How to Reclaim 160 GB of Mac Storage Hidden Inside 'System Data'
macOS groups uncategorized files — including app caches, Xcode build artifacts, Docker images, and simulator data — under a label called 'System Data,' which can silently consume hundreds of gigabytes with no built-in delete option. A developer recently documented how Terminal commands like 'du -sh' can reveal exactly which folders are responsible for the bloat. In one case, Docker alone occupied 63 GB, Xcode iOS simulators took up 28 GB, and app caches added roughly 30 GB more, totalling around 160 GB of recoverable space. Targeted commands can safely remove unused Docker volumes, stale Xcode build caches, old device support files, and simulator data, all of which macOS or the relevant app will regenerate as needed. Apple's Storage screen does not reflect these deletions immediately, so a restart is recommended before checking whether the numbers have dropped.
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