When you buy a new Mac, you can choose its storage capacity, which dictates the total size of the storage inside of your Mac and how many files, apps, and more you can store on your computer. So, if you hit the limit, you won't be able to download or create new files on your machine. That's why it's important to check the storage on your Mac occasionally to ensure that you're not running out of space. Whether you're on macOS Sonoma or an older OS version, you will find the steps you need to follow below.

How to check the storage on macOS Monterey or earlier

1. Tap on the Apple Logo in the top left corner.

2. Click on About This Mac.

3. Go to the Storage section in the middle of the top bar.

4. There, you will find a summary of your Mac's storage — its total capacity, what's available, and the categories of data occupying space.

5. Click on Manage to view more storage details

6. On top of the sidebar, you will see a Recommendations section, with suggestions on how to clear up space.

7. Right below Recommendations, you will see the detailed categories of data that are occupying your Mac's space. This includes installed applications, documents, Mail and Messages attachments, photos and videos, trashed items, and more.

8. Below the categories, you can view how much storage the actual operating system is taking up.

How to check storage on macOS Ventura or later

While Apple made some changes to how you can view this information on later OS versions, it's still pretty simple to find.

1. Launch the System Settings app.

2. Click on Storage in the General section.

3. There you will find a list of the categories occupying your Mac storage, including apps, media, and more. That's in addition to some recommendations on how to clear up space, such as storing files in iCloud.

How to check storage using Disk Utility

The simplest way to check the available storage on your Mac is to open Disk Utility. It's a native macOS app that manages all of your computer's storage devices, internal and external. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Disk Utility app. You can search for it using Spotlight, or find it in the Launchpad tucked behind the Other apps folder.

2. Look for the internal storage device in the sidebar named something like Mac or Macintosh HD. If you've given your Mac's internal storage a unique name, find that in the sidebar instead.

3. Finally, after selecting your Mac's hard drive or SSD, look for the total storage capacity in the top right corner of the Disk Utility Window.

Why you should check your Mac's storage

Viewing storage details on your Mac is a very simple process, and you'll want to do it every once in a while. It's always important to leave some empty space on your Mac's hard drive or SSD, not only so you don't run into problems trying to download and store files, but also, so your Mac doesn't start slowing down. If your Mac is starting to run out of space, there are a few steps you can take to make room. However, checking your available storage space can help you decide how much storage to buy for your next Mac.