How to find large files on a Mac
macOS already keeps a list of your large files: it is in System Settings › General › Storage, behind the Info button next to Documents. This guide shows that list first, then the Finder, then the case where a disk map finds what both of them miss.
Where does macOS list my large files?
macOS lists them in the Storage settings, and this is the place to start. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Storage. On versions before macOS Ventura 13, choose Apple menu › About This Mac, then click Storage.
- Click the Info button next to Documents.
- Click Large Files.
- Click Size near the top of the dialog to sort the files by size.
- Select a file and click Show in Finder to see where it lives. Click Delete to remove it.
The same dialog has two more buttons. Downloads lists what you downloaded. File Browser shows your folders and the amount of storage each one uses.
How do I find large files in the Finder?
The Finder sorts one folder by size, and that is enough when you already suspect a folder. Open the folder, for example Downloads, and switch to list view. Click the Size column name to sort by size; click it again to reverse the order.
To check one item, select it and choose File › Get Info, or press Command-I. The Info window shows its size.
What do the Storage settings and the Finder miss?
Both tools show one list or one folder at a time, so they miss what is spread out. A folder with thousands of small files can take more space than your largest video, and no single file from it reaches the top of the Large Files list. File Browser shows that folder, but only if you open the right folder above it. You find it when you already know where to look.
When is a disk map worth it?
A disk map is worth it when the lists did not explain where the space went. A disk map scans a disk or a folder and draws everything in it by size, so the large items stand out before you know where to look.
DiskSphere is a disk map for Mac. It draws every file as a point on a 3D sphere: every colour is a folder, and the big ones are easy to see. To find large files with DiskSphere:
- Next to Largest, click 10 or 50. The largest folders with no subfolders light up, with name and size.
- Type
> 1 GBor.movin the search field. DiskSphere lists the items of that size or type, largest first. - Click Show in Finder to open the item in the Finder.
- Click Move to Trash to move what you choose to the Trash. While it is there, you can put it back.
To read the whole startup disk, DiskSphere needs Full Disk Access. You turn it on in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Full Disk Access.
A disk map does not have to cost money. Free disk space analyzers for Mac lists the free ones and what each one draws.
What should I do before I delete a large file?
Move the file to the Trash and empty the Trash later, when you are sure. The space becomes available only when you empty the Trash. Leave system folders and your Library alone unless you know what a folder is for.
Questions
Where is the Large Files list on a Mac?
Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General, then click Storage. Click the Info button next to Documents, then click Large Files.
How do I sort files by size in the Finder?
Open the folder in list view and click the Size column name. Click it again to reverse the order.
Why is my disk full when I have no large files?
Many small files in one folder can take more space than one large file. A disk map draws folders by size, so that folder stands out.
Does deleting a large file free the space at once?
No. The space becomes available when you empty the Trash.
You now have the list of your large files and a way to see the folders the list misses. Next, check where the rest of the space goes: What's taking up space on your Mac?