# How to compress large photos and videos to save space on a Mac > The NotchStar Disk tool recompresses photos over 2 MB and videos over 50 MB. The original goes to the Trash. Compression is lossy, so check the result first. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/compress-large-photos-and-videos-to-save-space-on-a-mac/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. In the Disk tool, the Compress section finds photos over 2 MB and videos over 50 MB in your Downloads, Desktop, Documents, Pictures and Movies folders, recompresses the ones you pick, and moves each original to the Trash. It saves space, but the result is lossy, so do not use it on files where the best quality matters. ## Steps 1. Open the notch, choose **Disk**, then the **Compress** section. 2. Press **Find large media**. NotchStar lists the large photos and videos it can shrink, biggest first. The scan covers JPEG, HEIC, MOV, MP4 and M4V files. 3. Every file starts selected. Click a row to leave it out, such as originals for printing or editing. 4. Press the button at the bottom right, labelled with the number of files and their total size, for example "Compress 3 (1.2 GB)". Progress reads "Compressing 2 of 6" with the space saved so far. Press **Stop after this one** to cancel the rest. 5. Open the compressed files and check them. Look at a video to the end, and zoom into a photo. 6. If you are happy, empty the Trash when you choose. If not, put the original back from the Trash. ## What changes Photos are encoded again at a lower quality setting in the same format, and NotchStar keeps the photo's metadata such as location and orientation. Videos are encoded again as HEVC, which many apps and devices read, though not all older ones do. The new file takes the place of the old one at the same path, and the original goes to the Trash. A result is kept only if it is under 90 percent of the original size. Otherwise it is thrown away and the original stays where it was. The Activity section charts the space you have recovered over the last 14 days. ## When not to use it - **Camera originals and masters.** Keep full quality copies of anything you will edit or print. - **Files someone else needs in a specific format.** Check the format with them first. - **Work in progress.** Do not compress a file that another app has open. ## Limits - **Lossy.** There is no way to restore detail afterwards except from the original in the Trash. Once you empty the Trash, it is gone. - **Five folders only.** The scan covers Downloads, Desktop, Documents, Pictures and Movies inside your home folder. - **No format choices or quality slider.** NotchStar picks the settings. - **Scans start only when you press the button.** Nothing runs in the background. - **Large videos take time.** Do not quit the app partway. - **It cannot tell which files matter to you.** Only you can. To see where the space is going before you compress, use Space and Duplicates, described in [finding large folders and duplicates](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/find-large-folders-and-duplicate-files-on-a-mac/). The [Disk page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/disk/) lists every section and safety rule. ## Quick answers. ### Is compression lossy? Yes. Photos are recompressed at a lower quality setting and videos as HEVC. Check the result before you empty the Trash. ### What happens to the original? It goes to the Trash. Anything that does not get smaller is left alone. ## Keep reading. - [Disk space, duplicates, apps and cleanup](https://www.notchstar.com/features/disk/): See free space, find big folders, duplicates and app leftovers, compress media and clean caches from your Mac notch. Everything goes to the Trash. - [How to find large folders and duplicate files on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/find-large-folders-and-duplicate-files-on-a-mac/): Use the NotchStar Disk tab to rank folders by size, find duplicate files and move extras to the Trash. Scans start only when you press a button. - [CPU, memory, disk, battery and network](https://www.notchstar.com/features/system-stats/): Live CPU, memory, disk, battery and network speed gauges in your Mac notch. Sampling only runs while the tab is open, so it stays light. - [A shelf and an AirDrop zone in the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/file-shelf/): Park files in the notch while you work, then drag them out or AirDrop them. Drag a file toward the notch and the shelf opens by itself. ## More in Work and files. - [How to AirDrop files from the Mac notch](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/move-files-to-airdrop-with-the-shelf-on-a-mac/): Drag files toward the notch, drop them on the AirDrop zone and pick a device in the macOS sharing sheet. Steps, the shelf alternative, and the limits. - [How to collect files from different folders before attaching them on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/collect-several-files-before-attaching-them-on-a-mac/): Park files from different folders on the NotchStar Shelf, then drag them out one at a time or AirDrop them together. The shelf holds references, not copies. - [How to keep a screenshot for a bug report on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/keep-a-screenshot-for-a-bug-report-on-a-mac/): Capture the error, check it in the NotchStar tray, then attach or save it before the five minutes are up. The file stays where macOS saved it. - [How to move files between folders without two Finder windows on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/move-files-between-folders-with-the-shelf-on-a-mac/): Park files on the NotchStar Shelf, switch to the destination folder, and drag them out. A quick way to move files without two Finder windows side by side. - [How to paste something you copied earlier on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/reuse-text-you-copied-earlier-in-an-email-on-a-mac/): Find an earlier copy in the NotchStar Clipboard tab, search it, click it and paste it. Holds 50 items, clears on quit and skips password manager copies. - [How to see your next meeting on a Mac without opening Calendar](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/check-your-next-meeting-without-opening-calendar-on-a-mac/): The NotchStar Home tab shows your next two events and reminders. Hover the notch, read the time and tick off reminders. Today and tomorrow only.