Want to update your Mac by installing macOS 12 Monterey? It’s the latest operating system update that is packed with a mix of new great features and significant improvements and it’s definitely worth trying out.
But you need to ensure that there is at least 20GB of free storage space on your HDD drive or SSD. Don’t worry, if you don’t have enough because it’s possible to clean your system and free up some space. You can do it manually and automatically using a good cleaner app.
Here you’ll find some easy tips on how to get free space for installing macOS Monterey by cleaning files you don’t need anymore.
Find Out What Is Taking Up Space on Your Mac
First, you should learn how much free storage space is left on your drive. You can check it out this way. Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Then you should click on the Storage tab and wait for some time until the system calculates how much space is occupied by files of different categories.
You’ll see a chart with bars of different colors that represent different categories. You’ll also learn how much storage space is free. And if you hover over each bar, you’ll be able to see how much space is taken up by each specific category. This information will help you plan your upgrade to macOS version 12.
Optimize Storage on Your Mac Using Built-in Tools
You have already opened the Storage tab, and from there, you can open the Storage Management window if you click on the Manage button. The system will show you recommendations for optimizing your storage space.
View them and decide which of them you can use to save space on your Mac. You can free some space by choosing to store files, photos, and messages in iCloud, setting your Trash to empty automatically, optimizing storage, and reducing clutter by deleting documents and other files that you don’t need any longer.
For example, if you choose to apply the Reduce Clutter option, you’ll be able to review the content of your Mac, sort out files in each category that you see in the sidebar, and remove those large files that are unnecessary. And don’t forget to empty the Trash when you finish.
Remove Unwanted Apps
We all may download apps on an impulse and then don’t actually use them while they are taking up a considerable amount of storage space. All apps are stored in the Applications folder, which you can access from Finder.
If you want to get rid of older applications, it will be easier if you see them all in one place. So you should click on the Group icon at the top of the Applications window, and after that, choose Date Added. It’s also possible to sort these programs by Date Last Opened.
Uninstalling apps on Mac is usually easy because they are actually bundles of many files all packaged together. You just need to drag and drop an app’s icon to Trash. However, some apps might have a few preferences or other hidden support files scattered in a number of places around your Mac. So it’s better to use a third-party cleaner tool to ensure that apps are deleted thoroughly without any leftovers.
Clean Your Downloads Folder
It is another place to find unnecessary documents and images to delete. Open Finder and click the Go tab. Then go to Downloads. You can sort the files in this folder by size, name, type, date, and different other options. When you find a file you want to delete, you should right-click on it and then select Move to Trash.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.