But there’s one category that isn’t obvious, and it’s often the largest of them all.
So, what is System Data?
What Is System Data on a Mac?
It can sometimes take a minute or more to calculate the sizes.
Most of these are self-explanatory.
But there’s one that’s somewhat vague called System Data, and it’s often surprisingly large.
In the Documents category, for instance, you’re able to find and delete very large files.
But there’s no info icon next to System Data.
So what exactly is it?
Andy Betts / How-To Geek
Put simply, System Data is everything that cannot be placed into one of the other categories.
In most cases, you don’t need to worry about it because macOS will take care of it.
It will delete files and free up space as and when it’s needed.
You won’t be able to erase the System Data entirely, and you wouldn’t want to.
Some of it is important for the smooth running of your Mac and programs.
These caches can get quite large over time, and there’s no simple way to delete them.
web app caches are important but can get pretty big.
The setting to dump the cache in Safari is hidden by default.
This will add a new Develop menu to the Safari menu bar.
Finish the process by going to Develop > Empty Caches.
In other apps, it’s easier.
Media apps and games in particular will get quite large cachesyou should alsoclear the Steam cachefrom time to time.
Open a Finder window and click “Go” in the menubar.
Select “Library” from the menuyou might need to hold down the Option key to make it appear.
In the Finder window that opens, change the view to “List.”
Then click Cmd+J to kick off the Options window and select “Calculate all sizes.”
“Caches” will often be the largest folder.
To clear it, just fire up the folder for an app and delete the contents.
The cache will start to be rebuilt next time you launch the app.
They’re handy because they allow you to access and roll back to older versions of your files.
However, they can use up a lot of space over time.
Go to System prefs > General > Time Machine to get into the Time Machine prefs.
poke the “Options” button, and set Backup Frequency to “Manual.”
This will delete all the saved snapshots on your hard drive.
Now, set the frequency back to one of the Automatic options to get Time Machine working normally again.
Delete the ones you don’t want.
Your iOS devices also have System Datathat you’re free to clear to free up space.
Apps often leave behind folders containing large amounts of data that clutter your system.
The Containers and app Support folders are likely to be the next two biggest folders, along with Caches.
If you spot any folders relating to programs you no longer have, delete them.
Remember to empty your trash after you’ve done it.
I always recommendApp Cleaner, which is much more efficient than simply dragging the app into the trash.
After you install, move the app’s icon into your dock.
Then, when you want to uninstall an app, drag it onto the App Cleaner icon.
The System Data category in the storage options on a Mac is quite confusing because it’s very vague.
Essentially, it contains everything that cannot be categorized in another way.
