macOS Sierra, available today, includes a built-in storage optimization feature that's designed to free up storage space on a Mac by storing rarely used files in iCloud, regularly emptying the trash, removing unnecessary files, and more.

It's a handy feature that can give you a good amount of additional storage space with a set of tools that you normally had to download a third-party storage optimization app to use. Here's how to take advantage of Sierra's Optimize Storage feature:

  1. Click on the Apple logo at the top of the menubar and select "About This Mac" from the list of options.
  2. Choose the "Storage" tab at the top to see an overview of how much storage you're using on your Mac.

    optimizestoragemanage

  3. Click on "Manage" to open up the optimization options.

When you open up Optimize Storage, there's a breakdown of where your files are stored and a list of recommended actions you can take to free up space, all of which is new.

appsizeoptimizestorage
File storage on the Mac is broken down into the following categories: Applications, Documents, GarageBand, iBooks, iCloud Drive, iOS Files, iTunes, Mail, Photos, and Trash. Files can be organized by date, size, and type, so it's easy to see what's taking up a lot of space. Clicking on any file in a list will let you open the folder it's located in on the Mac, so it can be deleted.

In the "Recommendations" section of the Optimize Storage feature, there are a list of actions Apple thinks you should take to preserve space. For me, these recommendations suggested storing my files in iCloud, optimizing photo sizes, keeping only recent email attachments and removing iTunes movies and shows I've watched, emptying the trash automatically, and reducing clutter by finding files that don't need to be stored on my Mac. Depending on your usage habits, recommendations may vary.

optimizestoragerecommendations
The "Store in iCloud" feature is linked to another new macOS Sierra function, which makes all documents stored on the desktop or in the Documents folder available across all devices. This can take up a lot of iCloud storage space (more than 50GB in my case) so it should be used with caution.

storeallfilesinicloud
"Optimize Storage" offers preferences for automatically removing watched iTunes movies and TV shows (they're still available via iCloud) and downloading only recent attachments in Mail, features Apple said would save me a few hundred megabytes of space.

"Reduce Clutter" is a review of all documents on the Mac sorted by size, while "Empty Trash Automatically" is self-explanatory. An unmentioned feature makes sure there's space for all documents stored in iCloud Drive before downloading them onto a Mac. If there's not, older files will be kept in iCloud, while only the most recent files will be stored on the Mac itself.

icloudoptions
A quick run through all of the storage optimization features netted me more than 40GB of space, but your mileage may vary based on how often you delete older files and empty the trash. It's fast, easy to use, and has some good storage saving tips that weren't previously available, so it's definitely worth checking out Optimize Storage after you install Sierra.

Related Forum: macOS Sierra

Top Rated Comments

Paradoxally Avatar
106 months ago
Such a feature is laughable when you only are provided 5 GB of iCloud storage.
It's a dollar a month for 10x that capacity. Don't be cheap.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kcamfork Avatar
106 months ago
Such a feature is laughable when you only are provided 5 GB of iCloud storage.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CaptOblivious Avatar
106 months ago
Such a feature is laughable when you only are provided 5 GB of iCloud storage.
*for free
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cube Avatar
106 months ago
I don't want iCloud. I need a 3TB SSD.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacsRgr8 Avatar
106 months ago
Cool this.

But, can someone explain what this "Purgeable Storage" is...?
I understand what it means literally, but what does macOS Sierra believe is "Purgeable"?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8281 Avatar
106 months ago
It's a dollar a month for 10x that capacity. Don't be cheap.
Presumably this person owns an apple device, and is therefore not cheap.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
best early black friday deals

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Friday November 1, 2024 8:21 am PDT by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 29 in 2024. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M3 Pro Max vs M4 Pro Max Feature

Here's How Much Faster M4 Pro/Max Are for Graphics vs. M3 Pro/Max

Friday November 1, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are impressively fast in terms of CPU performance, topping the M2 Ultra, but what about graphics performance? The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to...
imac video apple feature

What to Expect From Apple This November

Friday November 1, 2024 9:40 am PDT by
After a busy October in which Apple announced new Macs and Apple Intelligence launched, the calendar has now turned to November. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple this month as the slower-but-still-busy holiday season approaches. After seeding the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 with additional Apple Intelligence features last month, Apple will likely...