Optimize storage space on your Mac
macOS can help make more room on your Mac by optimizing its storage. For example, when space is needed, you can keep files, photos and videos, Apple TV movies and shows, and email attachments in iCloud, which makes them available on demand. Files don’t take up space on your Mac, and you can download the original files when you need them. Recent files and optimized versions of your photos are always on your Mac.
Note: To save storage space by deleting unneeded files, see Find and delete files on your Mac.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)Click Storage.
View the recommendations and decide how to optimize storage on your Mac.
Recommendation
Description
Store in iCloud
Store files from your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, store photos and videos in iCloud Photos, store messages and attachments in iCloud, and optimize storage by keeping only recently opened files on your Mac when space is needed.
See Store files in iCloud Drive, Use iCloud Photos, and Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices.
You can modify these settings later in the iCloud pane of Apple Account settings, Photos settings, and Messages settings.
Optimize Storage
Save space by automatically removing Apple TV movies and TV shows that you already watched, and by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed.
See Change Files settings in the Apple TV app and Change Account Information settings in Mail.
Empty Trash automatically
Automatically erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You can modify this setting later in the Finder. See Delete files and folders.
When space is needed on your Mac, macOS also clears caches and logs that are safe to delete, including temporary database files, interrupted downloads, staged macOS and app updates, Safari website data, and more.
Note: If your disk is partitioned, recommendations apply to only the partition that contains your home directory.