FileShelf Download

Guides

How to find large files on Mac

A handful of big files usually eat most of the space. Here are four ways to find them, from the quickest to the most precise, and what to check before you delete anything.

Updated · 5 min read

Short answer

Choose Apple menu ▸ System Settings ▸ General ▸ Storage, click the Info button next to Documents, then click the button for large files and sort by Size. For more control, search in the Finder with a File Size criterion, or turn on Calculate All Sizes in List view to see which folders are biggest.

FileShelf: See every file over 100 MB in the folders you choose, as big previews. Try it free for 7 days

The steps are the same on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac or any other Mac, as long as it runs a recent version of macOS. Start with Storage settings. It is the fastest and needs no setup. Use the Finder methods when you want to pick your own size limit or look inside one folder.

1. Use Storage settings (quickest)

  1. Choose Apple menu ▸ System Settings.
  2. Click General in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
  3. Click Storage, and wait for the bar at the top to fill in.
  4. Click the Info button next to Documents.
  5. Click the button for large files. There is also one for downloads, and a File Browser that shows how much space each folder uses.
  6. Click Size near the top to sort, biggest first. Click Last Accessed to see what you haven't opened in a while.
  7. To look at a file first, select it and click Show in Finder. To remove it, select it and click Delete.

On macOS Monterey 12 and earlier, the path is different. Choose Apple menu ▸ About This Mac, then click Storage.

The categories you see depend on the apps and files on your Mac. System Data is one you can't manage from here.

This lets you set your own limit, like “bigger than 1 GB”, and keep the search for later.

  1. Open a Finder window and press ⌘ F to start a search.
  2. Click the Add button (+) on the right, below the search field. A row of criteria appears.
  3. Click the far-left pop-up menu and choose Other.
  4. Select File Size in the list and click OK.
  5. Set the next menu to is greater than, type a number, and pick MB or GB. 1 GB is a good place to start.
  6. Results appear as you go. Every file must match all your criteria, so remove a row if you see nothing.

Want to reuse it? Click Save below the search field. The search becomes a Smart Folder, and you can add it to the Finder sidebar.

3. Find the biggest folders in List view

Sometimes the space isn't one big file. It's a folder full of medium ones. The Finder doesn't show folder sizes by default, but you can turn them on.

  1. Open the folder you want to check, such as your Home folder (⇧ ⌘ H).
  2. Switch to List view.
  3. Press ⌘ J to show View Options, and turn on Calculate All Sizes.
  4. Click the Size column header to sort.
  5. Open the biggest folder and repeat until you find what's taking the space.

The setting is remembered for that folder only. Big folders can take a moment to add up, so give the sizes time to fill in.

4. Find large files with Terminal (advanced)

If you're comfortable with the command line, Terminal can list big files in one go. These commands only read. They don't delete anything.

List every file over 1 GB in your Home folder:

find ~ -type f -size +1G 2>/dev/null

The + means “more than”. Use +500M for files over 500 MB. The 2>/dev/null part hides error messages for folders Terminal isn't allowed to read.

Show how big each item in your Home folder is, smallest to largest:

du -sh ~/* 2>/dev/null | sort -h

The biggest items end up at the bottom. Delete files in the Finder, not in Terminal. Terminal deletions skip the Trash, so there is no undo.

Before you delete anything

  • Leave app libraries alone. Your Photos library sits in the Pictures folder and often shows up as one very large item. Apple says not to open or change its contents in the Finder, or you can damage it. Delete photos inside the Photos app instead.
  • Check iCloud Drive files. If a big file sits in iCloud Drive, it is part of what syncs across your devices. On a Mac, an iCloud Drive file you move to the Trash stays in the Trash for 30 days.
  • Empty the Trash. A file in the Trash still uses space. You only get it back after you empty it with ⇧ ⌘ Delete.
  • Don't chase System Data. You can't manage it from Storage settings, and it isn't a folder you should clear by hand.

For backups, Mail and Apple's storage recommendations, see how to free up space on Mac.

Spot big files at a glance with FileShelf

FileShelf is a Mac file browser that indexes the folders you add, on your Mac. Its Large Files view lists every file of 100 MB or more in those folders, as big previews. You can sort by size and switch between grid and list.

You can also search in plain words, like videos over 500 mb or pdfs from last week over 5 mb. And Clean Up groups forgotten downloads, old installers, old screenshots and large old videos. Move what you don't want to the Trash, and press ⌘ Z if you change your mind.

The limits, plainly: FileShelf only sees folders you add. It can't see or clear System Data, app caches or iPhone backups. And you still need to empty the Trash to get the space back.

See every file over 100 MB in the folders you choose, as big previews.

7 days free, then pay once.

Download FileShelf

Related