How Does Storage Work on MacBooks?

Understanding how storage works on MacBooks is essential for maximising efficiency and ensuring you make the most of your device’s available space. With this knowledge, you can manage your storage effectively, avoid unnecessary clutter, and optimize performance. Whether you’re checking available space for a new app or troubleshooting storage-related issues, having a solid grasp of Mac storage is invaluable.

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In this blog, we’ll explore the steps to check and manage storage on Mac like a pro user:

Understanding Mac Storage

Mac storage refers to the drive where all your data is permanently stored. A hard drive refers to a physical storage device, while disk space is the storage capacity of that device. Your disk space is generally measured in bytes such as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and so on. 

Mac storage is divided into two parts:

Primary (internal) storage: For macOS, apps, and user data. Examples: internal hard drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD). 

Secondary (external) storage: For backups or increased capacity. Examples: external hard drives, cloud storage, and USB drives.

By storing files on external storage, you save space for more important apps and data that are in frequent and current use.

Understanding Mac Storage Usage

Mac storage generally contains the following categories:

Apps: All built-in and downloaded apps, plugins, and extensions.

Audio: All music and audio files 

Photos: All images that are saved locally, imported from a camera or iPhone, or created from third-party apps. 

System Data: Go to the System and Library folder in your Macintosh HD to see what’s making up the System Data.

Other: Files that don’t fit into other categories. It includes cache, temp files, and other junk files that often consume a large amount of storage space on your Mac. 

Free space: The available space for new files and apps.

How to check storage on Mac

There are multiple ways to check Mac storage quickly. Let’s discuss them one by one:

Method 1: Via the Finder

  • Open Finder.
  • Click Macintosh HD under locations.
  • Press Command + I. 
  • In the Info window, click General to check capacity, available, and used storage.

Method 2: Via About This Mac

  • Click the Apple logo in the menu bar.
  • Select About This Mac.
  • Click the About tab, and go to More Info >  Storage Settings.

Method 3: Via Disk Utility

  • Open Finder and go to Applications. 
  • Now, click on Utilities > Disk Utility.
  • Click Macintosh HD, and you’ll see available and used storage.

Method 4: Via System Settings

  • Open the Apple menu.
  • Choose System Settings.
  • Click General > Storage.

SSD vs HDD on Mac

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is the oldest form of non-volatile storage used on computers. Physically, it consists of metal platters with a magnetic coating. These platters spin at high speeds, and a tiny actuator arm hovers above it, reading or writing data. SSD (Solid-State Drive) performs the same function differently. Instead of spinning disks and moving parts, SSDs store data on flash memory. 

SSDs have supplanted HDDs because of their speed, reliability, durability, quieter operation, affordability, and energy efficiency. The following table shows the key differences between SSDs and HDDs:

FeatureSSDsHDDs
SpeedFasterSlower due to mechanical parts
DurabilityHighly resistant to physical damageHighly vulnerable to physical damage
Storage capacityLower compared to HDDsGreat for storing massive amounts of data cheaply
NoiseSilent operationNoisy due to moving parts
Power consumptionLowerHigher
Best forHigh-speed operations, professional work, and gamingLarge storage needs, general computing, and backups

These days, SSDs have become the go-to storage option for local data storage. It’s because they are no longer as expensive as earlier.

How much storage do I need on my Mac?

The answer depends on your needs and purpose of usage. For example, gamers need significantly higher storage capacity than users who mostly use it for writing or web surfing.

Videos and high definition images consume more space than text files, excel sheets, and alike. Applications and games consume even more disk space and downloading movies requires significant space on your Mac’s boot drive.

You may be surprised to learn that system data can occupy tens of gigabytes of space on your Mac. It’s because old Time Machine backups, cache, temporary files, and unused disk images accumulate in system data, taking up large space.

Generally, MacBooks come with default storage of a minimum of 256GB or 512GB, which is good for regular use. You can get your Mac storage upgraded by up to 8TB with the help of expert Mac technicians. 

Final Words: Quick Tips to Optimize and Manage Mac Storage

  • Uninstall unused and unnecessary apps
  • Set the Trash folder to auto-delete
  • Remove old iOS backups
  • Clean up cache, system junk, and download folder
  • Erase Junk Mail
  • Get rid of unnecessary large files
  • Keep your macOS updated
  • Clear temporary files
  • Remove duplicates from the Photos app
  • Clear files in the Mail app
  • Compress large files so they consume less space

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