---
id: mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-find-old-files-i-havent-opened
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-find-old-files-i-havent-opened
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Finding big files, Downloads and the Trash"
question: "How do I find files I haven't opened in a long time?"
alt_questions:
  - "find unused files mac"
  - "files not opened in a year mac"
  - "last opened date search finder"
  - "old files taking space mac"
  - "find stale files macos"
short_answer: "In Finder press Command-F, choose This Mac and search by Last opened date (optionally with File Size). Rarely-opened files worth keeping are good to move to an external drive."
tags: ["finder", "search", "old files"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-find-large-files-on-my-mac", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-big-files-can-i-safely-delete"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I find files I haven't opened in a long time?

Finder can search by when a file was last opened: press **Command-F**, choose **This Mac**, set the criterion to **Last opened date**, and pick **is before** or **within last** with a date range. Add a **File Size** criterion to see only big ones.

Old isn't the same as unwanted — tax records and archives are rarely opened but worth keeping. Those are good candidates for an external drive rather than deletion. Storage Studio's Storage Profile separates what you actually work on from everything you store, which makes this easier to judge. See [moving folders](https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/).