Not enough space to update Mac: top fixes

Apple announces its latest macOS upgrade, but there's not enough space to update your Mac? It's a common and frustrating situation many users encounter.

New major system releases require more system space than lots of users realize. If your Mac is bursting at the seams or almost at storage capacity, you'll need to free up disk space first.

How to update Mac without storage

If your Mac lacks available disk space, you simply won't be able to upgrade or install new system updates. The only workaround is to free up disk space. Here's a quick reminder of how to check your available space:

1. Go to the main Apple menu > System Settings. 
2. Click General > Storage.

So, you know how much free disk space you have, but how much do you need to install a major update?

If you're looking to upgrade to the latest major release, Apple does not officially state just how much free disk space users need. 

But we have some data we’ve collected over the years. If upgrading from Sequoia to Tahoe, the installer is around 12 GB, meaning you'll need twice that to install it — around 25 GB. It might be more: upgrading to macOS Big Sur officially required 35.5 GB of available storage, and up to 44.5 GB when coming from an older macOS version. The same is true for upgrading from macOS Tahoe to macOS Golden Gate — the installer alone is around 18 GB, and you will need around 40 GB for the upgrade. Why? Because installers are compressed files, and so when they decompress, they need extra space. Plus, macOS itself needs additional room for temporary files for it to install properly: verify files, stage the update, and maintain a safety backup during the process. 

That is why have at least 40 GB of storage free for a major update (upgrading to a new macOS version like from Tahoe to Golden Gate), but aim for more. For a minor one (e.g., from Golden Gate 26.1 to Golden Gate 26.1), have around 5 GB free. For some users, it might seem like a huge chunk of storage space to free up, so let's examine your options.

Solved: Not enough disk space to update Mac

When there is not enough space to update your Mac, follow these tips to reclaim space quickly.

But first, back up your Mac just in case you need to restore anything in the future. To do it, connect your backup drive, then choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. If you have not set up a backup disk yet, add one first in System Settings > General > Time Machine.

1. Remove old applications

Removing old apps that you no longer want or use is a quick way to instantly recover disk space. We'll show you how to remove apps and the support files they leave behind. Moving an app to the Trash and emptying it does delete the app, but some of its settings and support files can stay on your Mac.

1. Open a new Finder window and go to Applications. Find the application you want to remove, right-click it, and choose Move to Bin/Trash.
2. Next up, empty your Trash.
3. Open Finder and click Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar.
4. If the app came with its own uninstaller, use that instead — Apple recommends it because it also removes login items, extensions, and data the app stored elsewhere. Otherwise, you can check these locations for folders clearly named after the app you removed, and leave anything you cannot identify alone:
   ~/Library/Application Support/
   ~/Library/Caches
   ~/Library/Preferences/
   ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
   ~/Library/Saved Application State/
5. Remove any found items to the Trash and empty your Trash afterward.

Repeat this for all the apps you want to remove.

2. Clean up all your system junk

When there's not enough space to update your Mac, another way to free up space is by removing all your built-up system cache, cookies, system logs, and temporary and broken files; this kind of system junk can consume tons of space.

Instead of manually attempting to locate and delete system clutter, save time by using a purpose-built MacBook cleaning utility, like CleanMyMac, whose Cleanup feature scans for system junk and safely removes it; let's take a look at how it works:

1. Get your free CleanMyMac trial.
2. Open the app and click Cleanup > Scan > Clean.

Try CleanMyMac for free — see the difference it can make for your MacBook (you can test it for 7 days free).

3. Clear your Desktop and Downloads

A cluttered Desktop and overflowing Downloads folder will quickly consume valuable storage space. Regularly clearing both of these areas can help you reclaim significant disk space and, for bonus points, keep your system organized. Remove any items you find in these two locations that you no longer need to your Trash, emptying it afterward.

In the Downloads folder, look for DMG and PKG files — these are application installers, and you can easily redownload them if you need to reinstall any app. Also, browse for large files — click Size in the Finder window to sort your files and find space eaters. On the Desktop, check files under Stacks if you have this feature enabled.

4. Remove large and old files

Clearing up your Desktop and Downloads folder may have made you realize just how many forgotten files we have lying around.

Locating your overlooked folders and files of considerable size can help to free up disk space. But knowing where to start isn't always easy.

Well, the good news is that you can use the app mentioned above — CleanMyMac — to locate them all. Its My Clutter feature is built for the job. It scans your entire system, categorizing all your files by date, size, type, or last viewed for your review and deletion. It can find not only large and old files but also duplicates, similar images, and forgotten downloads so that you can free up even more space. Here's how to use it:

1. Open CleanMyMac.
2. Select My Clutter > Scan.
3. Review the categories, select items, and click Remove.

5. Use built-in storage optimizer

macOS comes with a few storage optimization features. They are found in System Settings > General > Storage. Just check recommendations under the colored graph and enable those that work best for you. 

Also, to remove unnecessary stuff, click an i next to each category of files. Pay specific attention to iOS Files — iPhone or iPad backups. They can take up gigabytes of space! Delete those you do not need, but always keep the latest ones. Do not remove the only backup or at least confirm that another current backup of your device exists elsewhere.

If you scroll down, you will see that macOS allows you to delete all kinds of files and even apps, but won't let you remove System Data. For some users, it may be over 100 GB of space, especially if they use photo- and video editors or tools for coding. To reclaim that space, you'll need to dive deep into the Library folder of your MacBook — unless you've already run the Cleanup feature in CleanMyMac.

If you're into manual cleaning, check out this guide on deleting System Data. It covers all important tips, from removing local Time Machine snapshots to clearing up logs.

6. Utilize cloud or external storage

Another really effective way to free up space on your Mac is by using cloud services or external storage devices. These options help declutter your Mac by keeping your files somewhere other than its internal drive.

Use Cloud Storage

iCloud is the obvious one here, but there are other services, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Upload the files to your chosen service, then remove the local download rather than deleting the file itself — in iCloud Drive and the other services, this keeps the file in the cloud while freeing space on your Mac. Deleting the file instead removes it everywhere you are signed in.

Keep in mind that a synced folder is not a backup: with services like iCloud Drive, deleting a file on your Mac removes it from the other devices signed in to the same account too. Before you delete the local copy, make sure a separate copy still exists — a Time Machine backup or a second drive.

Tip: If you use cloud storage, do not forget to declutter it. Consider connecting your cloud account to CleanMyMac and let its Cloud Cleanup feature scan your connected storage for large files. You can then review what you no longer need and remove unnecessary stuff with a click.  

External storage devices

Investing in an external hard drive to offload large files, such as videos and photos, will also free up space quickly.

You can significantly reduce the data stored on your Mac with either of these two options.

Well, there you go, some simple ways to gain disk space when there's not enough space to update a Mac.

Not enough disk space to update a Mac can be frustrating, but luckily with the right steps, you can easily manage and reclaim storage. Hopefully, these helped you free up disk space and get your macOS updated.