Quick Summary
The "Disk is full" error on macOS indicates that your hard drive or SSD has reached its storage capacity, preventing the system from writing new data or expanding existing files. This can lead to application crashes, system instability, and an inability to save documents.
Common Causes
- Large Files and Applications: Large files such as videos, music libraries, and high-resolution images, as well as installed applications, consume significant storage space.
- System Files and Caches: macOS and its applications create temporary files and caches for performance optimization, which can accumulate over time and occupy considerable disk space.
- Downloads Folder Accumulation: Downloaded files often remain in the Downloads folder without being moved or deleted, gradually filling up the disk.
- Trash Not Emptied: Files moved to the Trash are not permanently deleted until the Trash is emptied. A large amount of data in the Trash can contribute to a full disk.
- Time Machine Backups: Local snapshots created by Time Machine, before a full backup to an external drive, can take up significant disk space especially if the backup drive is unavailable or the user has a large amount of data.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Method 1: Empty the Trash
Step 1: Locate the Trash icon on your Dock.
Step 2: Right-click (or Control-click) on the Trash icon.
Step 3: Select "Empty Trash".
Step 4: Confirm the deletion when prompted by clicking "Empty Trash".
Method 2: Delete Unnecessary Files
Step 1: Open Finder. Select "All My Files" from the sidebar.
Step 2: Sort files by size (View > Arrange By > Size). Identify large files that you no longer need.
Step 3: Drag these files to the Trash or delete them directly.
Step 4: Empty the Trash after deleting the files (as described above).
Method 3: Uninstall Unused Applications
Step 1: Open Finder and go to the "Applications" folder.
Step 2: Identify applications that you rarely or no longer use.
Step 3: Drag the application icon to the Trash or use the application's uninstaller if available (often located within the application folder or on the developer's website).
Step 4: Empty the Trash after uninstalling the applications.
Method 4: Use macOS Storage Management
Step 1: Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and select "About This Mac".
Step 2: Click the "Storage" tab.
Step 3: Click "Manage...".
Step 4: Review the recommendations and utilize the built-in tools such as "Optimize Storage to iCloud" (for files on iCloud) and "Empty Trash Automatically".
Step 5: Review and remove large files listed in the "Reduce Clutter" section, such as old downloads, unsupported files, or containers.
Method 5: Clear System and Application Caches
Step 1: Open Finder, click "Go" in the menu bar, and select "Go to Folder...".
Step 2: Enter ~/Library/Caches and press Enter.
Step 3: Within this folder, you'll find subfolders for different applications and system processes. You can delete the contents of these subfolders (but not the folders themselves). Be cautious when deleting caches, as important data can be lost. Deleting the entire contents inside the 'Caches' folder is generally safe, but it may cause apps to run slightly slower temporarily as they rebuild their caches.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 for /Library/Caches (note the absence of the tilde (~). You'll need administrator privileges to access this folder.
Step 5: Empty the Trash.
Method 6: Disable Local Time Machine Snapshots
Step 1: Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/).
Step 2: Type the following command and press Enter: sudo tmutil disablelocal
Step 3: Enter your administrator password when prompted.
Step 4: This command disables the creation of local Time Machine snapshots, freeing up disk space. Keep in mind that you won't have local backups available if your Time Machine backup drive is disconnected. To re-enable local snapshots, use: sudo tmutil enablelocal