Can you upgrade the storage in your Mac? The honest answer, and what to do instead
Current Macs cannot have their internal storage upgraded. What you can do: external drives, moving libraries, iCloud, and which older Macs are the exception.
If your Mac has Apple silicon, an M1, M2, M3, M4 or later chip, the storage is built onto the main board. There is no slot and no drive to swap. The same is true of most Intel Macs from about 2016 onwards.
# Which chip is in your Mac
sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string
# How big the internal disk is
diskutil info disk0 | grep -i "disk size"The exceptions
- Older Mac Pro and some older iMac and Mac mini models have drives that can be replaced, usually by a repair shop.
- Some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models from roughly 2013 to 2017 use a removable SSD with Apple's own connector. Third-party replacements exist.
- The Mac Pro with Apple silicon has storage modules, but they are specific to it.
If you are not sure, your model and year are in Apple menu, About This Mac.
What to do instead
| Option | Good for | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| External SSD | Photos, video, projects, games | External SSD or hard drive |
| iCloud with Optimize Mac Storage | Photos and documents you want everywhere | Photos library taking up space |
| A NAS | A family with several Macs | NAS for Mac storage |
| Cleaning what is there | Everyone first | Where did my Mac storage go |
Clean first, buy second
Most full Macs have 20 to 60 GB of things nobody needs: caches, old iPhone backups, downloads, leftovers from deleted apps. Clearing those often buys a year. What is safe to delete lists the usual suspects.
Common questions
Can I upgrade the SSD in my MacBook?
Not on any Mac with Apple silicon, and not on most Intel MacBooks from 2016 onwards. The storage is part of the main board.
How can I add storage to my Mac?
Use an external SSD for large files, iCloud with Optimize Mac Storage for photos and documents, or a NAS for a household. Free what is already there first.
Which Macs have upgradeable storage?
Some older Mac Pro, iMac and Mac mini models, and some MacBooks from about 2013 to 2017 with a removable SSD. Your model year is in About This Mac.