How to Delete Downloads on your Mac

Deleting downloaded files on your Mac PC shouldn’t be a problem and should be done with ease. But if you are not sure of the steps to take to delete unwanted downloads on your Mac to free more space here is a guide for you on how to delete downloads on your Mac.

The download folder on your Macbook is where every file, document, image, and other downloaded content is automatically stored.

Even when you copy the downloaded content into another folder or edit and save it in another file, the original copy will still be in your downloads folder, which can take up unnecessary space on your device.

If you’d like to delete any download on your MAC, you should read this article’s next section to learn how you can go about it.

How to Delete Downloads on your MAC

Downloads are usually saved in the downloads folder, and unless you delete them manually, they will still be in the folder even when they are saved, edited, and used in another file on the MAC.

If you’d like to free up space on your MAC by deleting some downloaded content, you can follow the instructions below to delete downloads on your MAC.

  • Go to your MAC’s dock and open the finder app.
  • Then click on downloads from the left sidebar of your finder app.
  • Then click and select the files you’d like to delete.
  • Then right-click on the file, and click on the move to trash from the menu that would pop up on your screen.
  • Then right-click the trash icon on your doc and select empty trash to complete the process.

If you have followed the instructions above, you have been able to delete downloaded content on your MAC successfully.

You can also learn How to Fix Apple Cannot Check It For Malicious Software on macOS.

How to Delete Downloads on your MAC

How to Delete Multiple Downloads on your MAC

A MAC is one of the best laptops you can own, as it is renowned not only for its excellent features and durability but also for its ample storage space.

When you download any content ranging from files to videos and pictures, it automatically gets stored in the download folder. When you copy and use it in another folder, it will still be available in the download folder.

If you’d like to delete multiple downloads on your MAC at once, you can follow the instructions below on how to delete downloads on your MAC.

  • Click and open the finder app on your dock.
  • Then click on downloads from the menu on the left side of the finder app.
  • Then press the command and A buttons to select all files, or press the shift button and click on the first and last item you want to delete.
  • Right-click on the files and click on the move to trash from the pop-up menu.
  • Then right-click the trash icon in your dock, and select empty trash from the pop-up menu.

Following the instructions above implies that your downloads folder and the trash can are empty, and you can use the new storage space for other purposes.

delete multiple downloads on MAC

How to Delete Files on your MAC

MAC has excellent storage capacity, so it is almost impossible to run out of storage space.

However, it is a given that you might want to delete files you no longer need from your system, as this might help you to have an organized file system.

If for any reason, you’d like to delete files on your MAC, you can do that by following the instructions below.

  • Go to the file you want to delete, and drag it to the trash icon in your dock to delete it.
  • Or click on the file and press the command to delete to remove it.

You can use any of the above options to delete files from your MAC, and if the file is protected, you can click on its info and deselect the locked checkbox before deleting it.

How to Delete a Downloaded App on MAC

If you have an app you no longer use, and you’d prefer to free up storage space by deleting it, you can achieve that using the launch pad or finder app on your MAC, and this section of the article would explain the steps required for both methods.

Delete Downloaded Apps using Launchpad

If the app you want to delete was downloaded from the app store, using Launchpad is the best method to delete the app.

You can use Launchpad to delete any app downloaded from the app store by following the instructions below.

  • Click and open Launchpad from your dock or application folder.
  • Then look through your Launchpad for the app you want to delete, and if you can’t find the app, you can input the name in the search field at the top of the launchpad app.
  • Then press down the option key or click and hold any app till all the apps jiggle.
  • Then click on the delete icon next to the app you want to delete, and click delete to confirm.

If you followed the instructions above, the app would be immediately deleted from your MAC.

delete downloaded apps on MAC

Delete Downloaded Apps using the Finder App

You can use the finder app to delete apps that the MacOS do not require, and you can achieve this by following the instructions below.

  • Click on the finder app on your dock and go to the applications folder.
  • Then select the app you want to delete, and you can either drag the app to the trash folder or select the app, choose file and click on the move to trash. You can also click on the app and select the command delete on your keyboard.
  • If you are prompted to input your username and password, enter the name and password of your MAC administrator account.
  • Then click on the trash icon and select empty trash to remove it from your trash.

You can use any of these methods to delete downloaded apps on your MAC. If the app was downloaded from the play store, it is better to use the launchpad method.

How to Delete Downloads on your iPhone

Since iPhone does not have a single folder for downloaded content, the only way you can delete a download on iPhone is to go to the folder the download is stored, click on it, and click delete to delete it from your iPhone.

Conclusion:

This article has described how you can delete downloads on your MAC. We also specifically looked at how you can delete files and apps downloaded on your MAC.

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