Find large files on Mac and decide what to delete

Start with Storage settings

On macOS 15 Sequoia, macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate, use System Settings › General › Storage. Allow the categories to calculate. Apple's Documents view provides Large Files, Downloads and File Browser, plus columns such as size and last access.

Click the information button beside Documents.
Choose Large Files and sort by Size, largest first.
Select a candidate and use Show in Finder to see its location before making a decision.
Open or preview it when appropriate, check that any needed copy is backed up, and only then remove what you no longer need.

Documents isn't a complete disk scan. Apple says it contains files in your home folder that aren't accounted for by other categories. Photos managed by a Photos library, apps and device backups can appear elsewhere. Check the relevant category or app instead of assuming a missing item takes no space.

Storage settings also offer deletion. Read that action's confirmation carefully: don't assume it offers the same recovery opportunity as moving an ordinary local file to Finder's Trash. For the whole-disk view, see how to check storage.

Sort a known folder in Finder

Downloads, Movies and completed project folders are useful places to inspect when you already know where the material lives. This approach shows that folder's files rather than starting from a storage category.

Open the folder in Finder.
Choose View › as List, or use the List view button in the toolbar.
Click the Size column heading to sort; click again if necessary to put the largest items first.
If Size isn't shown, Control-click a column heading and choose it from the available columns.
Select a file and press Space for a Quick Look preview, or use File › Get Info for its details and location.

List view sorting is documented for these macOS versions. A folder's displayed size may need calculation, and a file list isn't a map of all nested contents. If the large item is a folder or library, identify the app or project that owns it before looking inside.

If you need to locate a file type first, use Finder search and add criteria with the + button. Apple's search guide documents Kind, additional attributes under Other and combined criteria. Check whether the search scope is the current folder or This Mac; an overly narrow scope can hide the result you wanted.

Choose by purpose, not size alone

A large file can be the only copy of something valuable. Start with recognizable items you created or downloaded, and ask whether you could restore or obtain them again. The date last opened is a clue, not proof that a file is obsolete.

Candidate	What to check first
Downloaded disk image or installer	Confirm installation is complete and the file contains no unique documents or license material.
Exported video or audio	Verify the original project, required source media and a usable copy of the finished export.
Archive or ZIP	Inspect what it contains; an archive may be the only surviving copy.
Virtual machine, disk image or project library	Use its owning app's storage controls and confirm no active project depends on it.
Photo, music or video library	Manage media in the app; don't remove arbitrary files from inside the package.
Backup	Identify the device, date and whether a newer recoverable backup exists.

Moving a file to an external drive can be appropriate when you want to keep it. Confirm the copied file opens and the destination is itself backed up before removing the internal copy. Moving the only copy to a different disk doesn't create a backup.

For a Photos library, device backup or another app-managed collection, use the owning app's documented workflow. An internal package may look like many large files, but deleting individual pieces can leave the application unable to use the collection.

For cloud files, separate a download from the original

A large iCloud Drive file can be stored in the cloud and also downloaded locally. If you want to keep the cloud file but reclaim its local copy, use Remove Download where Finder offers it. It can download again when needed.

Deleting an iCloud Drive file deletes it across devices using that Apple Account. This also applies to Desktop and Documents when those folders are in iCloud Drive. Don't treat a synced folder as an independent backup.

A cloud-only file can show a large logical size while occupying much less local space, so its deletion may not free the amount you expected. The iCloud Drive storage guide explains local copies and their controls. For another cloud service, use that provider's corresponding online-only feature.

When the results look incomplete

Search results depend on scope, privacy access and indexing. Apple's search troubleshooting recommends checking search categories, excluded locations and whether indexing is underway. A newly connected or recently changed collection may not yet appear as expected.

Don't change permissions on an entire disk to enlarge a search result. If the space belongs to another account, use the Other Users & Shared guide and have the owner review it. System Data is another separate investigation.

A disk-space analyzer can help visualize the places it is allowed to scan, especially when several medium-sized folders add up. Its map still needs the same file-by-file judgment before removal.

Reclaim the space after reviewing the Trash

When using Finder, move only the reviewed items to the Trash. Before emptying it, open the Trash and check its contents; a needed local item can be selected and restored with File › Put Back.

For ordinary local files, storage isn't reclaimed simply by moving them to the Trash. Empty it when you are satisfied, then return to Storage and allow the totals to update. Cloud downloads, purgeable space and app-managed data use different accounting, so don't expect every displayed file size to translate directly into the same increase in free space.

If you still need room, follow the broader storage-cleanup order. Finding the largest file is one useful step, not a reason to keep deleting progressively less familiar folders.

How Tend helps

Tend's free Files tab scans your home folder for large and old files, byte-identical duplicates, similar photos and cloud downloads. Large & old starts above 50 MB and can filter by size or age; Library, apps and cloud-only files are excluded. Photos, Music and TV libraries are treated as items to manage in their apps.

Reviewing is free. Moving selected files to the Trash and removing an iCloud download are Pro. Tend's Files help describes the boundaries; it doesn't scan other people's accounts or decide that every old file is safe to remove.

Questions

Where are large files in Mac Storage settings?

Open System Settings › General › Storage, open Documents with its information button, then choose Large Files and sort by Size. Use Show in Finder to check the location before removal.

How can I sort files by size in Finder?

Open a folder in List view and click the Size column heading. Click again to reverse the order. If Size is hidden, Control-click a column heading and enable it.

Is it safe to delete every file I have not opened recently?

No. Last-opened dates are clues, not deletion permission. A file may be a backup, an archive, source media or the only copy of an important document.

Does Remove Download delete an iCloud file?

Remove Download keeps the file in iCloud and removes its downloaded local copy. Deleting the file is different and syncs the deletion to other devices using that Apple Account.