A full MacBook Air: the order to work in, from ten minutes to an afternoon
Most MacBook Airs ship with 256 GB, so they fill first. A step-by-step order for freeing space, fastest wins first, with what each step typically returns.
The MacBook Air is the most common Mac, and most are bought with the smallest disk. When it fills, work from the fastest wins to the slower ones. Each step says roughly what it returns.
Ten minutes
| Step | Typical return |
|---|---|
| Empty the Trash, and Recently Deleted in Photos | 1 to 20 GB |
| Delete old installers and files in Downloads | 2 to 15 GB |
| Delete old iPhone backups in Finder | 5 to 60 GB |
| Delete apps you do not use | 1 to 20 GB |
df -h /System/Volumes/DataAn hour
- Messages: keep messages for one year. See Messages attachments.
- Photos: iCloud Photos with Optimize Mac Storage, or move the library. See Photos library taking up space.
- Large files: find and move old videos. See how to find large files.
An afternoon
- Look at System Data. See System Data explained.
- Set up an external drive for archives. See moving files to an external drive.
- If you develop software, the Dev caches alone can be tens of GB. See developer cleanup script.
How much to keep free
Aim for 15 to 20 percent of the disk, about 40 to 50 GB on a 256 GB Air. How much free space a Mac should have explains why.
Common questions
How do I free up space on my MacBook Air quickly?
Empty the Trash, clear the Downloads folder, and delete old iPhone backups in Finder. Those three often return 10 GB or more in ten minutes.
Why is my MacBook Air storage always full?
Most MacBook Airs have 256 GB, and photos, Messages attachments, iPhone backups and System Data fill that quickly.
How much free space should a MacBook Air have?
About 15 to 20 percent of the disk, around 40 to 50 GB on a 256 GB model.