Detailed steps to find and delete duplicate files on Mac

If you are looking to free up space on your Mac, then there are a few things you can do. By not having enough storage you can find that your device runs slower and you can’t open or save new files anymore. One of the main culprits for taking up storage space is duplicate files and you could have a large number on your Mac without you even realising. It’s advised that for your Mac to run at its best, you have at least 10% of your total space free.

Duplicate files can happen often and are usually a result of mistaken downloads that have been downloaded twice. They can also come from message attachments or saving a file with more than one name. When it comes to getting rid of your duplicate files, most think this needs to be done manually, one by one. While this method does work, it also is very time-consuming. This is why we’ve put together a guide to show you a much more time-efficient way of sorting your files.

1) Use the smart folder feature in Finder
To do this, open the Finder app and head to File > New Smart Folder. From here, select the + button and search for any type of document. Sort them into alphabetical order so you can easily spot any duplicates. This is an efficient method but not necessarily the fastest.

2) Using external applications
There are a host of third-party apps out there that you can download to sort and remove duplicate files from your Mac efficiently. These work by scanning your hard drive and then showing you which are duplicates so you can quickly delete the files that you no longer need.

These apps include Duplicates Cleaner and Duplicate File Finder Remover, both of which offer similar functionality. The apps for sourcing duplicate files tend to be free, however, if you want them to have more advanced features such as deleting duplicate folders and hidden files, you will likely have to upgrade to a paid version. Many of the paid ones require just a one-time fee in order to make use of these additional extras. Gemini 2 is another very popular duplicate file remover for Mac and it is favoured thanks to it giving you the option to review the results or delete all duplicates with the click of a button. DupeGURU is another popular one that does the above as well as checking your files to see if they are similar in any way. It can also scan files such as music or photos to see if they display different information. While this is a good app, it has been said to have more of an old-fashioned interface and not be as easy to navigate.

There are a host of apps out there that you can use to find and delete duplicate files on Mac. By doing this, you will soon free up plenty of space on your Mac making it easier to work from going forward and have a much more optimised performance.