# Free Without Deleting: shared duplicates and compressed cold files

> Get space back while keeping every file: identical copies share their space as APFS clones, and files unused for two months are compressed by macOS.

- URL: https://moreroom.app/support/free-without-deleting
- Topic: Freeing up space
- Updated: 2026-10-17
- Publisher: MoreRoom (Yando Pte. Ltd.) — https://moreroom.app

## In short

- Identical files share their space: each copy stays in its place with its own name, dates and tags, but the data is stored once, like a Finder duplicate.
- Cold files take less space: files you haven’t used for two months are compressed by macOS itself and open exactly as before. You can undo it.
- Searching is free; Share Space and Compress need Pro. Nothing is ever deleted.

## How to free space without deleting

1. **Open Free Without Deleting.** Click Free Without Deleting in the sidebar. It searches the location of your current scan, or your home folder if there’s none.
2. **Wait for the search.** MoreRoom looks at files of 1 MB or more, compares those of the same size, then checks their contents. You can cancel at any time.
3. **Share duplicate space.** Under Identical files share their space, check the largest groups, then click Share Space and confirm.
4. **Compress cold files.** Under Cold files take less space, check the folders listed, then click Compress and confirm.

## Identical files share their space

On Apple’s APFS file system, two files can share the same data on disk until one of them changes — that’s what Finder does when you duplicate a file. MoreRoom finds copies of the same file (downloads, installers, simulator data, packages…) and turns them into such clones:

- every copy **stays where it is**, with its own name, dates and tags, and opens as before;
- the data is stored **once**, so the extra copies stop taking space;
- if you later edit one copy, macOS gives it its own space again — the other copies don’t change.

The card shows how much **can be shared in *n* groups**, and **Largest groups** lists them (“3 copies of 1.2 GB”), with a button to reveal them in Finder. Click **Share Space** (Pro): MoreRoom checks every file again right before, and leaves alone files that changed or are in use. A message tells you how much was freed and how many copies now share their space.

There’s nothing to undo: each file is still a complete, independent file.

## Cold files take less space

macOS can store files compressed and decompress them on the fly when they’re read — it does this for many of its own files. MoreRoom applies it to files you **haven’t used for two months** that compress well:

- the card shows how much **can be saved in *n* files**, and the folders where the most can be saved;
- click **Compress** (Pro) and confirm. Each file is copied compressed, checked to be identical, then swapped in. Files in use or changed meanwhile are left alone;
- files stay in place and **open exactly as before**.

To reverse it, click **Undo** next to **Last compression** on the same card: the files are restored to their original form. If you compressed several times, undo them one after the other.

## Where it searches

The search covers the place you scanned last (for example Macintosh HD), or your home folder if you haven’t scanned yet, and only files of 1 MB or more. Folders listed in **Settings › Exclusions** are skipped. Click **Search Again** after big changes.

## Good to know

- Shared copies count once on disk, but Finder still shows each file’s full size — see [why numbers differ](https://moreroom.app/support/numbers-differ).
- Copying a shared file to another disk copies all its data, as usual.
- Our guide [Duplicate files and APFS clones](https://moreroom.app/learn/duplicate-files-apfs-clones) explains clones in detail.

## Related articles

- [Keep in the Cloud: free space without deleting cloud files](https://moreroom.app/support/keep-in-the-cloud.md)
- [Free Up Space and goal mode](https://moreroom.app/support/free-up-space-goal-mode.md)
- [Why MoreRoom’s numbers differ from Finder and System Settings](https://moreroom.app/support/numbers-differ.md)
- [What’s in MoreRoom Free, and what Pro adds](https://moreroom.app/support/free-vs-pro.md)

## Still need help?

Write to us: a real person reads every message and answers within 2 business days. https://moreroom.app/contact