Open System Settings → General → Storage to confirm startup-disk status, then scan real paths. Review Downloads, old DMG or ZIP files, unused apps, large video or virtual-machine files, device backups, and Trash—in that order. Preview each path and its purpose before moving or deleting it.
Separate two different questions
Use macOS Storage settings for available disk space. This answers whether more data can be written and reflects the system's dynamic reclaimable space.
A path scan answers where content lives. CoreRobin aggregates directories by allocated file space for investigation; it is not the same as macOS category totals.
Apple recommends starting with the Storage categories in System Settings and notes that System Data is a general category for Apple and third-party files not assigned elsewhere. Apple storage guide
Clean from lower risk to higher risk
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1
Remove files you can clearly download again
Old installers, duplicate archives, and completed exports are usually easiest to judge. Reveal them in Finder and confirm they are not the only copy.
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2
Uninstall apps you no longer use
Prefer the app's own uninstall method. Moving an app icon to Trash may not remove all data it created. Do not remove tools still required by projects, plug-ins, or automation.
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3
Review large personal content
Videos, photo libraries, virtual machines, and build outputs can be large. If they must be kept, copy them to reliable external storage and verify they open before deleting the local copy. A cloud placeholder is not the same as a complete local file.
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4
Empty Trash last and let totals refresh
Moving a file to Trash does not immediately free its space. Empty Trash only after checking for mistakes, then allow time for Storage settings and scans to recalculate.
Avoid these cleanup shortcuts
- Do not use copied commands to bulk-delete unfamiliar content under /System, /Library, or ~/Library.
- Do not treat every cache as junk; many caches rebuild, temporarily slowing the Mac or downloading data again.
- Do not remove unfamiliar APFS snapshots, swap files, or System Data merely to make a category reach zero.
- Do not make a large deletion decision from partial numbers while a scan is still running.
Review safely with CoreRobin
The space map starts with locations currently accessible. Full Disk Access can reduce gaps in protected locations, but it is not required to continue. Scans read metadata such as names, sizes, locations, and dates; CoreRobin rechecks the target and asks again before deletion. After cleanup, scan again and confirm the result with macOS available space.