Free Up Storage Space On Macbook – No matter which device you use MacBook or Windows or mobile device or streaming devices, you use as long as it has storage space part of its performance depends on the amount of available space. These devices tend to become slower as the available space decreases, and eventually, they start taking way too much time to boot up or respond to input.
If at this stage it is further ignored, then you’ve set yourself up for various things like the Drive crashing due to lack of space to load all necessary information which in turn leads to data loss which on its own is never funny because you may not have had the chance to backup everything over the cloud. It’s quite painful that are beloved MacBook comes with small storage spaces.
How To Free Up Storage Space On Macbook
There are several things you can do on your MacBook to free up some breathing space.
1. Optimized Storage
Some recent macOS like Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina has the optimized storage feature, this feature helps you backup your files in iCloud and making it available on demand.
Once you’re running low on storage space, your files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you rarely use are uploaded in iCloud automatically. The files will still be right where you last saved it and will get a copy of it from your iCloud account when you open it. Recently used files remain on your Mac, also the optimized copy of your photos.
To Check, The macOS Version Installed On Your MacBook
- Click on the Apple menu usually found at the corner of the screen,
- Click on About This Mac,
- Once it opens, you’ll see your macOS name.
- Should you need the build number for any reason, click on the version number to see it.
CHECK THE AVAILABLE STORAGE SPACE
- Click on the Apple Menu again,
- Click on About This Mac,
- Now click on storage. This displays all about your free storage space and also the space used by other files.
- Click on Manage,
- This will show the Storage Management window (This Manage feature is only accessible in macOS Sierra or later.)
2. Storage Management
The Storage Management window gives recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see less of it. 
We’ll now explain the Storage management window.
Store in iCloud – Clicking the Store in iCloud, presents you with various options.
Desktop and Documents – This option uploads the files found here unto your iCloud Drive giving you space to work on your MacBook. The uploaded files can easily be retrieved because you’re presented with a download button that you can double-click on to get.
Photos – This feature, somehow creates a mirror of your pictures, the original (full resolution and all) is uploaded to your iCloud account while the other copy that is much lower is stored on your Mac. Once you open your pictures, it retrieves the original image from your iCloud.
Messages – All your messages and attachments are uploaded to your iCloud, you only have the ones you recently opened on your Mac.
Being able to store your files on iCloud is dependent on the storage plan you paid for. If your iCloud Drive is getting low on storage space, you might want to pay for a bigger plan. It is currently at 50 GB at $0.99(USD) a month.
Optimize Storage – Simply click on the optimize button and select from the list.
- Automatically remove previously watched movies and TV shows. This feature helps you to delete movies that you got from the iTunes store to clear up space. If you still want to watch the movies later, you can click the download icon to re-download again.
- Download only recent attachments – This automatically downloads recent attachments on your Mail. You can also download them manually by opening the Mail or attachment. You can also save it on your Mac.
- Don’t automatically download attachments – This feature only downloads attachments when you click on it.
- The optimization feature for movies, TV shows, and email attachments don’t necessarily require iCloud storage space.
3. Automatically Empty Thrash
This empties the recycle bin of files older than 30 days.
Reduce Clutter
This allows you to detect files occupying most spaces that you no longer use.
- Click on the Review files button,
- From the sidebar, select any file category like Applications, Documents. Trash too.
- Some files can be deleted directly from here, while others require you to open the app and delete the files from within it.
Where to locate the settings
The Storage Management Window is directly involved with one or more settings in an app. You can take control of it within the app.
Store in iCloud
- On macOS Catalina,
- Click on Apple menu,
- Click on System preferences,
- Click on Apple ID,
- Now choose iCloud in the sidebar: this turns on the Optimize Mac Storage settings,
- Close to the iCloud Drive, click on options: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting.
- Uncheck iCloud Drive to turn off iCloud Drive.
- On macOS Mojave or earlier
- Click on Apple menu,
- Click on System Preferences,
- Select iCloud, select Options next to iCloud Drive.
- Store in iCloud turns on Optimize Mac Storage settings.
In Mail,
- Select Mail,
- Click on Preferences, then select Accounts.
- On the Account Information section, you can optimize it to Recent or None.
- Automatically Empty Thrash
- From the finder,
- Select finder,
- Click on Preferences,
- Select Advanced.
- Remove items from the Trash after 30 days, is automatically selected.
4. Manually Freeing Up Space
If you are using macOS lower than Sierra you can do this to free up Storage Space On Macbook:
- You can delete some movies, music, etc. manually.
- Delete unnecessary files you no longer need. Go to the Trash and empty it.
- You might want to look inside your download folder to select downloaded files you no longer use.
- Back up your files to an external storage device.
- Compress files.
- Delete unnecessary email:
- Open the Mail app,
- Select Mailbox,
- Erase Junk Mail.
- If the email in your Trash mailbox of no use to you, select Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.