5 Ways to Check How Much Free Space Is on Your Mac

Running out of space on your Mac can lead to sluggish performance and annoying error messages. Whether you’re cleaning up files or just curious, it’s easy to check how much storage you have left. Here are five simple ways to find out how much free space is available on your Mac.

1. About This Mac

The easiest method—and the one Apple recommends:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
2. Select About This Mac.
3. Go to the Storage tab.

You’ll see a color-coded breakdown showing how much space is used and what’s taking it up (apps, documents, system files, etc.).

2. Finder Status Bar

For quick checks of specific drives:

1. Open Finder.
2. Click View > Show Status Bar (if it’s not already enabled).
3. Select your main drive (usually called Macintosh HD) in the sidebar.

At the bottom of the window, you’ll see how much space is available on that drive.

3. Disk Utility

Useful if you’re managing multiple volumes or external drives:

1. Open Disk Utility (find it via Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities).
2. Select your drive from the list on the left.
3. Look at the details at the bottom—“Available” shows your free space.

This method also helps identify hidden partitions or mounted external devices.

4. System Settings (macOS Ventura and later)

For users on macOS Ventura or newer:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to General > Storage.

This gives you a more detailed look at what’s taking up space, with options to optimize or clear certain types of files like large attachments or unused apps.

5. Terminal (for advanced users)

If you prefer command-line tools:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type: df -h and hit Enter.

This lists all mounted volumes with used and available space. Look for the line that corresponds to /System/Volumes/Data—that’s your main disk.

Final Tip

Knowing how much space you have is only half the battle. If your drive is running low, consider clearing cache files, uninstalling apps you no longer use, or offloading large files to an external drive or cloud storage.

Need help cleaning up your Mac? Let me know in the comments and I’ll write a follow-up post with some cleanup tips.