How do I find and delete duplicate files on Mac?

If you want to go the old-school route, you can manually search for duplicates, but it can be time-consuming:

How to find and delete duplicate files on Mac via Finder:

1. Open Finder and navigate to folders where you suspect duplicates might be.
2. Sort files by name or size, which can help identify duplicates visually.
3. If you find any, you can select them and move them to the Trash.

You can use the Smart Folder feature to find duplicate files on Mac. Smart Folders in the Finder app are dynamic folders that automatically organize and display files based on specific search criteria you set. Unlike regular folders, Smart Folders don’t actually store files; instead, they use search queries to display files from different locations across your Mac that meet the criteria.

When you create a Smart Folder, you set filters or rules—such as file type, date modified, size, or tags—and Finder will automatically populate the Smart Folder with all files that match those criteria. This lets you quickly access certain types of files without needing to manually locate and move them into one folder.

How to find duplicate files on Mac via Smart Folder:

1. Open Finder, then go to File > New Smart Folder.
2. In the Smart Folder window, click the + button at the top right.
3. Set search criteria to filter by file type, size, or name to narrow down potential duplicates.
4. Arrange files by Name or Size to spot duplicates more easily.
5. Manually delete the duplicate files found in the search results.

This method is useful for finding duplicates without additional software but requires manual verification and deletion.

There are tons of apps out there claiming they can help you find and delete duplicate files on Mac, but not all of them are trustworthy. I once tried out a random app that ended up being buggy and gave me more headaches!

Before you go on a deleting spree, it’s a smart move to back up your files. Seriously, I’ve learned this the hard way. Using something like Time Machine, which is built into macOS, can save you a ton of grief. If you accidentally delete the wrong files, you’ll be glad to have that backup to fall back on.

Open Terminal and use the following command to find duplicate files on mac:

find /path/to/folder -type f -exec md5 {} \; | sort | uniq -w32 -dD

This command checks files by their MD5 hash values, identifying files with identical content. Review the output to locate and delete duplicates.

Note: This is a more advanced method, ideal if you’re comfortable with command-line operations.

I've been in a similar situation before, and using Finder's "Smart Folders" is really useful. After opening Finder, click File > New Smart Folder, then click the "+" sign in the upper right corner of the window, so you can set filter conditions, such as file type, creation date, name, etc. This will display all the files that may be duplicates.

Although this method is a bit manual, it is actually quite intuitive, especially when filtering by name or file size, it is easy to find which files look similar. This is how I find and delete duplicate files and photos and my Mac felt a lot lighter after deleting them!