mac's hard drive. It's bundled with all Macs, so it's easy to find. Here's what to do.

1. Open Spotlight by typing Command + Spacebar. You can also click the magnifying glass on the right side of the menu bar to open up Spotlight.

2. Type Disk Utility.

3. Double Click Disk Utility.

4. View the available space on your hard drive.

   You can also view the space on other hard drives such as external devices or Time Machine disk images.

How to Free up Space on Mac

If you've checked your storage on Mac and you're worried you're running out of space, there are many ways to clear space on your Mac. Here's a quick look at some of the simplest methods.

• Empty the Trash. Every time you delete a file, it goes into your Trash can. You have to empty it to delete it permanently. Make sure to clear it out often.
• Remove unwanted apps. If you have apps you rarely use, drag and drop them into your Trash can to remove them and free up space.
• Move some files to the Cloud. Via About My Mac > Storage, you can manage your files and move many of them to iCloud. That includes photos that can take up a lot of space on your hard drive. 
• Check for large files. Check to see if you've downloaded large music or movie files and delete them if you rarely use them.