How to Delete Other Storage on Mac

Are you running out of space on your Mac? You might have noticed that there are several volumes taking up space on your computer, but what exactly are these volumes and can you get rid of them? In this article, we'll explain what 'Other' storage is on a Mac and how to delete it.

What is Other Volumes in Container on Mac?

In fact, we cannot completely delete other volumes in container on Mac because they are important for the system to run. Other volumes cannot be removed because they are needed for macOS to function properly. The 'Other' volumes in container refer to the last three volumes: Preboot, Recovery, and VM.

What Do These Volumes Do?

The VM (Virtual Machine) volume is used to supplement your RAM by storing files like sleepimage and swapfile, which can be too large for RAM to run. The Recovery volume contains the recovery system of your Mac, which you can boot into by holding CMD + R during startup. The Preboot volume manages booting and was created during the macOS High Sierra update to support booting to Macintosh HD.

What is Macintosh HD?

Macintosh HD is the volume where your macOS software system is installed and is usually shown in Disk Utility as Macintosh HD. A physical disk can have multiple containers, and a container includes multiple virtual volumes that all share the storage space of the container.

Can You Delete These Volumes?

Unfortunately, these 'Other' volumes cannot be deleted because they are essential for your Mac to function properly. Instead of deleting them, you can manage their size by cleaning up your computer's storage space.

How to Clear System Storage on Mac

To clear system storage on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Apple menu and select 'About This Mac.'

2. Click on the 'Storage' tab.

3. Look for the 'Other' category and click on it.

4. You can then see how much space is being used by each volume.

5. To free up space, you can delete unnecessary files and apps.

By understanding what these volumes do and managing your computer's storage space, you can keep your Mac running smoothly and efficiently.

How to delete the other storage on mac