How to fix Messages taking up space on Mac

Running low on storage? Could your Messages be taking up space on your Mac? Lots of users are shocked to discover just how much precious space Messages can consume.

If you've got tons of group messages on the go, photos, videos, and other attachments can quickly accumulate, taking up valuable disk space and slowing down your system.

In this guide, we'll explore why Messages can consume so much space and provide practical tips on how to free up storage, ensuring your Mac runs smoothly and efficiently. So, let's dive.

Why are Messages taking up so much storage on Mac?

When was the last time you reviewed and deleted your messages? It's not something most users do every day, and it's for that main reason why Mac Messages are taking up space; let's have a look at what builds up:

• Attachments like photos, videos, links, and documents
• Chat history and long conversation threads
• Application cache

Now that we know why Messages take up so much space, let's get started with tips to help you reclaim storage space.

How to delete messages on Mac to free up space

There are a couple of ways to handle storage issues caused by your Mac's Messages app.

1. Delete Individual messages and attachments

If you've got years and years' worth of messages and conversations, then this isn't going to be a quick task, but it does work to reduce the space consumed by attachments; here's how:

1. Open up Messages on your Mac.
2. Select the conversation from which you want to delete messages.
3. Right-click the attachment you want to remove.
4. Click Delete and confirm.

Repeat until you're been through all of your conversations.

2. Delete entire conversations

If you're not precious about saving conversations, then a quick way to free up space is to just delete entire conversations; here's how:

1. In the Messages app, right-click the conversation you want to delete from the sidebar.
2. Select Delete Conversation and confirm your choice.

3. Use the Reduce Clutter feature

1. Open up your Mac's System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click General > Storage.
3. Select Messages in the list; this will open up a menu that lists all your media; select and delete the ones you no longer need.

A tip to prevent this kind of build from happening again in the future is to turn on the Automatically Delete Old Messages feature; here's how:

1. Open your Messages app.
2. Select the main Messages menu > Settings > General.
3. Under the Keep Messages menu, choose your time preference from Forever, One Year, or 30 days.

These tips should help you stop Mac Messages from taking up space, but it's not the only thing you can do to keep your MacBook running smoothly.

How to free up space in other ways

Besides managing your Messages, there are a few other effective methods to free up space on your Mac. Here's some tips to get you started:

1. Remove your system junk

Did you know that items like temporary files, cache files, and leftover data from uninstalled apps can also consume lots of space on your device? Instead of wasting hours manually removing these items, use a dedicated Mac Cleaner, like the Apple notarized tool, CleanMyMac, for quick, instant results; here's how to use it:

1. Once you've installed the app, open it up (test for seven days here).
2. Select System Junk > Scan.
3. Once complete, simply click Clean.

2. Clear your downloaded files

Another quick way to claw back space is to clear out all your old, downloaded files that you no longer need; here's how:

• Open your Downloads folder.
• Search through your items and delete files that are no longer necessary.
• Empty your Trash once you're finished.

3. Utilize Apple's Storage Management tool

You can use Apple's built-in Storage Management tool to turn on Mac-specific storage optimization recommendations.

1. Go to your main Apple Menu > System Settings > General > Storage,
2. Under Recommendations, see which optimizations are available to you and enable the ones you want.
3. Next, you can also review large files by applications
4. Click each specific app to see which files are available for review and deletion.

4. Move your files to external storage or cloud services

Another effective way to free up space on your Mac quickly is to move your files and folders to an external storage device or a cloud storage service. Both options have their advantages:

• External Storage Devices: Portable hard drives and USB flash drives offer a reliable way to store large files and backups, freeing up space on your Mac's internal drive.
• Cloud Storage Services: Services like iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox allow you to access your files from anywhere and keep your Mac less cluttered.

By utilizing these storage solutions, you can keep your Mac running smoothly and avoid unnecessary storage issues.

Managing the storage on your Mac, especially when it comes to the Messages app, is essential for maintaining optimal performance and ensuring you have enough space for your files and applications. All of the tips we've shown you in this article will help solve the Messages taking up space on Mac issues. 

FAQs: iMessage is taking up space on Mac

How can I check how much space I have on my Mac?

Here's a quick reminder for those who need it on where to see your system storage overview: from your Apple menu, go to System Settings > General > Storage.

How often should I review my Messages?

This really depends on your usage, how many group messages you're in, and how much media you're sending and receiving. Setting your messages to delete after 30 days will definitely help to take away some of the manual upkeep.