The App Store says there is not enough space, but the app is smaller than your free space
Big apps need room to download and unpack at the same time, often much more than their listed size. How much to free, and where to find it quickly.
The App Store says the app is 12 GB. You have 18 GB free. The install still fails, or the progress bar stops. Large apps need room for the downloaded package and the unpacked app at the same time, plus room for macOS to work.
How much space you really need
| Listed size | Free space to aim for |
|---|---|
| Under 1 GB | A few GB |
| 1 to 5 GB | About twice the listed size |
| Over 5 GB, like Xcode or big games | Twice the listed size plus 10 GB |
Xcode is the classic case. How much space Xcode needs has its numbers.
Free space quickly
- Empty the Trash.
- Delete old installers in Downloads, especially
.dmgand.pkgfiles. See disk images taking up space. - Remove apps you no longer use. Finding unused apps helps.
- Check for a large app update stuck half-downloaded in the queue. Pausing and cancelling it in the App Store releases its space.
df -h /System/Volumes/DataIf the download is stuck
- In the App Store, open your account page and check for paused downloads.
- Cancel the stuck one, restart the Mac, and try again once you have the space above.
- If it still fails, sign out of the App Store and back in.
Common questions
Why does the App Store say not enough space when I have enough?
Large apps need space for the download and the unpacked app at the same time, plus working room. Aim for about twice the listed size free.
How much free space does Xcode need to install?
Much more than its listed size, because it downloads and expands a large archive. Free at least twice the listed size plus some margin.
How do I cancel a stuck App Store download on a Mac?
Open the App Store, go to your account page, and cancel or pause the download. A restart releases any space it was holding.