If applications are taking up too much space on your Mac, start in System Settings › General › Storage and click the info button next to Applications. It lists every app you installed with its size, its kind and when you last opened it, so the large apps you never use stand out in seconds.
Most apps take a few hundred megabytes to a few gigabytes. A handful do most of the damage: developer tools such as Xcode and Android Studio, video and music apps such as Final Cut Pro and iMovie, office suites, and games. Removing two or three of those usually matters more than trimming twenty small ones.
The app is often the smaller part, though. What it keeps in your Library, in Application Support and Containers, can be several times its size, and Storage settings counts that under System Data, not Applications. Deleting the app alone doesn't free it.
Apps from the App Store download again from your purchases, so they're cheap to remove. Apps that came with macOS, such as Mail and Safari, can't be removed at all. This post is about sizing apps and choosing which go; the guide to uninstalling apps covers removing them cleanly.
How to see every app's size in Storage settings
Storage settings has a list made for this job. It's the quickest way to see what your apps take, and it has a few details worth knowing before you click Delete.
How do you open the Applications list?
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click General in the sidebar.
- Click Storage, and wait for the bar at the top to finish calculating.
- Find Applications in the list of categories, and click its info button.
Apple's guide describes the category as all the apps installed on your Mac, excluding system applications. On a partitioned disk, it counts only apps on the startup partition.
What does the list show?
Each app appears with its kind, the date it was last accessed and its size. An app you've never opened says Never Opened instead of a date. Click a column heading to sort by it.
The kind tells you what an app is built for: Apple Silicon, Intel or Universal, plus iOS for iPhone and iPad apps and Web for web apps. Eclectic Light notes that the list also shows which apps are Intel-only, and picks out duplicates.
What does Applications leave out?
Three things, and each can be large:
- Apps that come with macOS. Apple counts Mail, Terminal, Calculator and the rest under macOS.
- Each app's data. Caches, settings and app support files count under System Data, according to Apple's guide.
- Games and tools installed elsewhere. Steam's games, for instance, live in your Library rather than in Applications.
So the Applications number is the size of the apps themselves, nothing more. An app listed at 2 GB may be responsible for far more space on your Mac.
Should you delete apps from this list?
You can: select an app and click Delete. But Storage settings warns that the item is deleted immediately and that you can't undo it. Nothing goes to the Trash.
For an app you might want back, or one you can't download again, use Show in Finder instead, and move it to the Trash there. Finder's Move to Trash can be undone with Put Back until you empty the Trash.
Sizing apps in Finder
Finder gives you the same sizes with more control: every app, wherever it is, and the option to look inside. It's also where you'll remove most apps.
How do you see app sizes in the Applications folder?
- In Finder, click Applications in the sidebar.
- Choose View › as List, or press Command-2.
- Click the Size column heading to sort the largest apps to the top.
If sizes show as dashes, choose View › Show View Options and turn on Calculate all sizes. The post on seeing folder sizes in Finder explains that setting and its quirks.
How do you check one app's size?
Select the app and choose File › Get Info. The Size line shows how much it takes, and the General section also shows its version and where it is. Get Info also lists the kind of app, which on Apple silicon tells you whether it's Universal or Intel-only.
Why does Get Info show two sizes?
Get Info gives the size in bytes and, in brackets, how much space the app takes on disk. They differ because files are stored in fixed-size blocks and some are compressed. For deciding what to remove, the on-disk figure is the one that matters.
Are all your apps in the Applications folder?
Most are. Apple notes that other apps might be installed in the Applications folder of your home folder: open it with Go › Home, then Applications. Some installers put apps there for one user only.
Games are the big exception. Steam installs its games inside your Library, so they never appear in either Applications folder; the post on Steam and game storage shows where to find them.
| Where | What you'll find | Shown under Applications in Storage? |
|---|---|---|
/Applications | Apps you installed for every user | Yes |
~/Applications | Apps installed for one user | Not documented |
/System/Applications | Apps that come with macOS | No: counted under macOS |
~/Library/Application Support | App data, and Steam's games | No: System Data |
~/Library/Containers | Data of sandboxed apps | No: System Data |
Applications taking up too much space on a Mac: why apps are so large
An app is a folder in disguise. Inside are the program itself, the frameworks it depends on, and whatever content its developer decided to ship with it. Each can add gigabytes.
Universal binaries: two apps in one
Apple's developer documentation explains that a universal binary runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs because it contains executable code for both architectures. That makes it bigger than a version built for one.
On one Mac measured in October 2026, Chrome's core framework was a single file of about 520 MB holding both versions. Blender, downloaded as an Apple silicon build, holds only one. Many developers ship Universal apps so one download works everywhere, and you store the half your Mac never runs.
Frameworks and engines carried inside
Many apps bundle large frameworks instead of using the ones in macOS. Apps built on web technology carry their own copy of a browser engine; on the same Mac, the Electron framework inside Visual Studio Code was about 406 MB on its own.
Every such app carries its own copy. Five apps built this way means five engines, even though they do the same job underneath.
Content shipped with the app
Some apps include media, templates and effects. Final Cut Pro is listed at 6.4 GB on the Mac App Store, and iMovie at 3.6 GB. Office apps are large too: Word, Excel and PowerPoint are listed at 1.4 GB, 1.2 GB and 1.1 GB.
Music apps split the difference. GarageBand's App Store listing is 731.9 MB, but its instruments, loops and lessons download into a separate GarageBand sound library, which Storage settings counts under Music Creation.
- Final Cut Pro6.4 GB
- iMovie3.6 GB
- Xcode3.1 GB
- Logic Pro1.4 GB
- Microsoft Word1.4 GB
- Microsoft Excel1.2 GB
- Microsoft PowerPoint1.1 GB
- GarageBand0.7 GB
The size each app's Mac App Store page listed in October 2026. It's the app as the store delivers it; extra content the app downloads later, such as sound libraries, Xcode's platforms or a game's in-app content, isn't included.
Developer tools
Developer tools are the heaviest apps most people own, and they grow with each update. The App Store lists Xcode at 3.1 GB; on the Mac measured for this post it took 4.0 GB, before the platforms and simulators it downloads separately. Android Studio took 3.2 GB there.
If you installed them for a course or one project, they're prime candidates. The posts on why Xcode takes so much space and removing developer tools you no longer use go through what each leaves behind.
The app versus its data
Every app needs somewhere to keep what it makes and downloads. On a Mac, that's your Library, and it's where an app's real footprint often hides.
Where does an app keep its data?
Apps keep the files they manage for you in Application Support, usually in a folder named after the app or its bundle ID. The catalog's Application Support folders entry notes that this can include your own data, such as a library, chat history or projects, so it isn't a cache.
Sandboxed apps, which includes most apps from the App Store, get a container instead: a private folder named after the app's bundle ID, with its own Library inside. Apps from one developer can also share a group container.
Why is the data often bigger than the app?
Because the app is fixed, while its data grows with use. A virtual machine, a library of projects, downloaded models or a local database can each outweigh the app many times over. Here's one Mac, measured in October 2026:
| App | The app | Its data | Where the data lives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docker Desktop | 2.1 GB | 30.5 GB | ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker |
| Xcode | 4.0 GB | 133 GB | ~/Library/Developer |
| Visual Studio Code | 1.5 GB | 1.7 GB | ~/Library/Application Support/Code |
| GarageBand | 1.1 GB | 1.0 GB | /Library/Application Support/GarageBand |
Xcode's data there includes simulators, build products and other tools' files, so not all of it is Xcode's alone. The point stands: the Applications list would show Docker at 2 GB, while it was responsible for over 32 GB.
Why doesn't deleting the app free that space?
Apple's own article says deleting an app doesn't remove documents or other files you created with it. The catalog adds that deleting an app doesn't remove its folder in Application Support, and doesn't always remove its container.
So an app you dragged to the Trash months ago may still have gigabytes in your Library. The post on leftover files after uninstalling apps shows where to look and how to tell which leftovers belong to which app.
Should you delete an app's data folder?
Only after checking what's in it. Application Support folders and containers can hold work you made in the app, and removing them resets the app as if it were new. The post on Containers and Group Containers explains how to judge one.
For apps you still use, manage the data inside the app: delete old projects, virtual machines or downloads there. For apps you've removed, check the folder, then move it to the Trash, where you can put it back.
Which apps are worth removing
With the list sorted by size, the decision for each app comes down to two questions: do you use it, and can you get it back easily?
Apps you never open
Sort the Applications list by Last Accessed. Apps you haven't opened in a year, and anything marked Never Opened, are the easiest wins. Trial versions, apps that came with a printer or camera, and tools you installed for one job tend to collect here.
Before removing a paid app from outside the App Store, find its license key or your account details for it. You'll need them if you ever reinstall.
Duplicates and old versions
Two copies of the same app take space twice, and the Applications list can pick out duplicates. They often come from installing an update to a new location, or from a copy in your home folder's Applications as well as the main one.
Full macOS installers, such as Install macOS Tahoe, also sit in Applications and take many gigabytes; the post on deleting old macOS installers covers when they're safe to remove.
The disk images and packages apps came in often linger in Downloads too. The post on DMG and PKG files explains which are safe to delete once the app is installed.
Intel-only apps on an Apple silicon Mac
Apple's developer documentation notes that an app built only for Intel must run under Rosetta translation on Apple silicon, and that native apps run more efficiently. An Intel-only app you rarely use is worth questioning.
Check whether a Universal or Apple silicon version exists before removing one you need. If its developer has stopped updating it, a replacement may be the better route.
iPhone and iPad apps
On an Apple silicon Mac, the Mac App Store offers iPhone and iPad apps that work on Mac, labelled Designed for iPhone or Designed for iPad. They appear in the Applications list as iOS.
They're easy to collect and easy to forget. If you installed one to try it, remove it the same way as any other app; Apple lists them under iPhone & iPad Apps in your purchases, so you can download them again.
Apps that run in the background
Some apps install helpers, login items or extensions that keep running after you quit them. They take little space, but they're the reason Apple recommends an app's own uninstaller, which removes them along with the app.
To see what's running, choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General, then Login Items & Extensions. An app you no longer recognize there is a good candidate for removal.
Apps tied to a subscription
Apple points out that deleting an app doesn't cancel any subscription you bought with it. If you're removing an app because you've stopped using a service, cancel the subscription separately, in the App Store or with the service itself.
| Kind of app | Can you get it back? | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| App Store purchase | Yes, from your purchases | Subscriptions continue |
| From a developer's website | Download it again | License keys, older versions |
| iPhone or iPad app | Yes, under iPhone & iPad Apps | Nothing special |
| Came with macOS | Can't be removed | Counted under macOS |
| macOS installer | Download it again from Apple | Many gigabytes each |
| Developer tool | Download it again | Data left in your Library |
What you can download again
The real cost of removing an app is getting it back. For many apps, that's a couple of clicks.
How do you reinstall an App Store app?
- Open the App Store.
- Click your name in the bottom-left corner, or Sign In if you're not signed in.
- Find the app in your purchases, and click the download button.
Apple notes that purchases are tied to your Apple Account. Sign in with the same account you bought the app with, on every device, to see them all.
Why does a deleted app come back?
If Automatically download apps purchased on other devices is on in App Store › Settings, an app you buy on another Mac downloads to this one too. Turn it off if apps keep appearing that you didn't install here.
What about apps from a developer's website?
You'll need to download them again from the developer, and some paid apps ask for their license key or a sign-in. Older versions may no longer be offered, which matters if you rely on one that still works with an old project or device.
Keeping the installer isn't usually worth it for space. Make a note of where the app came from and your license, and download the current version when you need it.
Is it worth keeping a copy of a removed app?
Only for apps you couldn't get again: discontinued tools, or an old version you rely on for one project or device. Copy those to an external drive before removing them from your Mac, along with their license details.
For everything that's still on sale or in your App Store purchases, a copy just duplicates what the developer already keeps for you.
Which apps can't you remove?
Apple says you can't remove apps that are required by your Mac, including many installed by macOS such as Mail, Music, Books, Notes, Podcasts, Maps, News and Stocks, and apps in the System folder. Its App Store guide adds Safari to the list.
They don't count under Applications anyway; they're part of macOS. Apple's other free apps are different: Pages, Numbers, GarageBand and iMovie come from the App Store, so they can be removed and downloaded again like any other purchase.
Removing an app properly
Once you've chosen, remove apps in a way that's easy to undo and doesn't leave their biggest parts behind.
Does the app have its own uninstaller?
Apple's advice is to check first. If the app isn't made by Apple, look for an Uninstall or Uninstaller app in the same folder as the app itself, or an uninstall option in the app's menus or settings. Apple calls an uninstaller the best way to remove the app and any login items, extensions or other data it stored elsewhere.
Large suites and apps that install helpers almost always have one. Use it before anything else.
How do you move an app to the Trash?
- In Finder, click Applications in the sidebar.
- Control-click the app, and choose Move to Trash.
- Enter an administrator's name and password if macOS asks.
The app stays in the Trash until you empty it, and File › Put Back returns it. Apple warns that files you created with an app may not open without it, so keep the Trash full for a day or two.
What about everything the app left behind?
Moving the app to the Trash frees only the size the Applications list showed. Its data in Application Support, Containers and Group Containers stays, along with caches, settings and any background helpers. The guide to uninstalling apps walks through each place.
What if macOS won't let you remove an app?
Apple's advice is to make sure the app isn't open. If macOS still says it's in use, restart your Mac, or start up in safe mode, and try again. An app that belongs to macOS can't be removed at all.
A worked example: sizing the apps on one Mac
Here's the process on one developer's Mac, measured in October 2026. Only the apps are named; the sizes are what each took on disk.
The biggest apps
Sorted by size, the top of the Applications folder was Xcode at 4.0 GB, Android Studio at 3.2 GB, Docker Desktop at 2.1 GB, and Chrome and Visual Studio Code at about 1.5 GB each. GarageBand came next at 1.1 GB, then Blender at 0.9 GB.
Pages and Numbers took under half a gigabyte each. All 32 apps came to about 23 GB, under a twentieth of the disk.
Where the space really was
The apps weren't the story. Docker Desktop's container held 30.5 GB, mostly its disk image, and ~/Library/Developer held 133 GB of simulators, build products and caches tied to Xcode and other tools.
So the question shifted from which apps to remove to which data to keep. Removing Android Studio would free 3.2 GB; removing Docker's unused images inside Docker Desktop could free several times that.
How were the sizes spread?
Sizes on that Mac were lopsided, as they usually are. Eight apps over a gigabyte held about 70 percent of the space the apps took:
| App size | Apps | Share of the 23 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Over 1 GB | 8 | About 70% |
| 100 MB to 1 GB | 14 | About 29% |
| Under 100 MB | 10 | About 1% |
Removing the ten smallest apps together would have freed about a third of a gigabyte. Removing one of the eight largest freed more than that on its own.
The choices
- Kept: the apps in daily use, whatever their size.
- Removed: apps not opened in months, after noting their licenses.
- Trimmed inside the app: Docker's unused images and Xcode's old simulators, with each tool's own controls.
- Left alone: Apple's apps, which are small and come back with a click anyway.
The result
Removing apps alone would have freed a few gigabytes. Trimming the data of two of them freed many times that. That's typical of a developer's Mac, and common on others with big creative or virtual machine apps.
Keeping large apps off your internal disk
If you need a large app but not the space it takes, macOS and the App Store offer a middle way. It suits big games and creative apps you use now and then.
Can the App Store install big apps on an external drive?
Yes. In the App Store, choose App Store › Settings and turn on Download and install large apps to a separate disk. Apple says it downloads apps larger than 1 GB to an external drive of your choice.
The drive has to be formatted APFS; Apple notes that large apps can only be downloaded and installed to an APFS disk. Smaller apps keep installing on your Mac as usual.
Why do some apps grow after you install them?
The same settings page explains it. With Automatically download in-app content on, an app or game downloads extra content it needs in the background after the first installation.
So the size on an App Store page can be well below what the app ends up taking. Check the Applications list a week after installing a big game or creative app, not on the first day.
What if the drive isn't connected?
An app on an external drive can only open while the drive is connected. Keep everyday apps on your Mac, and put only the large, occasional ones on the drive, so unplugging it doesn't take away anything you rely on.
When removing apps isn't enough
Some Macs are simply full of things their owner uses. Removing apps helps at the margins, but it can't create room that isn't there.
Apps you can't do without
If your large apps are all ones you need, look at their data instead. Projects you've finished, media you've exported and caches the app can rebuild are often worth more than the app itself.
Streaming apps are a good example: their offline downloads can grow quietly while the app stays small. The post on streaming apps' downloads covers Spotify, Prime Video and others.
Will removing apps make your Mac faster?
Not by itself. An app you don't open doesn't slow your Mac down by sitting in Applications; it only takes space. Free space matters when the disk is nearly full, because macOS needs room for updates and temporary files.
Apps that run in the background are different, but that's about login items and helpers, not size. The uninstaller route above removes those too.
When is it time for more storage?
If you've removed what you don't use and trimmed what you do, and you're still short, the answer may be more storage rather than fewer apps. The post on upgrading a Mac's storage compares external drives and other options.
Mistakes to avoid
- Deleting from Storage settings when you're unsure. It's immediate and can't be undone. Use Finder and the Trash.
- Dragging a suite to the Trash. Use its uninstaller, or its helpers stay behind.
- Judging apps by the Applications number. Their data in your Library can be far bigger.
- Deleting an app's data folder without looking. It may hold your own work.
- Forgetting subscriptions and license keys. Removing an app keeps the bill, and may lose the key.
How the app does it
Wombit scans your disk, explains every item in plain language, and moves what you choose to the Trash, where you can put it back. File names and paths never leave your Mac.
Its Applications section lists every app with its size, the size of what it has left around the Mac and when you last opened it, with Uninstall…. Below the apps are the leftovers of apps that are already gone.
For each file, it shows why it belongs to that app, such as its identifier, one of its app groups or a background job that starts it.
Application Support and Containers are Review first: explained, never checked for you, and marked as places that may hold your data when an uninstall lists them.
~/
Library/ Application Support/ * Data that apps create and manage for you, such as libraries, databases, downloads and settings, in a folder for each app.
Review first · Explained only: the app shows you how
~/
Library/ Containers/ * The private folder a sandboxed app, such as most apps from the App Store, uses as its own home for data, settings and caches.
Review first · Explained only: the app shows you how
The uninstall review asks the app to quit, stops its background jobs and moves everything to the Trash, where Undo and Put Back work.
Finding apps and what they left behind is free. Uninstalling them is PRO: one payment of $4.99 with lifetime access. Every Pro tool's review is free to open, so you see what would go and why before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see which apps take up the most space on my Mac?
Open System Settings, click General, then Storage, and click the info button next to Applications. The list shows each app's size, kind and when you last opened it, and you can sort by size. In Finder, open Applications in list view and sort by the Size column.
Why does Storage settings show so little for Applications when my disk is full?
The Applications category counts only the apps themselves. Their caches, settings and data count under System Data, and apps that come with macOS count under macOS. An app's data in your Library can be many times its own size.
Is it safe to delete apps from Storage settings?
It works, but Storage settings deletes the app immediately and you can't undo it. If you might want the app back, click Show in Finder and move it to the Trash instead, where Put Back works until you empty the Trash.
Can I delete apps that came with my Mac?
Not the ones macOS needs. Apple says you can't remove Mail, Music, Books, Notes, Podcasts, Maps, News, Stocks or Safari, and they count under macOS rather than Applications. Apple's free App Store apps, such as Pages, GarageBand and iMovie, can be removed and downloaded again.
Does deleting an app delete its data?
No. Apple says deleting an app doesn't remove documents or other files you created with it. Its folders in Application Support and, often, its container stay in your Library, which is why an uninstaller or a check for leftovers is worth it.
Can I reinstall apps I deleted from the App Store?
Yes. Open the App Store, click your name in the bottom-left corner, find the app in your purchases and click the download button. Sign in with the same Apple Account you used to buy it.
Why are some Mac apps so large?
Universal apps contain code for both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, many apps bundle their own frameworks or browser engine, and some ship media and templates. Final Cut Pro is listed at 6.4 GB on the Mac App Store, and Xcode at 3.1 GB before the components it downloads later.
Will deleting unused apps make my Mac faster?
Not by itself. An app you don't open only takes space; it doesn't slow your Mac down. Free space matters when the disk is nearly full, because macOS needs room for updates and temporary files.
Sources
- Find and delete files on your Mac · Apple
- Delete or uninstall apps on Mac · Apple
- Install and uninstall purchases from the App Store on Mac · Apple
- Building a universal macOS binary · Apple Developer
- Final Cut Pro on the Mac App Store · Apple
- Change settings in App Store on Mac · Apple