Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand. When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically. Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it. Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.
Reboot your Mac every time you want to free up memory and setup system updates. Remember that the latest OS X versions allow performing better as well as fixing bugs. Check whether there is a minimum of 10-20% of free space on the hard drive at all times. Apply “Verify Disk” function to detect a failing drive. Defraggler by Piriform Ltd is a popular and free to use utility that was designed to help you easily defrag specific files instead of processing the entire hard drive. Unfortunately, Defraggler for Mac is not available, therefore, you might want to try other applications that can help you with this task. If that is the case, then try some of the tools from this list to replace Defraggler for Mac.
- Use CleanMyMac X to free up space on your Mac and tune it for maximum speed. The new version effectively blocks adware, browser pop-ups, and virus extensions. Download free edition 2020 Why some.
- How to defrag a Mac. The macOS does not provide a tool for defragmenting the hard drive. The only thing Apple recommends is to make a full backup of your data, format the hard drive, reinstall the operating system, and then recover the files.
- Reboot your Mac every time you want to free up memory and setup system updates. Remember that the latest OS X versions allow performing better as well as fixing bugs. Check whether there is a minimum of 10-20% of free space on the hard drive at all times. Apply “Verify Disk” function to detect a failing drive.
- Use CleanMyMac X to free up space on your Mac and tune it for maximum speed. The new version effectively blocks adware, browser pop-ups, and virus extensions. Download free edition 2020.
- Mac defragmenter free download - WinZip Mac, Avast Free Mac Security, AVG AntiVirus for Mac, and many more programs. OS X Mavericks is the latest release of the world's most advanced desktop.
* If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.
Find out how much storage is available on your Mac
Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.
Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below. This button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.
Manage storage on your Mac
The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.
Store in iCloud
Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:
- Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
- Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
- Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.
Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.
Optimize Storage
Click the Optimize button, then choose from these options.
- Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
- Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
- Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.
Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.
Empty Trash Automatically
Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
Reduce Clutter
Reduce Clutter helps you to identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.
You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.
Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.
Where to find the settings for each feature
The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. /primo-pdf-for-os-x.html. You can also control those settings directly within each app.
- If you're using macOS Catalina, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
In macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings. - In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
- In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
- If you're using macOS Catalina, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
In macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.” - In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.
Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”
Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space
With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:
- Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
- Reminds you to delete used app installers
- Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
- Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed
How to free up storage space manually
Even without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:
- Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
- Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
- Move files to an external storage device.
- Compress files.
- Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.
Learn more
- The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
- When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
- If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.
- 1. Mac Files Tips
- 2. Mac Software
- 3. Mac Storage Tips
- 4. Mac Troubleshooting
- 5. Mac OS
by Sophie GreenUpdated on 2020-03-13 / Update for Mac OS
You may ask “Why is my mac running so slow with the spinning ball, the low speed?” Your Mac doesn’t work as well as before. But if you have ever used PC, you definitely heard about how to defragment a windows, because Windows supports its users’ to run more fast. When Apple users confront with the performance optimization, they prompt the question — Is there any chance to defrag Mac? Does this practice perform effectively on Mac?
As with technologies emerging at present, the next article will show the answers for you.
Part 1: What Is Disk Defragmenter Mac
Disk Defragmentation is the process of collecting “fragments”, which are written to different sectors of the hard disk. The large files on hard disk have been rearranged side by side. Seeing hard disk as a round circle. Every file on your hard disk only takes up half, and then the circle leaves another half to release more space. Defrag mac hard drive is like a cleaner.
As for Disk Defragmenter Mac, Mac runs with APFS (Apple File System) like HFS+ (Hierarchical File System). That means macOS writes small files in one batch to prevent fragmentation of disk storage. This is more difficult to defrag MacBook Pro.
Part 2: Do You Need to Defrag Mac Hard Drive
According to Apple, for the various versions of Mac, OS X later than 10.2 does not need to be defragmented. Besides, Mac Mojave or more modern Mac Catalina have their own built-in mechanisms to prevent files from fragmentation. Thus, there is no need for users to defrag a mac.
Only in such circumstances your Mac need to defrag:
- The old Mac with old HD.
- Requiring working efficiently.
- Running a large volume of software like Photoshop, DW.
Facts you should know before defragging Mac:
Hard Disk requires defragging, but SSD does not need.
- If your Mac runs with the version of High Sierra or later, none of third-party works them.
- Hard Disks are the fastest at the beginning and the lowest at the end.
Part 3: Will Defrag Mac Harm Hard Drive
Although defrag mac hard drive is such extreme dangerous process, it will not harm your Hard Disk or your mac. It is advisable to search for more information to see how to defragment a mac. Only if you understand how the process is going on and perform properly, the process will become a safe process.
Part 4: How to Defragment a Mac - 3 Ways
In an effort to run your mac at peak performance. Here are two tips that you should remember:
- The data on Mac are kept on the first 50% of the hard drive to make sure your defragmentation process running on the track takes more less time to reach them.
- Using an external mobile hard disk to back up all important data first in case of data loss.
Right now, there is some third-party software that supports to defrag MacBook pro:
iDefrag
The latest versions of iDefrag is 5.3.1. This tool is compatible with Mac OS X10.10 or later, that means it supports the newest HFS+. The iDefrag is the most popular advanced app. Download free with a period of trial. After that, it is no free.
How to Use iDefrag:
- Download the App, then drag it into Applications.
Launch the App, draw the license file into window.
- Click the lock icon, require password of macOS, then tap “OK”.
- iDefrag will check up hard disk automatically. After a while, hit the first drop-down menu.
Select features depending on your needs, and go to click “Play” button. The procedure will take a couple of minutes.
Drive Genius 5
The Mac protection software Drive Genius 5 with powerful 18 features totally guarantee your mac. It has “Defragment” feature to speed up your Hard Disk. But only support macOS 10.11-10.14.6(10.15 is not supported) with large limitation. The Standard version is $79 while the Professional version is $299.
How to Use Drive Genius 5:
- Download and launch Drive Genius 5.
- Select Defragment Process.
- Defragment will examine mac first to check if there any issues are picked.
- Then click “Start”. The whole process will depend on kinds of fragmented.
TechTool Pro 12
TechTool Pro is also a widely using software to keep your mac running more efficient. The latest version is released Dec. 10th 2019, so it requires Mac OS X10.10 or later. The price is $134.93.
How to Use Drive Genius 5:
- Download and launch Drive Genius 5.
- Select Defragment Process.
- Defragment will examine mac first to check if there any issues are picked.
- Then click “Start”. The whole process will depend on kinds of fragmented.
Of course, when you finished the steps above, you need to select “File Optimization” in Tool Selection. The next steps are same as the former.
Note
Remember no matter what kinds of third-part tools you choose, if you are facing defrag MacBook failure, don’t hesitate to find the support from official website.
Additional Information: How to Recover Lost Data After Defragging a Mac
Microsoft Disk Defragmenter Free Download
As we mentioned, Defragmentation won’t harm your mac or hard disk. But unfortunately, if you run program inappropriately, the whole procedure will damage the hard disk. All data on hard disk will be lost. Don’t worry, the handful software Tenorshare Ultdata for Mac will recover all data easily. Read the detailed guide on how to recover lost or deleted files on Mac.
Download and launch the Tenorshare Mac data recovery, and select a location to start scanning the data you kept. Tap “Scan” button.
It will take a while to scan all data. Following the all data results displaying, you can choose one file types to preview.
Once you choose files, click “Recover” button to save the files. It’s not advisable to save the files at the same partition where the files lost. This move will lead to permanent data loss.
Disk Defragmenter Download Free
Summary
Free Mac Defragmenter
There is no doubt that occasionally defrag mac hard drive will make your mac run smoothly and efficiently. If you want to defrag a mac, please make a backup first. Once in data loss situation, using Tenorshare Ultdata for Mac is the most professional tool to recover data. With the invaluable tool, you can easily recover data like photos, videos, documents and others on hard disk or external disk.