Don’t have enough space to update Mac? Here’s what you need to do

Apple’s Mac lineup starts with 256GB base storage even in 2025. Yes, you read that right. Anybody who uses their computer regularly would be surprised by the capacity offered by the brand. After all, the user would be dealing with files and software at some point. It will fill up the machine quickly unless the space is managed from time to time. This is inevitable if you are using the base storage configuration. 

On top of all the personal data, macOS hogs more than 20GB of storage to run the device smoothly. There’s also system data that takes up additional gigabytes – surprise, surprise! Pre-installed as well as any application you install later obviously eat into the storage space. 

Top fixes for insufficient space to update Mac

Apple’s latest macOS Sequoia brings plenty of cool AI features on the company’s computers powered by its silicon. If you already own a compatible Mac, it’s tempting to update to the newest version. It weighs more than 25GB and system data occupying some additional gigabytes. 

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This is disappointing news for users who have a 256GB configuration because the update can fail and the system performance may also suffer later if it goes through. However, there are still some practical solutions if you don’t have enough space to update your Mac.

1. Delete unnecessary files

2. Remove unused apps

3. Move files to cloud or external storage

4. Delete backups

5. Clean install

1. Delete unnecessary files

This is the simplest and most commonly recommended solution every time your device storage runs low on space before taking any drastic measures. As a regular user, there’s a high chance you would be downloading and storing redundant documents, app installers, and media files. Hence, it’s necessary to purge them from time to time. 

This can be done by going to Settings > General > Storage > Documents. This will give a breakdown of the space each file is consuming. Alternatively, you can also remove the junk by checking folders like downloads on your system. Once unnecessary files are deleted, it’s necessary to empty the trash to ensure that the space is truly freed up.

2. Remove unused apps

Similar to smartphones, we install apps on our PCs. And compared to files, these take up a large chunk of space on the device. Removing apps that have been unused will free up lots of space quickly. There are two ways to do this – the first one is similar to deleting files from Settings but under the Applications head instead of Documents. Another way is through Finder > Applications > Sorting by Size. 

Both provide details on how much space each app is taking. 

3. Moving files to cloud or external storage

If your files are too important to delete, one solution is to have a cloud service or external drive to free up space for OS updates. There are plenty of cloud storage options with iCloud and Dropbox offering 5GB and 2GB free space respectively. Google Drive is the most generous with 15GB of free storage. If you want to avoid the hassle of uploading data to cloud services, iCloud users on Macs can optimise the storage by enabling it under System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud. They will store only recent files on the machine whereas older ones will be moved to the cloud.

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If you’re not a fan of cloud storage, getting an external storage device like hard drives or solid-state drives is your best bet. They are also ideal for large-size media files and you get to choose the capacity ranging from gigabytes to terabytes depending on your needs. 

4. Delete backups

iPhone or iPad data backed up to Mac can take up loads of storage space on your computer. So it’s necessary to erase old and outdated backups as they are of no use. Before performing this step, it is recommended to back up your Mac using Time Machine. 

To delete iPhone or iPad backups, you need to connect the device to a Mac via a compatible cable. Launch Finder from the dock and select the device that appears in the sidebar. Under the General tab, select manage backups. Choose old backups from the list and hit the delete button. 

5. Clean install

This is the last resort for getting your Mac updated to the latest OS if trying everything above still does not free up the storage space. A fresh install removes all the clutter and gives a fresh start. But, one should back up all the vital data before proceeding. 

For Macs with Apple silicon, shut down your machine completely. Then press and hold the power button until startup options appear. Select options and click continue. A Utilities window will pop up with four options and since we‘re talking about clean install here, you should choose the reinstall macOS option. 

With the aforementioned fixes, you can free up enough room to install macOS on your machine. There are both common and advanced methods that can be performed easily.