Delete Duplicate Files Mac Free

The Optimized Storage features of your Mac help you save storage space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand:

CloneSpy is a free duplicate cleanup application for Windows. The software enables you to find duplicate files and find a similar copy of documents by name, time, date, and location. It can also search for zero-length files. Features: It helps you to delete redundant files.

Delete Duplicate Files Mac Free
  • When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically.
  • Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it.
  • Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.
Delete Duplicate Files Mac Free

If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

One of the easiest ways to free up space on your Mac is to delete duplicate files. When using the right tools this doesn’t have to be a complicated task! Below, we have put together a list of 5 popular free duplicate file finders for Mac which will make finding and deleting duplicates on your Mac much easier: 1. Duplicate Finder by iMyMac PowerMyMac will be the best duplicate file finder software that you can use to find and remove duplicate files Mac that are stored on your Mac computer. The duplicate finder of iMyMac can scan all your Mac folders like your Downloads, Documents, Desktop and it can detect your duplicate photos, videos, apps, documents. Free version is the scan only version. Gemini 2 is an intelligent, smart, effective and useful duplicate file finder tool that detects and delete duplicate files from your Mac. This software is capable of locating and removing duplicate files saved in remote corners of the system.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below.

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

  • Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  • Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  • Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button to save space by automatically removing watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from Apple and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.

Your Mac will also save space by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.


Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  • If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
  • In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
  • In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
  • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  • In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

  • Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
  • Reminds you to delete used app installers
  • Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
  • Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimized Storage features described in this article, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

  • Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
  • Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
  • Move files to an external storage device.
  • Compress files.
  • Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Learn more

  • The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Other, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
  • When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
  • If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.

/Duplicate Finder /Find Duplicate Files on Mac to Remove for Free

I found that there are many duplicate files on my mac. Do you have such a situation? How do I search for duplicate files Mac?

Yes, I have the same situation as you. And I used Duplicate Finder by iMyMac PowerMyMac to quickly find the duplicate file and delete them. You can try it. Next, Let me tell you how to find duplicate file with quick ways and how to delete all duplicate files on Mac.

Mac is one of the well-designed machines which has the ability to help you deal with either your work or in your everyday life. However, over the days that you use this, eventually, your system has a risk of going slow because more and more files are created. If this happens, it is then necessary for you to manage your files especially those duplicate files on your Mac. But how to find duplicate files on Mac?

Article GuidePart 1. Why Are There So Many Duplicate Files on My Mac?Part 2. How to Find Duplicate Files on Mac to Remove?Part 3. Conclusion

Part 1. Why Are There So Many Duplicate Files on My Mac?

Why is my Mac duplicating files? One of the reasons as to why you are running out of storage on your Mac computer is because of some Mac duplicate files. At some point, you might be over thinking if why is your Mac computer duplicating your files right? Well, there are actually many reasons for 'why does my Mac duplicate files' question:

One reason is that when you try to move a patch of images to your Mac and have them viewed in Photos App. When you do this, you are actually making two copies, one copy is moved to your folder and the other copy is in your photo library. And sometimes you need tools to locate these photos for you.

Another reason is when you tend to view your email attachments first before you download them. In some cases, once you try to open one of your email attachments, your Mail app automatically downloaded a copy of the file that is why you automatically have two copies of those attachments.

One more reason for having a duplicate file is that when you unknowingly download a photo of the file twice. And if you have tried before moving a file to your external drive without deleting the original copy, that is also one reason for duplicating it.

You can actually find duplicate files on your Mac computer manually. But if you do so, you will consume a lot of time just by sorting out thousands of duplicate files on your Mac computer and that could also be exhausting on your part. Never worry because we will show you the best and easiest ways on how you can find duplicate files on your Mac computer to remove.

Part 2. How to Find Duplicate Files on Mac to Remove?

'How do I find duplicate files on my Mac to delete?' You can find duplicate files like music, photos, videos, or documents by using your Terminal command or by using a specific duplicate file finder software for Mac computer. Either way can both work. But what is the best way to find duplicate files?

What Is the Best Duplicate File Finder for Mac?

Duplicate Finder by iMyMac PowerMyMac will be the best duplicate file finder software that you can use to find and remove duplicate files Mac that are stored on your Mac computer.

This duplicate finder can scan all your Mac folders like your Downloads, Documents, Desktop and it can detect your duplicate photos, videos, apps, documents and more all in just one click of a button. This software is a safe, well-designed and a user-friendly tool. It can scan your Mac computer and can display all your duplicate files.

Free Download and Try PowerMyMac to find duplicate files. Let your mac have the best life.

PowerMyMac can detect duplicate files not only a same name of the files but also by their size, the date it was created and their file type. The software also allows you to preview your files like your photos, documents so that you won't be able to mistakenly delete your important files. It can also clear your system caches and junk files. So, how to remove duplicate files on Mac? To use PowerMyMac in finding duplicate files Mac to remove just follow the steps below:

  1. Launch PowerMyMac and select 'Duplicate Finder'. Open the desired folder by choosing the path and then click the 'Scan' button for the program to check for duplicate files Mac.
  2. Once the scanning process is complete, have a view of all duplicates.
  3. Select all the duplicate files you want to remove. When you're done, just click on 'Clean' to delete all the selected duplicate files.

Find Duplicate File Using Terminal Command

Using Terminal Command can find duplicate files quickly. However, just to give you a headstart, this method is for those people who had barely used terminal before. It might mess up your Mac OS X if you enter the wrong command. Follow the steps below to use this method.

Delete Duplicate Files Mac Free Downloads

  1. Launch Finder and type terminal for it to bring out the Terminal Tool.
  2. Select a folder that you want to clean its duplicates and locate them with a cd command in Terminal.
  3. Copy this command (find . -size 20 ! -type d -exec cksum {} ; | sort | tee /tmp/f.tmp | cut -f 1,2 -d ‘ ‘ | uniq -d | grep -hif – /tmp/f.tmp > duplicates.txt) and then click 'Enter'.
  4. A file named txt. the duplicate will then be created in the folder that you have chosen earlier. You can find and delete duplicate files manually according to txt. file.

Using this method have an inconvenience side on your part because you will still manually locate and delete duplicate files Mac one by one. Searching using Terminal sometimes is not accurate in Mac.

Find Duplicate Files on Mac via Finder

You can use New Smart Folder in Finder to find duplicate files but you need to sort the files by Kind, Date, Name or Contents. This way may need your patience. Just follow the steps below:

Duplicate
  1. Launch Finder on Mac.
  2. Click File from the Apple menu, then select New Smart Folder.
  3. Click the Plus button beside Save and you can begin to search files by choosing parameters like Kind, Date, Name, Contents, or others.
  4. Once the searching results are displayed, you can right-click them and choose 'Move to Trash' to delete.

Remove Duplicate Files Windows 10

Part 3. Conclusion

So, with the shown methods above, now you know how to get rid of duplicate files on Mac. And PowerMyMac will still be highly recommended for you to find duplicate files and delete them. You can free try this software from the official website. It can locate and remove all your duplicate files, it can clean up your junk files and more.

Files

Having the PowerMyMac installed on your Mac computer can be very handy because once you feel like your Mac is running slow or you feel like you have too much data stored on your Mac, you can just simply use it and get your computer clean up for you to experience a better speed like it was newly bought.

Delete Duplicate Files On Computer

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Comment ()

Karlier2019-09-10 18:01:06

Duplicate files make my Mac run slow, so I have to regularly check and delete duplicate files and, wasting time! It's time to have a smart tool to help me do that.

iMyMac2019-09-10 18:25:23

Thanks for your support! We have a free trail for Mac Cleaner, you can have a try first. If you have any questions while using this software, please contact us via iMyMac Supporter Email: support@imymac.com.

Jiminy2019-05-07 01:21:19

Great ideas! Duplicate files are always a bother for me. But I don’t get a clear idea on how to do it on my own. So I will try your product to help me find duplicates and remove them. Your article explains this issue well.

Delete Duplicate Files Mac Free Online

iMyMac2019-05-08 10:03:33

Thanks for your support! We have a free trail for Mac Cleaner, you can have a try first. If you have any questions while using this software, please contact us via iMyMac Supporter Email: support@imymac.com.

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