---
id: mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-clean-up-my-downloads-folder
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-clean-up-my-downloads-folder
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Finding big files, Downloads and the Trash"
question: "What's the quickest way to clean up my Downloads folder?"
alt_questions:
  - "downloads folder too big mac"
  - "clear downloads mac"
  - "delete old downloads macbook"
  - "organise downloads folder mac"
  - "downloads taking up storage"
short_answer: "Sort Downloads by Size, then by Date Added; delete used installers, disk images and archives, and move anything worth keeping to an external drive or the cloud."
tags: ["downloads", "cleanup", "finder"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/can-i-delete-dmg-files-after-installing", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-find-large-files-on-my-mac"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What's the quickest way to clean up my Downloads folder?

Open Downloads in Finder, switch to **List view** and sort by **Size** to deal with the biggest items first, then by **Date Added** to spot anything old. Installers, disk images and archives are usually the easy wins.

For anything you might want later, move it to an external drive or cloud folder rather than keeping it on your Mac. Storage Studio's What's Using Space includes Downloads in the places it checks, and you can move the whole folder's contents to an external drive with a link left behind. See [moving folders](https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/).