{"id":"freeing-space.why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot","url":"/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot","category":{"id":"freeing-space","title":"Freeing up space"},"subcategory":{"id":"snapshots-held-space","title":"Local snapshots and held space"},"question":"Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required?","alt_questions":["Grey Required pill snapshot","System update snapshot can't be deleted","Required by macOS snapshot","Delete button missing on snapshot","Why is this snapshot locked?"],"short_answer":"macOS needs it, usually for a system update, so it shows a Required pill and can't be deleted. It normally clears itself once that update is complete.","answer_markdown":"Because macOS needs it — usually for a system update. These snapshots show a grey **Required** pill instead of a Delete button and can't be removed, even with Delete all backed-up.\n\nThey normally go away by themselves once the update they belong to is complete. If you need space urgently in the meantime, other snapshots and the rest of your disk are still available to work with — see [Custom reclaim](/faq/freeing-space/what-is-custom-reclaim).","answer_html":"

Because macOS needs it — usually for a system update. These snapshots show a grey Required pill instead of a Delete button and can't be removed, even with Delete all backed-up.

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They normally go away by themselves once the update they belong to is complete. If you need space urgently in the meantime, other snapshots and the rest of your disk are still available to work with — see Custom reclaim.

","answer_text":"Because macOS needs it — usually for a system update. These snapshots show a grey Required pill instead of a Delete button and can't be removed, even with Delete all backed-up.\n\nThey normally go away by themselves once the update they belong to is complete. If you need space urgently in the meantime, other snapshots and the rest of your disk are still available to work with — see Custom reclaim.","tags":["local snapshots","system update","required"],"related":[{"id":"freeing-space.what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean","question":"What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean"},{"id":"freeing-space.what-do-snapshot-labels-in-whats-using-space-mean","question":"What do \"Required by macOS\" and \"Your Mac can clear this by itself\" mean under Space held by backups?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-do-snapshot-labels-in-whats-using-space-mean"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"macOS needs it, usually for a system update, so it shows a Required pill and can't be deleted. It normally clears itself once that update is complete.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Freeing up space","path":"/faq/freeing-space/"},{"name":"Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required?","path":"/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required?","alternateName":["Grey Required pill snapshot","System update snapshot can't be deleted","Required by macOS snapshot","Delete button missing on snapshot","Why is this snapshot locked?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Because macOS needs it — usually for a system update. These snapshots show a grey Required pill instead of a Delete button and can't be removed, even with Delete all backed-up.\n\nThey normally go away by themselves once the update they belong to is complete. If you need space urgently in the meantime, other snapshots and the rest of your disk are still available to work with — see Custom reclaim.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot"}}]},"fragment":"
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Freeing up space · Local snapshots and held space

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Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required?

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Short answer: macOS needs it, usually for a system update, so it shows a Required pill and can't be deleted. It normally clears itself once that update is complete.

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Because macOS needs it — usually for a system update. These snapshots show a grey Required pill instead of a Delete button and can't be removed, even with Delete all backed-up.

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They normally go away by themselves once the update they belong to is complete. If you need space urgently in the meantime, other snapshots and the rest of your disk are still available to work with — see Custom reclaim.

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Last reviewed

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