How to Clean the 'Other Storage' on Mac

Some Mac users might be left quite perplexed when they see that a mysterious 'Other Storage' is taking up an exorbitant amount of space on their drive. The official Apple site describes Other Storage as the place where all files that do not meet the specifications for the standard categories, such as Photos, Apps, Audio, Movies, Documents, are being stored. In most cases that means various temporary files, macOS system folder, archive files, caches, plugins, extensions, hidden files, or files that cannot be reached through a Spotlight search. Individually these files do not take much space but over a prolonged period of time, they may accumulate and start occupying a significant section of the user's drive. While it is recommended to clean the Other Storage category from time to time, keep in mind that not all files found there are unnecessary as some are useful for the normal functioning of their associated apps.

To start the clean-up process, users will have to access the hidden Library folder that contains most of the files placed in the Other Storage category. To reach the location, open Finder, select the 'Go' menu, and choose 'Go to Folder.' In the new window, type ~/Library and press Go.

Once inside the ~/Library folder, users will have to navigate through the subfolders available there and manually delete all files they deem as unnecessary. Start with opening the Caches folder and going through the subfolders inside it, deleting cache files from your apps. For additional caches that you might want to remove, also check the /Library/Caches folder.

Applications often create support and service files that may get left behind even when the associated app has already been uninstalled. To get rid of such unnecessary files, users will have to delete them manually. You can find them in a similar manner to the cache files but this time going through the following locations:

• ~/Library/Application support
• ~/Library/Logs
• ~/Library/Containers
• /Library/Application support
• /Library/Logs
• /Library/Containers

Then proceed to remove any web browser extensions, screensavers, and plugins that you no longer need from their respective subfolders.