macOS Monterey comes with many new cool features, improvements, and conveniences so it’s no wonder that lots of Mac users who own older Macs that are compatible with the new operating system want to try it out as soon as possible. If you are one of them, you should first make sure that your HDD or solid-state drive has enough free space to download and install the latest version of macOS properly.
The installation of the new system requires around 20GB, and if you currently don’t have enough, you should optimize your storage and free up space for Monterey to update your system and start enjoying its new great features. Here are a few easy tips on how to do it.
Check Out How Much Free Space Is Left
The first thing you should do is get an overview of everything that is occupying storage space on your Mac. You should click on the Apple logo to go to the menu and click on About This Mac. Then you need to go to the Storage tab and wait for some time before the system calculates everything.
You’ll see a chart with sections of different colors that represent files of different categories that are stored on your drive. You’ll also see how much storage space is available and that can help you plan your upgrade to Monterey. And if you hover over each bar, you’ll see what it represents and how much space it is taking up.
Manage Storage on Your Mac
After checking the disc space in the Storage tab, you can optimize your storage with the help of a built-in Mac feature. All you need to do to access it is to press the Manage button. You’ll see suggestions on how to save space.
There are four options to choose from: storing files in iCloud, setting to empty Trash automatically, optimizing storage, and reducing clutter by deleting files that are no longer needed. Check out these recommendations and decide which of them you can apply.
For example, if you choose to reduce clutter, you’ll be able to manually identify and delete large or unneeded files. Just press the Review Files button and carefully explore each category in the sidebar to get rid of files that you don’t need. But remember to empty the Trash when you are done.
Clean Out Your Downloads Folder
When you download documents and images from the internet, they end up in this folder. If you forget to clear it regularly, it may be filled with all kinds of different things that are taking up a significant amount of your disk space. You can access Downloads from Finder and sort the files by size, name, date, type, and various other options. This way, you’ll be able to select what you don’t need and delete them quickly.
Delete Unnecessary Apps
You may have installed many apps but don’t use all of them and don’t need some of them. Removing them from your system will allow you to free some precious GBs. You can do it manually from the Applications folder in the Finder. If you click on the Group icon at the top of the Applications window and then on Date Added, you’ll be able to see older apps at the end of the list – all in one place. Right-click any unwanted app and move it to Trash.
But remember that the manual method of removing apps is not reliable – they may leave some hidden leftover files that will take up your space. A good solution is to use a third-party cleaner tool that will help you completely uninstall apps with extra files.