OBS writes uncompressed by default, and an hour is a lot of gigabytes
Screen recordings are the largest files most Macs ever create. Where OBS puts them, the settings that halve the size, and what to keep.
582 guides
Mac storage, explained.
What fills your disk, where it hides, and what is safe to remove. Every guide gives you a way to check it on your own Mac.
The sound library is bigger than the app, and most of it is optional
Loops, instruments and legacy content are downloaded in full by default. What each part is, and how to remove what you do not play.
An extension can store more than the browser it runs in
Extensions keep their own local storage, and it is not cleared when you clear browsing data. How to see which one is large.
A media server stores artwork and thumbnails for everything, including what you deleted
Plex builds a metadata library that grows with every item scanned. Where it lives, what generating thumbnails costs, and how to trim it.
Terraform downloads a copy of every provider into every project
Provider binaries are hundreds of megabytes and each project gets its own. The plugin cache setting that stops it, and how to clean up after the fact.
Bazel keeps a full output tree per workspace, and it is enormous
The output base holds every build artefact and external dependency for each workspace. Where it is, what bazel clean does, and the flag that matters.
Every frontend project keeps three caches, and only one is node_modules
The .next, .turbo, .vite and node_modules/.cache folders all grow per project. What each does and which are safe to clear in bulk.
Cypress downloads a browser and an app binary per version, and keeps them all
Test tooling installs full browsers outside your project. Where each runner stores them and the prune commands that exist.
The Nix store never deletes anything until you tell it to
Every package version you have ever built or installed stays in /nix/store, kept alive by generations and roots. How to collect garbage safely.
Version managers install runtimes you tried once and kept forever
Every language version manager keeps each install in full. How to list what is on your Mac, and which versions nothing pins.
A local database keeps growing after you stop using the project
Postgres, MySQL and MongoDB data directories persist long after the app that needed them. Where they are and how to remove one safely.
A local cluster is a virtual machine, and it keeps every image you pulled
minikube, kind and Docker Desktop's Kubernetes each keep their own disk. Where they are and how to reclaim the space properly.