Other Users & Shared storage on Mac: what it is

What Other Users & Shared contains

Apple defines this category as files created and modified, or shared, by other user accounts. It can include a family member's files, an old work account's home folder and shared material under /Users. A large value isn't by itself evidence of duplicate files or a macOS fault.

Open System Settings › General › Storage on macOS 15 Sequoia, 26 Tahoe or 27 Golden Gate. Apple groups Other Users, macOS and System Data among categories whose totals can be viewed but whose contents can't be selected and deleted from that category row.

Some Apple instructions shorten the label to “Other Users.” The ownership question is the same: which account or shared material needs review? The storage overview explains the other categories; this guide focuses on files outside your own account.

Location or category	What to investigate
Another account's home folder	Its owner should review downloads, documents and app-managed libraries from that account.
/Users/Shared	Files shared locally between accounts; ask who still uses them.
/Users/Deleted Users	Home-folder disk images saved when an account was deleted, if that option was chosen.
System Data	A different category; don't treat it as another user's documents.

Identify the accounts first

Go to System Settings › Users & Groups and note which accounts still have a purpose. A name you no longer use may belong to a previous migration, family member or administrator. On a work Mac, ask IT before changing an account.

An account absent from this list doesn't prove that its old files have gone. Apple's account-removal choices include leaving the home folder in place or archiving it as a disk image. Both intentionally retain data. Conversely, a sharing-only account doesn't have a home folder.

The safest first cleanup is for each active user to sign in and review their own files. Their app can distinguish a library it manages from a disposable download, and their permissions allow access to their own protected folders. Use the normal free-up-space guide inside that account.

Inspect /Users in Finder

Open Finder and choose Go › Go to Folder.
Enter /Users and press Return.
Identify the account folders, Shared and any Deleted Users folder that exists. Don't rename or drag an account folder to the Trash.
Select a folder and choose File › Get Info to inspect its size and permissions. Let calculation finish; inaccessible contents can limit what you can learn.

For shared material specifically, use Go › Go to Folder and enter /Users/Shared. Apple's sharing guide explains that all local users can read ordinary files placed there, but only the file's owner can edit or delete them unless permissions were changed.

“Shared” doesn't mean unneeded. A project, media collection or installer in that folder might be used by several accounts. Check the file's purpose and owner, then arrange a backup or an agreed move before removing it.

If Finder denies access to another account's folder, stop at that boundary. Ask its owner to review it, or use the account-management route for an account you are authorized to retire. Recursively changing ownership or permissions can damage that account's normal operation.

Optional: read a shared-folder size in Terminal

Finder is enough for most readers. If you prefer a compact size check, this command only reads the Shared folder's disk usage and needs no administrator password:

du -sh /Users/Shared

-s requests a single total and -h formats it in readable units. It doesn't list the private contents of other accounts or delete anything. This exact read-only command and the local macOS du manual were checked for this guide.

If the command reports a permission or privacy error, treat its result as incomplete. Don't add sudo or change another account's permissions merely to make a number appear. Have the owner check their files instead.

The result is disk blocks for the path you asked about, not an exact reconstruction of the Storage chart. Other user folders, saved account archives, filesystem accounting and inaccessible content can make totals differ. One small Shared folder therefore doesn't explain away a large Other Users & Shared category.

Retire an old account through Settings

Use this only for an account you are authorized to remove, after its owner has confirmed that important data is backed up and recoverable. Deleting the home folder removes that user's documents and information. Keeping a copy on the same nearly full internal disk won't solve the immediate space problem.

Apple's documented route in macOS 15, 26 and 27 is System Settings › Users & Groups › information button beside the user › Delete User. You need administrator authorization; a currently logged-in user can't be selected for deletion.

The choices have different results:

Save the home folder in a disk image retains an archive under /Users/Deleted Users/.
Don't change the home folder leaves the files under /Users/.
Delete the home folder removes the user's information and frees the storage.

Choose according to the agreed retention plan, not merely the smallest-looking number. If you keep an archive, verify your backup before later removing the internal copy. If a preserved folder has no current account, identify its owner and contents before deciding what to do with it.

After the review, check actual free space

Moving files to the Trash still occupies local storage until the Trash is emptied. Each user should review their own Trash and empty it only after confirming nothing needs recovery. Do not empty another person's Trash as a shortcut.

Return to Storage and allow it time to calculate. Check available space as well as the coloured category label. The aim is enough room for the Mac's work and updates; it isn't necessary to make every shared or other-user byte disappear.

If the numbers remain confusing, record the Storage view and the folders already checked. Ask Apple Support or your administrator for help reconciling them. Avoid a broad deletion command: the category is an ownership summary, not a list of safe targets.

Where Tend's storage tools apply

Tend's free Space Map and Files work inside your own home folder. They don't scan other accounts or /Users/Shared, so they can't explain or clear the whole Other Users & Shared total. Tend's cleanup rules state that boundary; moving your reviewed files to the Trash is Pro.

Questions

Can I delete Other Users & Shared in Storage settings?

You cannot empty that category as one item. Identify the accounts and shared files, then have their owners review them or retire an authorized old account through Users & Groups.

Why is it large after I deleted a user?

Account deletion can save a home-folder disk image in /Users/Deleted Users or leave the home folder in /Users. Those options retain files intentionally; check what was chosen before removing anything.

Is /Users/Shared safe to empty?

No blanket rule makes its contents disposable. Files there can be used by several accounts. Confirm ownership, purpose and a recoverable backup before removing a file.

Can Tend scan other users’ files?

No. Tend’s Space Map and Files are limited to your own home folder. Other accounts and /Users/Shared require their owners’ review or the appropriate Finder and account-management tools.