---
id: mac-storage-basics.what-is-other-users-and-shared
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-other-users-and-shared
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "System Data and the storage categories"
question: "What does \"Other Users & Shared\" mean in Storage settings?"
alt_questions:
  - "other users and shared storage"
  - "other users storage mac"
  - "shared folder taking space mac"
  - "storage used by another account mac"
  - "users shared folder size"
short_answer: "Files in other user accounts plus the Macintosh HD › Users › Shared folder. Clean up from inside those accounts, or remove accounts you no longer need in Users & Groups."
tags: ["storage settings", "user accounts", "shared"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-system-data-on-a-mac"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What does "Other Users & Shared" mean in Storage settings?

It counts files belonging to **other user accounts** on the Mac and the shared **Macintosh HD › Users › Shared** folder. You can't see inside other people's accounts from yours — that's by design.

To reduce it, sign into the other account and clean up there, or (if an account is no longer needed) remove it in **System Settings → Users & Groups**, choosing whether to keep a copy of its home folder. Some installers also leave large files in Macintosh HD › Users › Shared.