Mac System Data Storage Large? Here's How to Clear It

In macOS Ventura and Monterey, you may notice a storage section labeled System Data. This storage part can range from 10 GB to more than 100 GB. Wondering what it is and how to clear it? Here you will find all the answers.

Let's get started.

How to Check System Data Storage on Mac

Before understanding what System Data storage is, let's check how much space it is using on your Mac.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage. (On macOS Monterey, choose Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage.)
2. You'll see a colored bar, with each color representing a category.
3. Hover over a color to see its category and the amount of space it uses. Dark gray space represents System Data.
4. Hover your cursor over each category, you can know its name and size.

In this case, the System Data is 136.63 GB and is taking up the largest part of my storage space.

So what exactly is it?

What Is System Data on Mac?

System Data contains files that do not fall into categories such as Documents, Apps, iCloud Drive, Photos, Other Users, etc.. The primary files it includes are:

• Log files and caches.
• Temporary files.
• VM files.
• Fonts and plug-ins.
• App support files.
• Files and data used by the system.
• Runtime system resources.

The size of System Data varies depending on the state of your Mac. Since some of the files mentioned above are not necessary, you can delete them to lessen their impact on your storage.

How to Clear System Data Storage on Mac

Although, we don't have full control over the System Data storage, there are a few things we can do to reduce its size. Read on!

1. Optimize Mac Storage

macOS has features to optimize Mac storage. View the recommendations under the Storage bar and optimize your storage according to your needs.

Note that if your disk is partitioned, recommendations apply only to the partition containing your home directory.

2. Clear Cache on Mac

The system and applications you run on your Mac will create cache files in the Library Folder. To reclaim more space for your Mac, you can delete unneeded cache files manually.

1. Click the Go menu in Finder and select Go to Folder.
2. Paste the following file paths into the search box and click the Return key.
   • ~/Library/Caches/
   • /Library/Caches/
   • /System/Library/Caches/
3. Move unwanted files in these cache folders to the Trash.
4. Empty your Trash.

Alternatively, you can use BuhoCleaner to clear out all those cache files. With BuhoCleaner, it takes just a couple of clicks to get all that done. Click the button below to give it a try.

How to use BuhoCleaner to delete cache files on Mac:

1. Download, install, and launch BuhoCleaner on your Mac.
2. Click the Scan button, and it will automatically scan the junk files on your Mac.
3. Once the scan is complete, click the View Details button, check the cache files you want to delete, and click the Remove button.

Related Article: How to Clear Cache on Mac

3. Delete Log Files on Mac

Log files are a part of the System Data. You can delete them manually or automatically.

How to clear log files on Mac manually:

1. Click the Go menu in Finder and choose Go to Folder.
2. Paste ~/Library/Logs/ into the blank box and press the Return key.
3. Find the log files you want to delete, select them, and press Command + Backspace keys.
4. Continue to remove the log files in /Library/Logs/.

How to clear log files on Mac automatically:

1. Download and install BuhoCleaner on your Mac.
2. Launch it and click the Scan button.
3. Click the View Details button on the results page.
4. Select the log files to delete and click the Remove button.

4. Delete Time Machine Local Snapshots

Did you know that your Mac keeps a local copy of your Time Machine backups in case your external drive becomes unavailable? Your Mac will keep them until space is needed. Why wait until the storage is running out before cleaning them up? You can clean them manually.

Here are the steps:

1. Open Terminal via Spotlight or Launchpad.

2. Type in: tmutil listlocalsnapshotdates, press the Return key on your keyboard, and you'll find a list of backups sorted by date.

   

3. To delete a backup, type this command into the Terminal: tmutil deletelocalsnapshots "xxxxxxx", enter the password for the user account if asked, and press Return. (Note: "xxxxxxx" stands for the date of the backup you want to remove.)

   e.g. tmutil deletelocalsnapshots 2021-07-19-095939

Repeat step 3 if you want to delete any or all snapshots.

5. Remove Old iOS Backups

iOS backups are also part of "System Data". They can take up a lot of Mac space. If you have multiple iOS backups on your Mac, it is recommended that you delete those old backups to free up disk space.

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
2. Open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar.
3. Click the Manage Backups button in the right column.
4. Select the backups you do not need and delete them.

If you are inconvenient to link your iPhone to your computer, you can also manually search and delete iOS backups.

Here are the steps:

1. Press Shift + Command + G on desktop to open the Go to Folder window.
2. Paste ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ into the search box and press Return.
3. Find the backups you don't want and drag it to the Trash.

6. Clear Your Downloads Folder

The Downloads folder is where your Mac stores downloaded files. If you've been using your Mac for a while, the Downloads folder can get pretty large and pile up on your System Data. It’s a good idea to regularly clear the folder out.

1. Open Finder and click Download in the sidebar.
2. Sort your files by size and move those you don't need to the Trash.

7. Empty the Trash

Emptying the Trash on your Mac can also help you reduce system data, because when you move files to the Trash, they aren't completely deleted, but instead remain on your drive, taking up valuable storage space. You can permanently delete them from your Mac by emptying the Trash. Note, however, that files cannot be recovered once deleted from the Trash, so be sure to double-check before emptying them.

8. Restart Your Mac

Simply restarting your Mac can fix some of the problems you may have been experiencing. If it’s been a while since you’ve done so, reboot it by clicking the Apple menu and selecting Restart.

Conclusion

Now you know what System Data storage on Mac is and some of the different approaches to clearing it. Hopefully, you have found a method that works easily and efficiently for you.

By the way, BuhoCleaner is also a handy disk space analyzer that can help you easily find which files and folders are using the most space. Don't forget to check it out!