Learn how to find and remove duplicates on Mac to free up disk space and improve computer performance. Learn how to identify duplicate files on your Mac and remove them easily with our handy guide.
Macs are efficient and more or less well maintained without any intervention on our part. However, over time and with use, they can show signs of weakness, slow down, or simply become overloaded with unnecessary files. This is a case of duplicates, those files that you find in multiple copies on your computer without necessarily realizing it.
We’ve all been there: running out of disk space on our machine when we desperately need it to save really important files or to run resource-hungry software.
After some research, you realize that there are not as many files on your Mac as you thought. In any case, not among the most cumbersome. The days of storing your entire media library on one hard drive are definitely over. Cloud storage and streaming services have freed up a lot of space on our machines, haven’t they? How then do you know what takes up so much space?
It might not be obvious at first glance, but similar files are usually the most likely culprits. It is important to get rid of those bulky duplicate files (video files, music files, documents of all kinds) for several reasons.
First, you’ll free up disk space, which is always helpful. As a bonus, your Mac can regain significant performance. Clutter and lack of free space can slow down your Mac.
There are several ways to find and remove duplicates on Mac:
Use the Finder App
- Open Finder and select the folder where you want to search for duplicates.
- Click View in the menu bar, then click Show View Options and check Show Duplicate Items.
- Duplicate files will appear in the Finder window. Select the files you want to delete and press the Delete key.
- You can even create a new smart folder through the Finder.
Use the spotlight function
Use the Spotlight feature to search for specific files and manually check for duplicates.
- Click on the Spotlight icon in the top right corner of the screen, type in your file name and press Enter.
- You should see a list with this file and duplicates if it is located in more than one location on the system.
Use a third party app
For example, the Intego washing machine for Mac, which is specially designed to find and remove duplicates on Mac. Download and install the application, then follow the instructions to scan your computer and remove duplicate files.
In any case, be sure to double check the files before deleting them so that you don’t delete important files. It is also recommended to back up important data before deleting duplicates.