The junk drawer of your Mac — and how to finally empty it
Every Mac has one: a Downloads folder stuffed with files you saved once, used once, and never thought about again. Old disk images, duplicate PDFs, ZIP archives from months ago, installers for apps you already have. Left alone, it quietly grows to 5, 10, even 20 GB — all of it sitting on your drive doing nothing.
Cleaning it out is one of the fastest ways to free up space on your Mac. Here's how to do it methodically instead of scrolling through hundreds of files and giving up.
Start by sorting by size
Open Finder and go to your Downloads folder (you can press Option + Command + L from any Finder window). Switch to list view with Command + 2, then click the Size column header to sort largest files first.
This immediately surfaces the biggest offenders — video files, app installers, disk images — so you can recover the most space with the fewest decisions. It's common to find a single forgotten file taking up 2–4 GB.
Eject and delete DMG files
DMG files are disk images. When you download an app outside the App Store, it usually arrives as a .dmg. You open it, drag the app into Applications, and you're done — but the DMG stays in Downloads, still taking up space.
If you've already installed the app (check your Applications folder), the DMG is safe to delete. Before deleting, make sure the disk image isn't still mounted: look in Finder's sidebar for a mounted volume with the app's name. If it's there, right-click it and choose Eject, then delete the DMG file.
The same goes for .pkg installer files — once the app is installed, the installer package has done its job.
Remove duplicate downloads
Browsers have a habit of creating numbered copies when you download the same file twice: report.pdf, report (1).pdf, report (2).pdf. Sort your Downloads folder by Name and scan for clusters like these. Usually you only need the most recent copy — and often you don't need any of them.
Look for patterns: multiple versions of the same receipt, the same attachment downloaded from email three times, or several copies of the same presentation.
Use the "Date Added" sort trick
Switch your sort to Date Added (if the column isn't visible, right-click the column headers and check it). Now your oldest downloads float to the bottom. Scroll down there — files from a year ago or older are almost certainly safe to delete. If you haven't needed them in twelve months, you won't need them now.
This is also a good way to find hidden space hogs you forgot about — old project files, training videos, or software bundles from a previous job.
What's safe to delete
Here's a quick reference:
| File type | Safe to delete? |
|---|---|
.dmg — disk images | Yes, if the app is already in Applications |
.pkg — installer packages | Yes, after installation is complete |
.zip — archives | Yes, if you've already extracted the contents |
.pdf — documents | Usually yes — check if you have the original in email or a cloud drive |
.mp4, .mov — videos | Yes, if saved elsewhere or no longer needed |
When not to delete
.txt or .pdf files that came with purchased software), downloaded firmware updates for external devices, and any file you don't recognize — if you're unsure, leave it alone or move it to a temporary folder first to see if anything breaks.Build a cleanup routine
The real fix isn't a one-time purge — it's a habit. Two approaches that work:
- Weekly sweep. Every Friday, open Downloads, sort by Date Added, and delete everything from the previous week that you're done with. Takes two minutes.
- The 30-day rule. Once a month, sort by Date Added and delete everything older than 30 days. If a file survived a month without being touched, it belongs in a proper folder or in the Trash.
You can also move files you want to keep into organized folders — Documents, Projects, a specific client folder — instead of leaving them in Downloads as a permanent holding area.
Too many files to sort through?
Gigatidy scans your Downloads folder (and everywhere else), tells you what each file is, and clears the clutter for you — safely, with your approval. Coming soon to the Mac App Store.
Meet Gigatidy →FAQ
Can I delete everything in my Downloads folder?
You can, but it's better to check first. Most files there are safe to remove — installers, disk images, old ZIP archives. The exception is license keys, activation files, or anything you haven't backed up elsewhere. Sort by type or name and review before mass-deleting.
What are DMG files and do I need them?
A DMG is a disk image — a container that Mac apps are often distributed in. You open it, drag the app to Applications, and that's the end of its job. Once the app is installed, the DMG file is just taking up space and can be deleted.
How much space can I recover from cleaning Downloads?
It depends on how long the folder has been accumulating files. Most people recover 3–15 GB. If you download a lot of video, design files, or software, it could be much more.