# How to free up disk space on a Mac used for development > 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. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/free-up-disk-space-on-a-developer-mac/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. Open the notch, choose Disk, and press **Scan** on the Overview. It looks for four groups of reclaimable space: app caches, logs, Xcode build data and old downloads. You choose which groups to clean, and the files move to the Trash. Nothing is removed until you press the button. ## Steps 1. Open the notch and choose **Disk**. The Overview shows free space for each drive, with an eject button for external ones. 2. In the cleanup column, press **Scan**. It says it scans caches, logs, Xcode data and old downloads. 3. Review the groups and their sizes: - **App caches**, which apps rebuild when needed. - **Logs**, diagnostic logs in your Library. - **Xcode build data**, which covers DerivedData and device support. - **Old downloads**, untouched for 90 or more days. 4. Tap a group to select it. The button shows the total, for example "Move 8 GB to Trash". 5. Press it. Open the Trash and look before you empty it. 6. The first build after clearing DerivedData is slower, because Xcode rebuilds what it deleted. ## What to expect Xcode build data is often the biggest group on a development Mac, and it is regenerated, so it is the safest large item. Device support files are rebuilt when you next connect a device, which may take a while. Old downloads deserve a look first, since a download can be something you still need. ## Other sections worth a look The **Space** section ranks your home folder by size, so you can find a forgotten project or a dataset. **Duplicates** finds identical files across common folders. **Apps** lists apps with the caches and preferences they leave, and removes them fully, but never Apple apps or NotchStar. The [finding large folders page](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/find-large-folders-and-duplicate-files-on-a-mac/) walks through them. ## Limits - **Only the named groups.** The Xcode group covers DerivedData and device support. Other Xcode data, such as simulators and archives, is not named, so look in Space for those. - **Only your home folder and /Applications.** System locations are refused. - **Package manager caches and Docker images** are outside what the cleanup groups name, so check Space for them. - **Running apps** show Running in Apps instead of a Remove button. - **Space recovered counts only after the move.** The Trash still holds the files until you empty it. - **macOS may ask for access** to Documents, Desktop or Downloads on first scan. Keep the [System tab](https://www.notchstar.com/features/system-stats/) in mind to watch free space. The [Disk page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/disk/) lists every rule. ## Quick answers. ### Is it safe to clear caches? Apps rebuild caches when they need them, so they may start a little slower afterwards. Quit apps first if you can. ### Does it delete anything for good? No. Everything moves to the Trash, and only from your home folder and app bundles. ## 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. - [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 Coding. - [How to find what is using port 3000 on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/find-what-is-using-port-3000-on-a-mac/): Open the NotchStar Disk tab, Monitor, Ports, then filter by 3000 to see the command, project folder and whether it is local or on the network. - [How to stop a dev server that is still running on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/stop-a-dev-server-from-the-mac-notch/): Use NotchStar Disk, Monitor, Ports to find a forgotten dev server and press Stop twice to send a quit request. It never forces a kill. - [How to see which process is using the most CPU or memory on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/see-which-process-is-using-the-cpu-on-a-mac/): The NotchStar Disk tab, Monitor, Usage shows the five busiest processes by CPU and by memory, refreshed every few seconds. No per app history. - [How to reuse terminal commands from clipboard history on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/copy-commands-from-clipboard-history-on-a-mac/): Copy several commands while reading docs, then paste them one at a time from the NotchStar Clipboard tab. Plain text, 50 items, cleared on quit. - [How to watch CPU and memory while a build runs on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/use-cases/watch-cpu-and-memory-during-a-build-on-a-mac/): Keep the NotchStar System tab open while a build or test run goes, then check Disk, Monitor for the heaviest processes. Totals only, no history.