Mac Storage Taken Up By Apps

Posted : admin | On 23-05-2021

We are always worried about filling up the available space in cloud storage services as they usually offer limited storage. We try to manage the space as much as we can. But what if you get a random notification saying that your Google Drive is full? You must be wondering why does the Google Drive state it’s full. Let’s find the answer and how to fix it in this post.

Mac Storage Taken Up By System
Mac Storage Taken Up By Apps Iphone
Mac Storage Taken Up By System
Mac Storage Taken Up By Apps Online
Mac Storage Taken Up By Other

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The Google Drive full notification would have been fine, if it was actually full. While some users get the notification when Google Drive is empty, the Google Drive space doesn’t update even after deleting data for others. So what’s happening? What’s the hidden data that’s not visible to you?

Let’s check out various ways how to fix Google Drive shows full but no files in it issue.

1. Check Available Storage in Google Account

Google Drive storage is part of your overall Google account storage. So you need to check what product of Google is taking up the storage. Read our detailed post covering what counts in Google Drive storage.

For this post, it’s important to mention the basics. Google storage covers space for Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. You can check the available storage at https://one.google.com/storage.

If Google Drive is showing less storage as compared to others, you need to free up space using the other two. For Gmail, you can delete the attachments. In the case of Google Photos, you can convert the photos to High quality. Then, they will not take up storage.

If Google Drive is taking more storage, then check the following methods.

2. Check Storage Taken by Google Drive Files

Some files may be still available on Google Drive. To check all the available files, open https://drive.google.com/drive/quota using a browser on your phone or web. Tap on the Storage used option to change the sort order from large to small. If some huge files are still visible, delete them.

You should also check the files at https://drive.google.com/drive/computers. Here you will find the files that were backed up from your computer. Delete them if not needed. However, do note that if you are still syncing them to the computer, they will be removed from your PC too.

Also on Guiding Tech

Google Drive Sharing Permissions Explained: A Detailed Guide

3. Delete Orphan Files

Sometimes, when you delete a folder from Google Drive, the files within it aren’t deleted. Such files are known as orphan files. They aren’t visible directly in Drive. You can view them by searching the keyword ‘is:unorganized owner:me’. If files show up, delete them if not needed or move them to a folder to make them visible.

Tip: On the web, you can delete the files by dragging them to the Trash folder.

4. Remove Hidden App Data

If you use Google Drive to backup data from third-party apps, such data will also take up storage. To view such hidden data, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open drive.google.com from a browser.

Step 2: Click on the settings icon at the top and select Settings from it.

Step 3: On the pop-up that opens, click on Manage Apps from the left side. Scroll down, and you will see the data taken up by apps. Click on Options next to the app and select Delete hidden app data if you no longer require the data.

Tip: Find out how to remove connected apps from Google Drive.

5. Empty Trash

When you delete files from Google Drive, they are not deleted permanently. They are taken to the Trash or Bin folder where they stay until you empty your trash bin manually. So, if Google Drive is showing full, you need to empty the bin to clear the storage.

Empty Google Drive Trash on Web

Open the Google Drive website. Click on the Bin option from the left sidebar. Click on Bin drop-down at the top and select Empty Bin. Refresh the page and check the available storage.

Empty Google Drive Trash on Android

Open the Drive app. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top and select Trash.

Then, select all the files. Hit the three-dot icon at the top and select Delete forever. Restart your phone.

Empty Google Drive Trash on iOS

On iOS, tap on the three-bar icon at the top in the Drive app and select Bin. Then, tap on the three-dot icon at the top and choose Empty bin. Restart your phone.

Also on Guiding Tech

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6. Sign Out

If, after emptying the Trash, Google Drive still doesn’t free up storage, you should sign out from it. Then, sign in again.

7. Clear Cache on Android

If you are checking the available storage from an Android phone, clear the cache for the Drive app. Clearing cache will not delete the files as it is different from clearing data.

To clear cache for Google Drive, open Settings on your phone and go to Apps & notifications or Installed apps. Look for Google Drive under All apps. Tap on Storage inside Google Drive. Finally, tap on Clear cache. Restart your phone.

Tip: You should also clear the cache for Google Drive web.

8. Check on Another Device

A great way to make sure Google has updated the storage is to check on another device. If you deleted the files from a phone, check on the web and vice versa.

Also on Guiding Tech

Google Photos vs Google Drive: Which One To Use for Storing Your Photos?

Be Patient

The key to success is having patience. If you deleted a large number of files from Google Drive, you should wait for at least 24 hours after trying the above steps before panicking. Hopefully, the updated storage would reflect then, and you will not get the storage is full error on Google Drive.

Next up:Did you know Google Drive can be used as an FTP server or network drive? Find out how to do so from the next link.

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow to Use Google Drive as a FTP Server or Network Drive for FreeAlso See#google drive #storage

Did You Know

Google has an embedded calculator which you can access by typing 'Calculator' on the address bar.

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Our resident Mac Help guru, Peter Cohen, previously told us about the 'Other' storage category on Mac computers and what it catalogs: In short, you're seeing space taken up by plug-ins, documents, and caches stored by OS X.

It's worth noting that these files aren't normally harmful or wasteful to your computer's system; most are intended to help your Mac run efficiently, and ideally, you shouldn't ever have to clear out your Other files. Unfortunately, they can quickly clog up a computer low on storage — especially if you're storing a large number of iPhone or iPad backups.

Whether you're looking to free up space on your hard drive or just want to do some spring cleaning, here are some simple steps to get your Mac free and clear.

A note on what happened to 'Other' space in macOS Sierra and higher

When Apple added its storage management feature to macOS Sierra, called Optimize Storage, it reorganized what 'other' storage is and where it's located on the Mac. Much of it has been divided out through other categories so it's easier to find and remove.

The 100GB of Other storage I used to carry on my iMac is whittled down to just 5GB. You can still clean out old and unnecessary content from your Mac with macOS Sierra and High Sierra by using Optimized Storage. It's just a little easier to find those unused files than it was before.

A lot of the features of Optimized Storage remove content from your Mac and store them in iCloud. If you're concerned with how much storage you're using up in iCloud, you can customize or disable some Optimized Storage features to keep a balance between what's on your Mac and what's in iCloud.

What's this 'Purgeable' category all about?

If you check your system storage graph in macOS, you'll probably discover a category called Purgeable. This is part of Apple's Optimized Storage service. When you move your Documents into iCloud (part of the Store in iCloud component) and your hard drive gets low on storage, only recently opened files are kept on your Mac. Older documents are stored in iCloud, while a shortcut icon is kept on your Mac (files are automatically re-downloaded to your Mac as soon as you open them). The Purgeable files are what Optimized Storage will move to iCloud and delete from your hard drive only if your hard drive starts to get full. Purgeable files also include caches and temporary files that used to fit into the Other category, which will also be deleted as your hard drive starts to fill up.

Though your Other storage might have been spread out across categories in macOS Sierra and higher, you can still follow the below steps to manually clean up your Mac and get rid of unnecessary files.

How to check your storage space on your Mac

If you are concerned with how much storage space you have remaining on your Mac computer, you can check its usage folder to see how much space each category is taking up, including Other.

Click on your desktop or the Finder icon from the Dock.
Select the Apple Menu icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
Click on About This Mac.
Select Storage.

Your Mac breaks down its storage categories as follows: Apps, Movies, Photos, Audio, Backups, and — that annoying, undescriptive category — Other.

How to remove cached files

Now that you know how much space your Other files are taking up, it's time to reduce their footprint on your Mac. You can start by removing items you don't need, including caches for your web browser, saved Apple Music streams, and photo previews.

A note on deleting cache folders: You only want to delete old and unnecessary files, as current cache files store your preferences. We strongly recommend only deleting cache files from old apps.

Click on your desktop or select the Finder icon from the Dock.
Select the Go menu in the upper left corner of the screen.
Click on Go to Folder.
Type ~/Library/caches into the text box. A list of caches from active apps will appear on your desktop.
Select the app folder you wish to remove the cache from.
Right-click (or control-click) on the app folder.
Select Move to Trash.

How to remove downloaded files

Chances are, your Downloads folder is stuffed with Other-type files, including installer packages, documents, and folders you have already made copies of somewhere else. If you want to make some room on your Mac, it may be time to clean out your Downloads folder.

Click on your desktop or select the Finder icon from the Dock.
Select the Go menu in the upper left corner of the screen.
Click on Downloads.
Select the file you wish to remove.
Right-click (or control-click) on the file.
Select Move to Trash.

If you want to save a file from the Downloads folder but don't want it clogging your drive, consider moving it to an external hard drive or flash drive, or uploading it to an online storage option like Dropbox.

How to delete old device backups in iTunes

If you tend to get new iOS devices fairly regularly, you may have unnecessary device backups stored on your computer via iTunes. Backups take up 4-5GB each, on average; there's no need to hold on to older device backups if you no longer have the device or have it stored in iCloud.

Third-party software that can help

While you don't need any third-party app to 'clean' your Mac, there are some very handy system access tools out there that make it easier to regularly remove unwanted files.

CleanMyMac 3

With CleanMyMac, you have easy access to a list of features that help you keep your Mac free of unnecessary junk. It scans your entire system and recommends files you should delete based on how old they are and whether they are considered unnecessary to your workflow. It's a lot like Apple's Optimized Storage, but with a few additional features. My favorite is the recommendation to delete all content related to an application. Sometimes, you'll end up with a couple of files left behind by an app when you delete it. CleanMyMac provides a one-button purge of everything associated with that app.

DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk scans your Mac and gives you a pie chart that makes it easy to see what files are using up the most space. You can identify files that are in the Other storage category and drag them to the delete box.

Onyx

Onyx is a robust Mac system access tool that, in-part, can delete caches, logs, temporary items, and other files that find their way into the Other storage category.

Cocktail

Cocktail is another useful system access tool that you can use to clear caches, purge memory, and manage hidden Apple app settings, which might be automatically sending files into the Other category abyss.

Questions?

Mac Storage Taken Up By System

Still having trouble with Other? Let us know in the comments.