What Is Other Storage on Mac?
On older macOS versions (Monterey and earlier), Other appeared as a distinct colored bar in the Storage overview. On macOS Ventura and later, Apple reclassified some of these files under "System Data," but many users still see a large "Other" or unaccounted-for portion of their storage. The underlying file types remain the same regardless of the label.
The key characteristic of Other storage is that it contains files the system does not recognize as belonging to a primary category. A .dmg disk image is not an Application, Document, or Photo — so it falls into Other. A .zip archive of miscellaneous files gets the same classification. Font files, browser extensions, application plugins, and screen savers all land in this catch-all category.
App support files make up a significant portion of Other storage. Every application on your Mac stores preferences, databases, and auxiliary data in ~/Library/Application Support. These files are not the applications themselves and are not user documents, so macOS classifies them as Other. For apps like Spotify, Discord, and Slack, this support data can reach several gigabytes per app.
Why Is Other Storage Taking Up So Much Space?
Downloaded disk images and archives are the most common offenders. Every .dmg file you download to install an application remains in your Downloads folder after installation unless you manually delete it. A single macOS installer .dmg can be 12-14 GB. Accumulating a dozen app installers and zip archives easily adds 20-30 GB to Other storage.
Application support data grows with usage. Messaging apps like Slack and Discord cache conversation history, images, and file attachments locally. Email clients store downloaded attachments in Library folders. Creative apps maintain project metadata, preview caches, and plugin data. None of these files appear in your Documents folder — they live in ~/Library directories that most users never open.
Duplicate files compound the problem. When the same archive, disk image, or support file exists in multiple locations, each copy adds to the Other storage total. A .dmg file in Downloads, a copy on the Desktop, and another in a project folder triples the space consumed by a single file. These duplicates are easy to miss because they are spread across different directories.
Browser data also contributes significantly. Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers store offline data, service worker caches, and extension data in Application Support folders. A single Chrome profile with extensive browsing history can consume 2-5 GB of Other storage.
How Do You Reduce Other Storage on Mac?
Start with your Downloads folder. Open Finder, navigate to Downloads, and sort by size (View > Sort By > Size). Delete every .dmg, .pkg, and .zip file for applications you have already installed. These installer files serve no purpose after installation and are always available for re-download from the developer's website or the Mac App Store.
Review ~/Library/Application Support for apps you have uninstalled. When you drag an app to Trash, its support files in the Library often remain. Open Finder, press Shift+Command+G, type ~/Library/Application Support, and look for folders named after apps you no longer use. Delete these folders to reclaim the space they occupy.
Clear browser caches and data for any browsers you use. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data and select Cached Images and Files. In Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data and click Remove All. These caches rebuild as you browse, so clearing them is always safe.
Scan for duplicate files using DupScan to find copies of archives, disk images, and support files spread across your filesystem. Our guide to finding duplicate files on Mac covers how to run a thorough scan. The complete guide to freeing up disk space provides additional strategies beyond duplicate removal.
Does DupScan Help Clean Up Other Storage?
Other storage is particularly prone to duplicates because users rarely inspect the folders where these files accumulate. A .dmg file downloaded twice from the same website creates an identical copy — the second file is often renamed with a "(1)" suffix and forgotten. DupScan finds these byte-identical copies regardless of filename differences.
Application support duplicates arise from app reinstallation and migration. When you reinstall an app or migrate to a new Mac, support files may be copied alongside new installations. DupScan scans Library directories and identifies these redundant copies so you can safely remove them.
DupScan's Auto-Select feature makes cleanup fast. After scanning, DupScan marks older copies for deletion while keeping the most recent version of each file. Review the selections, confirm, and the duplicates move to Trash for safe recovery if needed. For a full overview of DupScan's capabilities, visit the features page.
Running DupScan monthly prevents Other storage from growing unchecked. Each scan takes seconds and catches new duplicates from recent downloads, imports, and app installations. Combined with periodic cleanup of old installers and browser caches, this habit keeps Other storage at a manageable size.