How to Safely Clean System Data and Purge “Other” Storage on Mac

When your Mac storage bar shows 80GB of grey “System Data”, hidden local snapshots and cache directories are taking up drive space.

Why This Problem Happens

• Time Machine storing local APFS snapshots when backup drive is disconnected.
• Xcode or video editor rendering caches piling up in ~/Library/Caches.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Procedure

Step 1: Purge Time Machine Local Snapshots

Objective: Free massive hidden APFS blocks.

1. Open Terminal and execute: tmutil listlocalsnapshots /
2. Delete obsolete snapshots using: tmutil deletelocalsnapshots

Step 2: Clean User Library Cache Folder

Objective: Remove accumulated app caches.

1. In Finder, press Shift + Command + G and paste: ~/Library/Caches/
2. Inspect large app folders (like Spotify, Slack, Chrome) and move old cache folders to Trash.

Step 3: Delete Obsolete iOS Device Backups

Objective: Purge multi-gigabyte iPhone sync images.

1. Go to System Settings > General > Storage.
2. Click the “i” info icon next to iOS Files and delete legacy backup images.

Verified Troubleshooting Tips

• Always empty the Mac Trash after deleting files to actually free up physical APFS storage blocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to delete the ~/Library/Caches folder?

Yes, but delete contents inside the folder, not the parent Caches directory itself. Applications will regenerate fresh cache as needed.