GigapolisHow to find large files on a Mac
The quickest way to find large files on a Mac is a Finder search filtered by file size. macOS's Storage settings and a visual disk space analyzer are the other two options. Here's how each works, and when to use which.
1. Search by size in Finder
- Open Finder and press ⌘F.
- Click This Mac so it searches everywhere.
- Click the first menu (it says Kind) and choose Other….
- Tick File Size and click OK.
- Set it to is greater than 1 GB (or 500 MB).
Click the Size column header to sort the results, biggest first. Click the ＋ button to save the search to the sidebar for next time. Finder won't search inside system folders or some app libraries, so it can miss things.
2. Use the Storage settings
Open System Settings → General → Storage and click ⓘ next to Documents. The Large Files tab lists your biggest documents, and you can delete them from there. It only covers your own documents, not apps, caches or System Data.
3. Use a disk space analyzer
A disk space analyzer scans every folder and shows you where the space is going, which catches the large files Finder misses and the folders full of medium-sized files that add up.
Gigapolis draws your disk as a 3D city. Every category, such as Movies, Downloads or Apps, is a building, and the tallest buildings are the biggest. Click one to see its files, biggest first, tick the ones you don't need and move them to the Trash. Its free Street Sweep also lists files over 500 MB you haven't opened in six months.
Large files worth checking first
- Old video projects and exports in Movies.
- Disk images (
.dmg,.iso) and installers in Downloads. - Virtual machines (Parallels, VMware, UTM).
- iPhone backups (see System Data).
- Game files and Steam libraries.
Spot the biggest files at a glance
In Gigapolis, the tallest buildings are what's eating your space. Click one to see its files, biggest first. Free for Mac and Windows.