Open your Mac’s storage breakdown and you’ll often see a mysterious “Other” category eating gigabytes of space. Unlike Music or Photos, “Other” is a catch-all for files that don’t fit neatly into any category — and cleaning it up can recover significant disk space. Here’s what’s in there and how to get rid of it safely.
Short Answer: Mac’s ‘Other’ storage is made up of caches, log files, old iOS backups, browser data, app support files, and documents. You can safely delete most of it using Finder’s ‘Manage Storage’ tool or a third-party app like CleanMyMac.
What’s Actually in ‘Other’ Storage?
The “Other” category on macOS typically contains:
- System and app caches — temporary files apps create to speed up loading
- Log files — error and activity logs that accumulate over time
- iOS device backups — old iPhone/iPad backups stored locally on your Mac
- Browser cache and cookies — especially from Chrome, Safari, and Firefox
- App support files — settings, plugins, and databases apps store in ~/Library
- Downloads and documents — files in non-standard locations
Step 1: Use macOS Built-in Storage Management
Go to Apple menu → System Settings → General → Storage. macOS will analyze your disk and show a breakdown. Click More info for detailed categories. Look for the built-in recommendations: “Store in iCloud,” “Optimize Storage,” and “Empty Trash Automatically.”
📸 SCREENSHOT NEEDED: macOS System Settings → Storage screen showing the colored storage breakdown with ‘Manage’ options visible
Step 2: Delete Old iPhone/iPad Backups
If you’ve ever backed up an iPhone or iPad to your Mac via Finder (or iTunes in older macOS), those backups live on your Mac and can be several gigabytes each. To delete them:
Open Finder → your device in the sidebar → Manage Backups. You’ll see all stored backups with dates. Delete any that are outdated or for devices you no longer own.
📸 SCREENSHOT NEEDED: Finder showing iPhone backup management dialog with backup dates and delete option
Step 3: Clear Browser Caches
Safari: Go to Safari → Settings → Advanced → Show Develop menu, then Develop → Empty Caches.
Chrome: Press Cmd+Shift+Delete, select “Cached images and files,” set time range to “All time,” and click Clear data.
Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cached Web Content → Clear Now.
Step 4: Remove App Caches and Logs from Library
In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G and type ~/Library/Caches. You’ll find folders for every app that creates a cache. You can safely delete the contents of these folders (not the folders themselves). Do the same in ~/Library/Logs.
Warning: Don’t delete the entire ~/Library folder or any folder you don’t recognize in ~/Library/Application Support. Only clear the contents of Caches and Logs folders. Some apps may re-download or regenerate important data.
Step 5: Use CleanMyMac for Deeper Cleaning
For a more thorough cleanup without manually navigating Library folders, CleanMyMac X ($34.95/year or one-time purchase) automates the entire process. It identifies large files, old caches, email attachments, and unused apps in a single scan. It’s the easiest option if you’re not comfortable navigating system folders manually.
Free Alternative:
DaisyDisk ($9.99 one-time) gives you a visual disk map showing exactly what’s taking up space. It’s not a cleaner per se, but it makes it easy to find and delete large files manually.
Quick checklist:
- ✅ Check System Settings → Storage for the built-in recommendations first
- ✅ Delete old iPhone/iPad backups via Finder device management
- ✅ Clear Safari, Chrome, and Firefox caches manually
- ✅ Browse ~/Library/Caches and delete folder contents (not folders)
- ✅ Empty Trash after all deletions to actually free space
- ✅ Consider CleanMyMac for automated future maintenance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete everything in ~/Library/Caches?
The contents of Caches folders, yes — these are temporary files. Apps will recreate them as needed. Don’t delete the Caches folders themselves, and don’t touch ~/Library/Application Support.
How do I stop ‘Other’ from growing back?
Enable iCloud Drive optimization (keeps files in cloud, stores local copies only of recent ones), regularly empty your browser caches, and run a monthly storage check. CleanMyMac’s scheduler can automate the cache clearing.
Why is my ‘Other’ storage so large after macOS updates?
macOS updates often leave behind old system files and update caches. Go to System Settings → Storage and look for “System Data” → Reduce — the Optimized Storage features often reclaim this space automatically.
Try CleanMyMac X ↗More Mac Tips
The fastest win is clearing old iPhone backups and browser caches — those two steps often recover 5-15 GB on a Mac that’s been in use for a few years. Go through the built-in storage management tool first; it handles the most common culprits without requiring any third-party software.