DaisyDisk is a disk space analyzer for macOS. It shows how your storage is used as an interactive map: bigger segments mean bigger files or folders. You can zoom in, drill down, and delete or move items from the app. Supports internal drives, external disks, and custom folders. Built for macOS Mojave and later, Intel and Apple Silicon.

Without Full Disk Access, DaisyDisk can still scan your home folder and many locations, but it cannot see or measure some system and application folders. To analyze the entire drive (including Library, caches, and system data), go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and add DaisyDisk, then restart the app. You decide what to delete—DaisyDisk only shows and lets you remove files; it does not delete anything automatically. Granting access is optional but recommended for accurate results.

Reading the map: Each segment is a file or folder. Size on disk = size of the segment. Click a segment to zoom in and see its contents. The center is usually the top level of the scanned volume; the outer rings are nested folders and files.

What to delete first (typically safe):

• Downloads — Old installers, PDFs, and temp files you no longer need.
• Caches — In ~/Library/Caches and inside app folders. Apps recreate them; deleting frees space.
• iOS backups — In ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup. Old device backups can be huge; remove them in Finder or via iTunes/Finder device backup settings if you don’t need them.
• Xcode derived data / simulators — If you develop; often tens of GB.
• Docker / VM images — If you use Docker or virtual machines.
• Large media — Old videos, disk images (.dmg), and archives you’ve already unpacked.
• Mail — ~/Library/Mail can grow large; use Mail’s own tools or clean attachments and old accounts.

Be careful with: System, Library (system), and core application support folders unless you know what you’re deleting. Prefer cleaning via apps (e.g. Mail, Xcode) or a dedicated cleaner when in doubt.

• macOS: 10.14 Mojave or newer (Ventura, Sonoma recommended)
• Processor: Intel or Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3)
• RAM: 2 GB minimum
• Disk space: ~50 MB
• Full Disk Access: Required in System Settings for scanning the whole drive and system folders

• Finding why the disk is full and which apps or folders are responsible
• Locating large videos, archives, or project files to move or delete
• Cleaning up after years of use when storage is critically low
• Auditing external or backup drives before freeing space
• Helping non-technical users see and manage storage

External drives: DaisyDisk can scan any mounted volume. Select it from the initial scan dialog. Useful for USB drives, NAS mounts, and backup disks before you clean them.

Full Disk Access: To analyze the entire internal drive (including System, Library, and app data), grant Full Disk Access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and add DaisyDisk. Without it, some system and app folders won’t appear or will show as restricted. Restart DaisyDisk after changing the permission.

• Grant Full Disk Access for complete results; otherwise scan specific folders (e.g. Home, Downloads).
• Zoom in on the largest segments first to find the biggest space hogs quickly.
• Before deleting a lot of data, ensure you have a backup or Time Machine.
• Re-scan after cleanup to confirm how much space was freed.

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