Not Enough Space To Install macOS Sequoia? 9 Quick Fixes

author avatarIvelin Krastev Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Before we dive in

Before we dive in, let's make sure you stay safe online. We created SpyHunter because your security matters to us.

Protect your computer today — download SpyHunter right here! Check out our top tips below to keep your computer safe and secure.

Download SpyHunter

Running out of disk space while trying to install macOS Sequoia can be frustrating, especially when you’re eager to explore the new features of Apple’s latest Mac operating system.

If you’ve received the dreaded not enough space to install macOS Sequoia message, don’t worry—the fix is more straightforward than you might think.

This post will walk you through the practical steps to ensure you have enough space to install macOS Sequoia successfully.

Let’s get started!

This Article Contains:

How much free space is required to install macOS Sequoia?

Apple has yet to provide an official answer to the question, “How much space does macOS Sequoia need?”

However, based on recent versions of macOS, the macOS Sequoia installer should be around 12GB. But that’s not the whole story.

To successfully install macOS Sequoia, you will need roughly twice the size of the installer itself. This means the macOS Sequoia size is around 25GB.

In addition to the macOS Sequoia storage requirements, keep in mind that the OS is only supported on specific Mac models. Here’s a quick list of Macs that can run macOS Sequoia:

  • MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
  • MacBook Air (2020 and later)
  • Mac mini (2018 and later)
  • iMac (2019 and later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 and later)
  • Mac Pro (2019 and later)
  • Mac Studio (2022)

Ensuring you have enough space to install macOS Sequoia will help avoid unnecessary delays and complications during the installation process.

How to check the free storage space on your Mac?

Before you start freeing up space to install macOS Sequoia, it’s essential to know how much storage your Mac has available.

Checking your disk space is simple and gives you a clear idea of whether you have enough space to install macOS Sequoia.

Follow these easy steps to check Mac storage:

  1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select System Settings from the dropdown.
  3. In the sidebar, go to General, then open Storage settings.
  4. At the top of the window, you’ll see a bar showing how much storage space is used and how much free space you have left on your Macintosh HD.
mac storage manager in system settings

The bar clearly breaks down what’s taking up space, such as apps, mail, and system data. If you see that there’s not enough disk space to install macOS Sequoia, don’t worry—you can take steps to free up more disk space.

How to free up disk space for macOS Sequoia?

If you’re seeing a “not enough space” message when trying to install macOS Sequoia, don’t worry—there are a few things you can do.

Here’s how you can ensure you have enough disk space for the installation.

1. Empty the Trash

It’s easy to forget that files deleted from Finder still sit in the Trash, taking up space.

Make sure to empty the Trash to complete the deletion process and reclaim the free storage space:

  1. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock.
  2. Select Empty Trash.
empty trash menu action
  1. Confirm the action when prompted in order to delete the files permanently.
delete files on mac permanently confirmation dialog

2. Use macOS recommendations

The first step is to use your Mac’s native storage management toolkit. This tool offers personalized recommendations for clearing space.

Here’s how:

  1. Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings > General > Storage.
  2. Under the Recommendations section, enable features like:
    • Store in iCloud: Automatically store all your files in iCloud.
    • Optimize Storage: Delete previously watched Apple TV movies and shows.
    • Empty Trash Automatically: This will ensure that items in your Trash don’t sit there for more than 30 days, reclaiming precious space.
  3. Now, click the info icon next to items like Applications, Documents, or Photos, and delete anything you no longer need.
clean system junk files from system settings

These simple steps can help quickly save space by managing unnecessary files that take up room.

3. Remove system junk

Your Mac accumulates system junk over time, including temporary files, old caches, and settings files for apps you no longer use. These files take up a surprising amount of storage space.

Instead of manually finding and deleting these junk files, you can use SpyHunter to automate the process. It scans your system and clears system junk in minutes:

  1. Download SpyHunter for free here and install it on your Mac
  2. Open SpyHunter and start scanning for system junk, including temporary files and cached data.
  3. Review the results and remove unnecessary files to free up storage space.
delete junk files from your mac with spyhunter

This helps ensure you have enough space to install Sequoia without losing any important files.

4. Delete old iPhone and iPad backups

Old iPhone or iPad backups stored on your Mac can take up a lot of space. Removing these backups is a simple way to free up space:

  1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac using a USB cable.
  2. Open Finder, and under the Locations section, select your device.
  3. Click Manage Backups.
  4. Select any old backups and click Delete.
manage backups button for iphone

Clearing out these backups will free up a significant amount of space for your macOS Sequoia installation.

5. Get rid of large and duplicate files

Large and duplicate files can hog Mac storage. Instead of manually looking for these files, use SpyHunter’s scanner to identify and remove large and old files:

  1. Download SpyHunter here and run a scan for large and duplicate files.
  2. Delete unused large files or duplicate files.
remove large files with spyhunter and free up disk space

This step will help you reclaim a lot of space quickly, ensuring you have enough space to install the new Mac operating system.

6. Uninstall unused applications

Unused apps can take up valuable storage space and even use background resources. Here’s how to uninstall them manually:

  1. Open a new Finder window and go to your Applications folder.
  2. Drag any unused apps to the Trash.
  3. Empty the Trash.
  4. Now look for leftover files in all of the following directories:
    • ~/Library/Application Support/
    • ~/Library/Caches/
    • ~/Library/Logs/
    • ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
    • ~/Library/Preferences/
    • ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
    • ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
    • /Library/LaunchAgents/
    • /Library/LaunchDaemons/
  5. Empty your Trash again.

For a more thorough cleanup, including leftover app files, use SpyHunter’s App Uninstaller:

  1. Open SpyHunter and go to the App Uninstaller tab.
  2. Once the application scan is complete, review the list for any apps you no longer need.
  3. Select them and instruct SpyHunter to remove them.
uninstall unwanted application using spyhunter's powerful app uninstaller

SpyHunter removes both the application and all its leftover files, maximizing your free disk space.

7. Clear your downloads folder

Your Downloads folder can quickly get cluttered with old files, large media files, or installers you no longer need.

Cleaning out this folder is a quick way to free up a lot of space at once:

  1. Open Finder and navigate to your Downloads folder.
  2. Sort the files by size to quickly identify the largest ones.
  3. Select and delete any unwanted files. If you want to keep some files, move them to external or cloud storage.
free extra space from downloads folder

Make sure to empty the Trash afterward to fully reclaim the free space.

8. Delete viewed podcasts

Podcasts can quickly accumulate on your Mac, especially if you have automatic downloads turned on.

These downloaded episodes take up a lot of space, even after you’ve listened to them. To remove them:

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. In the sidebar, click on Downloads.
  3. Browse through the episodes you’ve already listened to or no longer need.
  4. Click the three dots next to an episode and select Remove Download.
  5. Repeat for any other podcasts you want to clear.
delete old podcasts

Clearing out these large media files will free up space for the Sequoia update.

9. Move files to external or cloud storage

If your Mac is running low on storage, a good option is to move large files, like videos, photos, or other media, to an external hard drive or a cloud storage service.

This frees up storage to install Sequoia while still keeping your files accessible.

This final step will free up the last bit of disk storage you need to successfully install macOS Sequoia.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your startup disk has enough storage to proceed with the macOS Sequoia installation.

Whether you’re using macOS’s storage management tools or SpyHunter to clear system junk, these methods will help you quickly free up more space for the new Sequoia.

Share this post on your favorite social media
author avatar

Ivelin is a Mac security expert who works hard to keep computers safe. He helps develop SpyHunter for Mac, a tool that fights off new cyber threats. With a lot of experience, Ivelin knows a lot about keeping Macs safe and makes sure people can use their computers without worry.

Keep Your Mac Fast and Secure
Optimize your Mac and stay malware-free with SpyHunter
Download SpyHunter For Free

For a better understanding of our policies, please review our Free Trial Offer below, EULA, and Privacy/Cookie Policy.

SpyHunter Free Trial: Important Terms & Conditions

The SpyHunter Trial version includes, for one device, a one-time 7-day Trial period for SpyHunter 5 Pro (Windows) or SpyHunter for Mac, offering comprehensive malware detection and removal functionality, high-performance guards to actively protect your system from malware threats, and access to our technical support team via the SpyHunter HelpDesk. You will not be charged upfront during the Trial period, although a credit card is required to activate the Trial. (Prepaid credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards are not accepted under this offer.) The requirement for your payment method is to help ensure continuous, uninterrupted security protection during your transition from a Trial to a paid subscription should you decide to purchase. Your payment method will not be charged a payment amount upfront during the Trial, although authorization requests may be sent to your financial institution to verify that your payment method is valid (such authorization submissions are not requests for charges or fees by EnigmaSoft but, depending upon your payment method and/or your financial institution, may reflect on your account availability). You can cancel your Trial by contacting EnigmaSoft’s payment processor (identified in your confirmation email) or EnigmaSoft directly no later than two business days before the 7-day Trial period expires to avoid a charge coming due and being processed immediately after your Trial expires. If you decide to cancel during your Trial, you will immediately lose access to SpyHunter. If, for any reason, you believe a charge was processed that you did not wish to make (which could occur based on system administration, for example), you may also cancel and receive a full refund for the charge any time within 30 days of the date of the purchase charge. See FAQs.

At the end of the Trial, you will be billed upfront immediately at the price and for the subscription period as set forth in the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details) if you have not timely canceled. Pricing typically starts at $72 for 3 months (SpyHunter Pro Windows) and $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter for Mac). Your purchased subscription will be automatically renewed in accordance with the registration/purchase page terms, which provide for automatic renewals at the then applicable standard subscription fee in effect at the time of your original purchase and for the same subscription time period, provided you’re a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user. Please see the purchase page for details. Trial subject to these Terms, your agreement to EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy, and Discount Terms. If you wish to uninstall SpyHunter, learn how.

For payment on the automatic renewal of your subscription, an email reminder will be sent to the email address you provided when you registered before your next payment date. At the onset of your trial, you will receive an activation code that is limited to use for only one Trial and for only one device per account. Your subscription will automatically renew at the price and for the subscription period in accordance with the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details), provided that you are a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user. For paid subscription users, if you cancel, you will continue to have access to your product(s) until the end of your paid subscription period. If you wish to receive a refund for your then current subscription period, you must cancel and apply for a refund within 30 days of your most recent purchase, and you will immediately stop receiving full functionality when your refund is processed.

For CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS, please see the notice provisions:
NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS: Per the California Automatic Renewal Law, you may cancel a subscription as follows:

  1. Go to www.enigmasoftware.com and click the "Login" button at the top right corner.
  2. Log in with your username and password.
  3. In the navigation menu, go to "Order/Licenses." Next to your order/license, a button is available to cancel your subscription if applicable. Note: If you have multiple orders/products, you will need to cancel them on an individual basis.

Should you have any questions or problems, you can contact our EnigmaSoft support team by phone at +1 (888) 360-0646 (USA Toll-Free) / +353 76 680 3523 (Ireland/International) or by email at support@enigmasoftware.com.
How do you cancel a SpyHunter Trial? If your SpyHunter Trial was registered via MyCommerce, you can cancel the trial via MyCommerce by logging into the MyAccount section of MyCommerce (see your confirmation email for further details). You can also contact MyCommerce by phone or email to cancel. To contact MyCommerce via phone, you can call +1-800-406-4966 (USA Toll-Free) or +1-952-646-5022 (24x7x356). You can contact MyCommerce by e-mail at ordersupport@mycommerce.com. You can easily identify if your trial was registered via MyCommerce by checking the confirmation emails that were sent to you upon registration. Alternatively, all users may also contact EnigmaSoft Limited directly. Users can contact our technical support team by emailing support@enigmasoftware.com, opening a ticket in the SpyHunter HelpDesk, or calling +1 (888) 360-0646 (USA) / +353 76 680 3523 (Ireland/International). You can access the SpyHunter HelpDesk from SpyHunter's main screen. To open a support ticket, click on the "HelpDesk" icon. In the window that appears, click the "New Ticket" tab. Fill out the form and click the "Submit" button. If you are unsure of what "Problem Type" to select, please choose the "General Questions" option. Our support agents will promptly process your request and respond to you.

———

SpyHunter Purchase Details
You also have the choice of subscribing to SpyHunter immediately for full functionality, including malware removal and access to our support department via our HelpDesk, typically starting at $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter Basic Windows) and $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter for Mac) in accordance with the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details). Your subscription will automatically renew at the then applicable standard subscription fee in effect at the time of your original purchase subscription and for the same subscription time period, provided you’re a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user and for which you will receive a notice of upcoming charges before the expiration of your subscription. Purchase of SpyHunter is subject to the terms and conditions on the purchase page, EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy and Discount Terms.

———

General Terms
Any purchase for SpyHunter under a discounted price is valid for the offered discounted subscription term. After that, the then applicable standard pricing will apply for automatic renewals and/or future purchases. Pricing is subject to change, although we will notify you in advance of price changes.
All SpyHunter versions are subject to your agreeing to our EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy, and Discount Terms. Please also see our FAQs and Threat Assessment Criteria. If you wish to uninstall SpyHunter, learn how.