Numbers is 421 MB, and 91 MB of that is formula help
Pages, Numbers and Keynote are free App Store apps you can delete and download again. What is inside a 421 MB Numbers, and when removing them is worth it.
Pages, Numbers and Keynote come installed on new Macs, which makes them feel like part of macOS. They are not. They are ordinary App Store apps, and like GarageBand and iMovie they can be deleted and downloaded again at no cost.
Inside Numbers
| Part | Size |
|---|---|
Resources | 292 MB |
of which FunctionHelp.bundle | 91 MB |
| of which 40 language folders | 92 MB |
Frameworks | 101 MB |
MacOS, the program itself | 13 MB |
SharedSupport | 11 MB |
The function help bundle is the built-in documentation for every spreadsheet formula. The language folders are the interface in 40 languages. Neither can be removed without breaking the app's signature, which is why stripping apps by hand is not worth it, as measured in language files and universal binaries.
Deleting the whole app
If you never make spreadsheets, removing Numbers frees its 421 MB cleanly. Drag it to the Trash from Applications. Your documents are unaffected, and if you ever receive a .numbers file you can download the app again from the App Store in a minute.
du -sh /Applications/{Pages,Numbers,Keynote,GarageBand,iMovie}.app 2>/dev/nullGarageBand's larger cost is its sound library rather than the app, covered in Logic and GarageBand sound libraries. Apps that cannot be deleted at all are in deleting preinstalled apps.
Common questions
Can I delete Pages, Numbers and Keynote from my Mac?
Yes. They are ordinary App Store apps. Delete them from Applications and download them again from the App Store for free if needed.
How big is the Numbers app?
421 MB on the Mac measured, of which 91 MB was formula help and 92 MB was interface translations.
Will deleting Numbers delete my spreadsheets?
No. Your documents are separate files and are not touched when the app is removed.
Can I delete GarageBand and iMovie?
Yes, both are App Store apps. GarageBand's sound library is separate and can be larger than the app itself.