# How to 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. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/find-large-folders-and-duplicate-files-on-a-mac/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. Open the notch, choose Disk, then use Space to rank your home folder by size and Duplicates to find files with identical contents. Nothing runs until you press a button, and everything you remove goes to the Trash first, so you can undo it. ## Find the big folders 1. Open the notch and choose **Disk**. A row of eight sections sits at the top: Overview, Space, Find, Duplicates, Apps, Compress, Monitor and Activity. 2. Choose **Space**. It measures your home folder and ranks every folder by size. 3. Click a folder to look inside it. The up arrow goes back one level. 4. Use the magnifier icon beside a row to show it in Finder, or the trash icon to move it to the Trash. The first time you scan Documents, Desktop or Downloads, macOS asks for access to that folder. ## Find duplicates 1. Choose **Duplicates**, then press the scan button. 2. NotchStar compares file contents, not names, across Downloads, Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Movies and Music. It skips files under 1 MB. 3. Each row is a set of copies, with the number of copies and the folder holding the oldest one, which is the one it keeps. 4. Tap a set to include or exclude it. The button shows how much space you would reclaim. 5. Press it to move the extra copies to the Trash. Check the Trash before you empty it. ## Find a file by name The **Find** section searches every file and folder by name as you type, hidden ones included. Each result has Show in Finder and Move to Trash buttons. ## Limits - **Only your home folder and apps in /Applications.** System locations are refused, as are the home folder itself and your top level Documents, Desktop and Library folders. - **Scans do not run in the background.** Start each one yourself. - **Duplicates ignores small files** and compares by content, so a renamed copy is found, but two similar photos are not duplicates. - **A kept copy may be in an odd place.** The oldest copy is kept even if it sits in a folder you do not like, so look at the path. - **It is not a backup tool.** Emptying the Trash is permanent, and NotchStar does not do that for you. Pair it with the [System tab](https://www.notchstar.com/features/system-stats/), which shows how full your disk is at a glance. For developers, see [freeing space on a developer Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/free-up-disk-space-on-a-developer-mac/), and for media, see [compressing photos and videos](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/compress-large-photos-and-videos-to-save-space-on-a-mac/). The full list is on the [Disk page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/disk/). ## Quick answers. ### Does it delete files permanently? No. Everything goes to the Trash and stays there until you empty it. ### Which duplicate is kept? The oldest copy of each set. You choose which sets to clean before anything moves. ## 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. - [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. - [How to free up disk space on a Mac used for development](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/free-up-disk-space-on-a-developer-mac/): Scan caches, logs, Xcode DerivedData and old downloads with the NotchStar Disk tab, choose what to move to the Trash, and learn what each item means. - [How to compress large photos and videos to save space on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/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. ## 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.