Does a Mac have a built-in storage cleaner?
By Vishva Variya · Updated
Short answer
Yes. On macOS Ventura and later, open Apple menu › System Settings › General › Storage. Its recommendations (Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage and Empty Trash Automatically) free space for you, and each category has an info button that lists files you can delete. It doesn’t look for duplicates, old installers or forgotten downloads; you still decide those file by file.
How to do it
- 1Choose Apple menu › System Settings.
- 2Click General in the sidebar, then click Storage.
- 3Turn on the recommendations you want, or click the info button next to a category to review and delete files.
Where the built-in cleaner is
Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Storage. On macOS Monterey and earlier, it’s Apple menu › About This Mac › Storage.
The bar at the top shows how your disk is used by category. Categories such as Applications, Documents, Messages, Music Creation, Podcasts, Trash and TV have an info button that opens a list you can sort and delete from.
What each recommendation does
Store in iCloud moves Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive, photos and videos to iCloud Photos, and messages and attachments to iCloud. When space is needed, only recently opened files stay on the Mac. What moves counts against your iCloud storage plan.
Optimize Storage removes Apple TV movies and shows you’ve already watched and keeps only recent email attachments on the Mac when space is needed.
Empty Trash Automatically erases items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You can turn it off later in Finder › Settings › Advanced.
macOS also clears caches and logs that are safe to delete on its own when space runs low, such as temporary database files, interrupted downloads and staged macOS and app updates.
What it doesn’t clean
Storage settings won’t find duplicate files outside the Photos library, group old installers or screenshots, or tell you which big folder grew last month. Photos has its own Duplicates album, but that only covers the photo library.
Anything you delete from the Storage lists goes to the Trash or is erased, depending on the category, so read the confirmation before clicking.
Where Peekaboo fits
Peekaboo picks up where Storage settings stops. Clean Up gathers duplicates, forgotten downloads, old installers, old screenshots, big old videos and unused apps, each with its size, and moves what you choose to the Trash, never straight to deletion. Every cleanup is saved as a session, so ⌥⌘Z puts the last one back. Duplicates are matched exactly by SHA-256, with look-alike photos found by Apple Vision. Files that live only in iCloud are skipped. It doesn’t scan for malware or update your apps.
Questions
Is the built-in Mac storage cleaner free?
- Yes. Storage settings is part of macOS. Store in iCloud may need a paid iCloud+ plan if your files are larger than your free iCloud storage.
Does macOS clear caches by itself?
- Yes, when space is needed. Apple says macOS removes caches and logs that are safe to delete, such as temporary database files, interrupted downloads and staged updates.
Do I need a third-party Mac cleaner?
- Not to keep a Mac working. A cleaner helps when you want to find duplicates, leftovers of deleted apps or old downloads faster than browsing folders yourself. Pick one that moves files to the Trash so mistakes can be undone.