I deleted files but my Mac storage didn’t change: why, and how to fix it

When you delete a file on a Mac, its space is freed only when nothing else still references the data. The usual culprits are, in order: the file is still in the Trash, an app still has it open, a local Time Machine snapshot still holds it, or it was an APFS clone sharing its data with another copy. On top of that, Storage settings can take a while to show the change. Work through the checks below in order; most cases are solved by the first two.

1. The file is still in the Trash

Moving a file to the Trash does not free space. It only moves the file to a hidden folder on the same drive. Space comes back when you choose Finder › Empty Trash.

Every drive keeps its own Trash:

• Your startup disk uses ~/.Trash in your home folder.
• External and secondary drives use a hidden .Trashes folder at their root, with one subfolder per user.

Finder shows them all as one Trash and empties all connected drives together. If you deleted files on an external drive and then unplugged it, its Trash was not emptied; reconnect it and empty the Trash again. If Empty Trash Automatically is on, Finder erases items only after they have been in the Trash for more than 30 days (Apple Support).

Apps can have their own bin too. Photos and Notes keep deleted items in Recently Deleted, and Mail keeps them in Deleted Items until you erase them.

2. An app still has the file open

On macOS, as on other Unix systems, a deleted file disappears from Finder immediately, but its data stays on disk as long as any app has it open. This is sometimes called ghost space. It is common with log files, video and audio projects, virtual machines and databases.

To list deleted files that are still open, run:

lsof +L1

+L1 asks lsof for open files with a link count below one, meaning files that no longer have a name in any folder. The COMMAND and PID columns name the app, and SIZE/OFF gives the size in bytes. Without sudo you see only your own apps; sudo lsof +L1 includes system processes and asks for your password. The command only reads, so it is safe.

To release the space, quit the app shown, or restart the Mac if it is a background process. Small entries from system services are normal and not worth chasing; look for large sizes.

3. A local snapshot still holds the data

If Time Machine is set up, macOS takes a local snapshot about every hour and keeps it for 24 hours (Apple Support). A snapshot preserves the disk as it was, so a file you delete after the snapshot was taken stays inside the snapshot until it expires. List them with:

tmutil listlocalsnapshots /

Usually you can simply wait. Apple says your Mac counts snapshot space as available and removes snapshots when space is needed for downloads, copies or installs. If you need the space immediately, our guide to Time Machine local snapshots explains how to thin or delete them and what you give up. Other backup apps, such as Carbon Copy Cloner, can keep their own snapshots with their own retention rules.

4. Purgeable space and different ways of counting

Finder and Storage settings report available space, which includes purgeable space: data such as snapshots and some caches that macOS will remove on its own. Terminal’s df reports only space that is free right now. If you delete a file that is still held by a snapshot, Finder may show more available space while df shows no change. Compare like with like: check Finder’s Get Info before and after, or df -h / before and after, not one against the other.

5. The file was an APFS clone

On APFS, copying a file in Finder on the same volume, or duplicating it with File › Duplicate, normally creates a clone. The clone and the original point to the same data blocks; only parts that change later take extra space. Apple describes this in About Apple File System.

So if you delete one of two clones, you free only the blocks that differed. Space comes back when the last copy is deleted. Tools such as du count each clone in full, which is why folder totals can add up to more than the disk actually uses. Our guide to duplicate files and APFS clones explains how to tell them apart.

6. Storage settings has not caught up

System Settings › General › Storage calculates its figures in the background and can lag behind. For a current figure, use one of these:

• In Finder, select your startup disk and choose File › Get Info. It shows Available, including purgeable space.
• In Terminal, run df -h /. The Avail column shows free space now, without purgeable space.

Closing and reopening Storage settings, or waiting a few minutes, usually brings it in line.

7. iCloud and Optimize Mac Storage

With iCloud Drive and Optimize Mac Storage on, some files exist only in iCloud, with no local copy. Deleting those frees iCloud storage but nothing on your Mac. The reverse also catches people out: deleting a synced file on your Mac deletes it from iCloud and your other devices too.

If you want to free local space while keeping the file, Control-click it and choose Remove Download instead (Apple Support). See Remove Download versus delete for details.

Quick reference

How MoreRoom helps

MoreRoom’s free version includes Ghost space: it finds space held by deleted files that an app still keeps open, shows which app holds it, and gets it back by quitting that app. Its System Data view shows local snapshots and what macOS will purge on its own, and explains why Finder and df disagree. Anything you remove in MoreRoom goes to the Trash first, with Undo. MoreRoom does not delete snapshots or find duplicate files; use tmutil or Disk Utility for snapshots.