Mac storage basics · Checking your storage
What usually takes up the most space on a Mac?
Short answer: Usually photos and video, large apps, System Data (caches, snapshots, logs), iPhone backups, forgotten downloads, mail and chat attachments, and developer caches.
On most Macs the big users are a short, familiar list:
- Photos and video — the Photos library, screen recordings, video projects.
- Apps — creative suites, games, Xcode and developer tools.
- System Data — caches, logs, local snapshots, virtual memory, app support files.
- Device backups — iPhone and iPad backups.
- Downloads, Desktop and Documents — forgotten installers, disk images and archives.
- Mail and Messages attachments and chat apps' caches.
- Developer data — build caches, simulators, container images.
The quickest way to see your list is System Settings → General → Storage, or Storage Studio's What's Using Space, which checks the usual suspects by name. See finding big files.