Declutter your Mac using these 7 tips

Decluttering your mac is essential in optmizing the system performance. Deleting junk files and inessential apps can help clear up some storage space, as well as have fewer files on the Mac for the hard disk to read through. But, most important of all, you will have an easier time navigating the device as it will be more organized and tidy.

With the help of this article, we have put together 7 tips to help declutter your mac

Clear out the downloads folder

Whenever you download an image from the web or any other file for that matter, it usually lands in the downloads folder. Rarely do we save it to a designated, categorized folder and remove it when we no longer need it. Because of this, the downloads folder is like that drawer we all have at home where everything random goes into it – making it difficult to find stuff, too.

So, every now and then, parse through the files one-by-one and remove redundant ones, and categorize the others into subfolders.

Uninstall inessential apps

Next, go to your Applications folder and assess the need for each application you have. Removing apps can be one of the fastest ways to free up a ton of storage. You will find your Applications folder under Finder, and right-click on the app you want to delete and click Move to Trash.

Clear cache and junk files

Cache can be useful in the short term, but often the device will gather up a bunch of cache that you no longer need, causing clutter. The same goes for junk files. To remove these, it’s a bit of a long-winded manual process with various elements. A faster way is to use software that will clear cache and junk files for you with a single click, just be sure that the software is legitimate and credible.

Organize your desktop

Your desktop is the first thing you see when turning on your Mac. It’s your home screen, so it needs to be tidy. Remove any shortcuts that you don’t need, and use the Stack feature to help group files together (right-click then press Use Stacks). Also, use a background wallpaper that makes it easy to see and read the files – certain colours and patterns can make it difficult to navigate.

Delete app leftovers

Applications leave behind leftover files that aren’t necessary but take up space. To delete these, click Go, then Go To Folder, and type in “~/Library/Application Support”. From here, you can remove app leftovers from the Application Support folder.

Organise bookmarks and tabs

Your next step is to sort out your browser. Whilst you may have cleared the cache, many hoard tabs and bookmarks like their life depends on it. Try and delete old bookmarks that you do not need, and try to categorize the remaining ones into good subfolders. As for tabs, sometimes we need to be ruthless or use an extension like Pocket for the read-later pages.

Manage storage

Finally, Apple has some good built-in storage managing features. To find them, head to the Apple Menu, About This Mac, then press on the Storage tab and click Manage. Here, you can store things in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash Automatically, and Reduce Clutter. They’re all useful, and if you forget to remove the Trash regularly, definitely turn on this automatic trash-emptying feature.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.