Other Users & Shared: the storage category you cannot click, and how to see inside it
Mac Storage settings can show tens of gigabytes as Other Users & Shared, even on a one person Mac. Where it comes from, and how to measure each part.
Storage settings shows a block called Other Users & Shared and you are the only person who uses this Mac. You click it and there is nothing to delete. It is a category, not a folder: macOS adds up everything that belongs to another account or to no account in particular.
What goes into it
| Source | Where it is |
|---|---|
| Other user accounts' home folders | /Users/other-name |
| Home folders kept when an account was deleted | /Users/Deleted Users |
| The shared folder every account can use | /Users/Shared |
| Guest account leftovers | Usually small |
| Files installers dropped for all users | Often inside /Users/Shared |
Measure each part
sudo du -sh /Users/* 2>/dev/null | sort -h
sudo du -sh "/Users/Deleted Users"/* 2>/dev/nullTerminal needs Full Disk Access to read other accounts. If one name is large, that is your answer.
The usual culprits
- An old account from a previous owner, or from when the Mac was set up. It can hold a whole Photos library you have never seen.
- A disk image kept when an account was deleted. macOS offers to save the home folder as a disk image in Deleted Users. People pick that option and forget it.
- Installers that unpack sample libraries or content into
/Users/Shared. Music software does this often. Our guide to Logic and GarageBand sound libraries covers one example.
Removing an account properly
Do not drag another account's home folder to the Trash. Use System Settings, Users & Groups, select the account, and delete it. Choose whether to keep the home folder as a disk image, and only keep it if there is something in it you need. Our shared Mac storage guide covers how families can split space fairly.
Common questions
What is Other Users & Shared in Mac storage?
It is the space used by other user accounts, home folders kept from deleted accounts, and the /Users/Shared folder. macOS shows it as one category you cannot open directly.
Why is Other Users & Shared large when I am the only user?
Usually an old account from setup or a previous owner, a disk image saved when an account was deleted, or content an installer put in /Users/Shared.
How do I delete Other Users & Shared on a Mac?
Measure each part with sudo du -sh /Users/* in Terminal, then delete unused accounts in Users & Groups and remove what you do not need from /Users/Shared and /Users/Deleted Users.