How to Clear System Data on Mac to Free Up Space

William Bollson

5 mins read

Updated on 2025-04-23 15:04:43 to Remove Duplicates

Have you noticed that your Mac is almost out of storage even though you have few files? System Data could be the culprit, which is always storing more data as days go by. Now many users are wondering how to clear system data on Mac and whether it’s safe to do so. That said, in this guide, we will explain what System Data is, why it forms, and what six ways you can get rid of it and reclaim storage space.

Part 1. What Is System Data on Mac

System Data on a Mac is basically stored as cached files, system logs, temporary data, disk images and the rest of the shell files stored on a Mac computer to enhance performance and functionality. Most of these files are hidden from the users, but they can store several gigabytes. However, if left unattended for a longer time, System Data can considerably lag behind your Mac.

What Takes Up System Data on a Mac

Don't know how much space should system data take up on Mac? Mac has System Data storage comprised of several types of files such as:

Files that get created on macOS or apps temporarily.
Applications used to save the data to speed up loading.
Transferring local backups to an external storage before storing them.
Files for your iPhone or iPad backed up to your Mac can take up space.
Updates that have been stored, before installation.
Since uninstalling certain applications isn’t enough to remove all add-ons, these add-ons are known as add-ons that stay on your Mac after uninstallation.

SystemData should normally take 10GB to 20GBs. Although for some users it can grow up to 50GB, 100GB or even more, it can end up being a storage issue. Cleaning up your System Data will make sense if they’re taking up a large portion of the space you have on your System Drive.

How to Access System Data on Mac

To check how much System Data is using from System Memory on your Mac:

Click on the Apple Menu in the top-left corner and select “About This Mac” and “More info”.
Go to the “Storage” tab and select “Storage Settings”.
Wait for macOS to calculate the storage distribution.
Hover over System Data to see how much space it occupies.

Part 2. How to Clear System Data on Mac

n You Reduce System Data on Mac? The answer is yes! Six techniques exist to help users eliminate needless files while releasing storage capacity on their Mac systems.

1. Scan and Remove Duplicate Data Files
2. Use the macOS Built-in Clean Tool
3. Clear System Cache on Mac Manually in Finder
4. Delete Caches on Mac in Terminal
5. Empty the Trash
6. Optimize Mac Storage Management

1. Scan and Remove Duplicate Data Files

The simplest method to eliminate System Data involves deleting duplicate files which waste valuable storage space. The professional file deletion software 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter lets users remove duplicate files through an interface with simple clicks.

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Why Choose 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter?

Accurately detects duplicate photos, videos, documents, and other files.
One-click deletion for quick storage cleanup.
Supports Mac and Windows with an intuitive interface.
Provide Smart Remove and Review Duplicate tabs to delete duplicates automatically or manually.
Give special offers to eliminate repeated files for free.

Steps to scan and remove duplicates on Mac

Follow the steps below to scan your duplicate files on Mac and remove them using 4DDiG:

Run the Mac 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter software and choose “Duplicates” > “Get Started”. Select the location “Local Drive” on Mac for scanning for duplicates and click “Next”.
Now choose the folders or sections on Mac system that you want to scan and begin scanning by clicking “Scan”.
Click the lower gear icon to personalize the scanning settings to your deals, like skip certain folders, choose file types, and more.
Once the scan is complete click “Remove Duplicates” to see duplicate Mac system data. Click to select duplicate files and after selecting click “Remove” to delete them. You can also use “Smart Remove” to eliminated all scanned duplicate system data from Mac simultaneously with one click.

2. Use the macOS Built-in Clean Tool

Macintosh users can use the built-in storage management utility to eliminate data efficiently. You can manage storage effectively and minimize System Data utilization by performing basic procedures without requiring external third-party applications.

Click the “Apple Menu” > “About This Mac”.
Go to “Storage” and click “Storage Settings”.
Use the suggested Recommendations such as Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, and Reduce Clutter to clear space.

3. Clear System Cache on Mac Manually in Finder

System disk space fills up as cache files continue to multiply in large numbers. The procedure of clearing selected files through Finder enables users to recover storage allocation without affecting necessary system files.

Open “Finder” and click “Go to Folder”.
Type “~/Library/Caches/” and press Enter.
Select all cache files and move them to the Trash.
Empty the Trash to permanently delete them.

4. Delete Caches on Mac in Terminal

Terminal provides users with a basic command to remove cache files from their Mac devices for complete system cleanup. Through this technique users can delete system-generated and hidden cache files which Finder cannot normally identify. After the Mac restart the system will reorganize storage correctly.

Open the "Terminal" app on your Mac.
Run the commands “cd /” then “du -h -d2”. Now you can select and delete the desired caches.

5. Empty the Trash

Your disk space only becomes available after your empty files are located in the Trash. Emptying your Trash regularly prevents already-trashed files from remaining on your disk space. Just one quick routine enables major storage reduction which helps maintain your Mac operating effectively.

Go to the Dock in your Mac and locate the Trash.
Right-click and select "Empty Bin" then authenticate by clicking “Empty Bin”

6. Optimize Mac Storage Management

Users can find various storage optimization functions through Apple's built-in Optimize Storage feature. The method sustains access to necessary files and media during the process of restricting System Data storage congestion.

Open your storage settings by opening "Apple Menu" and clicking "About this Mac"
Now scroll down to the “Storage” option and select “Manage”
Click “Optimise" against the Optimise storage option and manage your system data.

With these 6 methods used and steps followed correctly, you can easily handle the system data on your mac and get free storage once again by efficient management. The key to convenience is choosing efficient methods like 4DDiG and making your life easier.

Part 3. People Also Ask About Mac System Data

Q1: Is it safe to delete system data on a Mac?

It is safe to delete system files only if you exercise caution when eliminating key files that make up the system. The removal of cache files along with logs and duplicate files presents no safety risks while it optimizes your storage capacity.

Q2:Mac system data storage is largehere's how to clear it.

To reduce the System Data storage build-up, attempt these steps:

The removal of system and application cache files will not be harmful to your Mac system.
4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter provides a solution for duplicate file removal.
The storage optimizing tool in macOS provides users with a solution.

Conclusion

System Data tends to grow rapidly which causes Mac storage to fill up and affects the device speed. Hence, it is crucial to learn how to clear system data on a Mac. Users can release storage space through the elimination of duplicate files cache removal system storage tools and the wiping of the Trash. The efficient tool for locating and deleting extra duplicate files is the 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter.