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Six Easy Steps to a Tidier, Happier Mac

Oct 31
2 min read

Macs have a reputation for "just working", and mostly they do. But over time downloads pile up, apps sneak into your start-up and the desktop turns into a digital junk drawer. Here's my simple routine for keeping a Mac on a recent version of macOS in good shape. No technical know-how needed.

1. Check your storage recommendations

  1. Click the Apple menu (top-left corner) and choose System Settings.

  2. Click General in the sidebar, then Storage.

  3. Have a look at the Recommendations – things like storing files in iCloud, or emptying the Bin automatically. Turn on the ones that suit you.

  4. Below that, you can click the ⓘ next to categories like Applications or Documents to see what's taking up the most room.

2. Clear out your Downloads folder

The Downloads folder is where old PDFs, installers and forms go to live forever.

  1. Open Finder and click Downloads in the sidebar.

  2. Drag anything you don't need to the Bin. Installer files (ending in .dmg or .pkg) are usually safe to delete once the app is installed.

3. Empty the Bin

  1. Check there's nothing you want to keep in the Bin in your Dock.

  2. Right-click (or Control-click) it and choose Empty Bin.

4. Tidy your login items

These are the apps that open automatically when you log in.

  1. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions (on slightly older versions it's just called Login Items).

  2. Under Open at Login, select anything you don't need and click the minus (–) button.

5. Install software updates

  1. Go to System Settings > General > Software Update.

  2. If an update is waiting, click Update Now and follow the prompts. Make sure you're plugged in first if you're on a MacBook.

6. Restart and tidy your desktop

  1. Click the Apple menu and choose Restart.

  2. Once it's back, tidy up the desktop. A quick trick: click the desktop, then choose View > Use Stacks from the menu bar, which neatly groups files by type. Move anything you want to keep into your Documents folder.

And you're done – a cleaner, calmer Mac. If something doesn't look quite like my steps, or you'd like a hand, Gadget Guru is always happy to help.

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