com.apple.mediaanalysisd files filling drive in macOS 15.1

I'm still having this issue with 15.3.2! I deleted that whole folder just a few days ago (because it was eating up almost 250GB of space!), and it's already back up to almost 60GB! Anyone found a solution that doesn't require extensive IT knowledge? :) Because obviously Apple didn't fix anything...

While it's true that upgrading to the newest version of macOS cleans up some of this mess, but it is not a permanent solution. I've been on macOS 15.3.2 for a few weeks and after the upgrade, I was able to reclaim about 50GB of space but I'm already down to just 200MB (yes, M, not G) and no amount of restarting helps. My com.apple.mediaanalysisd folder is currently 40GB and contains a lot of symlinks to my entire user directory so it seems to be scanning everything. Whatever it's doing, it's doing it wrong. The system shouldn't have the privilege or right to consume all available space for some fringe benefit that 1) isn't user-controlled 2) is completely out of control.

This is to say, upgrading your OS will NOT resolve this issue permanently, it's a temporary remedy.

15.3 does nothing to fix this. I'm on 15.3.2 on a M1, with 30GB in the Caches directory within com.apple.mediaanalysisd.

Well, I just deleted it now, and everything seems OK.

It is a cache after all, and the software should be able to work without cached data.

Looks like this works...

https://www.stclairsoft.com/AppTamer/

Sequoia 15.4.1

I have gone and deleted the folder which was taking ~11 GB. No side effects so far (deleted 3 minutes ago).

Will update if there is any

for me I’m using DaisyDisk, you can easily manage your storage

I have the same problem. The process com.apple.mediaanalysisd (in

systemdata) is filling up my entire Mac mini SSD (140gb so far). Does

anyone know how i can stop this? I downloaded the CCleaner to clean up

some system data (including the com.apple.mediaanalysisd file) but a

week later the **** process starts filling out my entire SSD again.

I have around 20gb free space on my SSD and the ****

com.apple.mediaanalysisd taking up 140gb, and im getting warnings from

macos that my internal SSD is getting low on space.

I do have around 80.000 photos stored on a external 4TB SSD (with 2TB

free space). Is it possible to make the "com.apple.mediaanalysisd" to

use that SSD instead? or is there a way to turn is this process or make

is stop filling out my entire internal SSD?

im on the latest version of MacOS!

mohysfb wrote:

I tried cleaning my device using CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac is infamous for corrupting macOS. 3rd party virus apps do the same.

"I have tested the trial version s of the earlier CleamMyMac versions twice, and every time it damaged my Photos Library, when I let it clean a simple test library. It removed original image files of edited versions as unnecessary working copies, and it linked quite a few edited versions to the wrong originals. The damaged library could not be repaired and needed to be restored from a backup."

How to prompt Photos in MacOS Sequoia to … - Apple Community

Me too... Is there anyone left in Apple that remembers how to program in 64K of memory?

If (iphone & no space while trying to upgrade)

offload Photos & reload later! - That would make it simpler!

Or is it apple policy to force people into buying a new phone &/or a real Mac?

If (df at 90%)

kill mediaanalysisd & do not restart it till space below 90%

Use space more efficiently!

Manage caches appropriately!

etc. etc.

Come on Apple are there any old & careful programmers left?

Having to poke around in plists is not a solution!

This is all really simp-le stuff you seem to have forgotten!

Anyone with this problem all have ICloud... I have ache files that are exeeding over 100 gbs. And Im not quite sure what to do, I have been struggiling with space for quite awhile now , and even got an 8TB to help out, however seemingly always end up having the same issue at the end of he day.

Has anyneremoed these files or copied them over? Does anyone know if removing them will cause my computer to malfunction?

Is there any update to this? I am on 15.2, and com.apple.mediaanalysisd is taking up 145 GB on my SSD.

Is there no official answer to this? Is it supposed to be this large? Is this a bug? Are these cache files, will it shrink over time?

All I am occasionally using a Check Point VPN, enabled in the browser, and DevCleaner. I doubt either of them does anything to impact this issue

I will check DiskUtility and EtreCheck, as well as update to 15.3, and get back …

Thanks, but it's not luck we need it's real action & admission of problems.

Also a "switch" to turn off mediaanalysisd & any other errant "new" software

would be useful!

Without playing in the plist swamp.

I thought I'd replied to this... seems not...

Photos: 35432 items

Incl.

Videos: 2324

Selfies: 220 (Not necessarily of me!)

Live: 93

Panos: 207

Total: ~168G

Not a great number by the standards of others I know.

Also in iCloud...

iCloud drive: ~110G

Backups: 17G

+ various app storage.

Again, not high by some standards.

(& nowhere near as much as I have on linux machines)

That "apple" should run mediaanalysisd on a machine & fill it up causing me to lose data

is unforgivable, to continually tell people to reduce usage when the actual problem is "apple"

in unconscionable.

The same applies to iphones, ipads etc. (the system software for which is now "bloated" in the

style of MicroSloth Windoze) when an update is required & the device can only unload or remove

insignificant apps when "Photos" could be offloaded (as long as there is sufficient iCloud space).

I get that this is a problem for a 256G/512G iphone with 5G of iCloud, but the entire ecosystem is

seemingly geared to selling more iCloud space &/or bigger memory devices.

It is really a programming problem & an honesty issue that need to be resolved & tell the user the truth!

So let's encourage Apple to start being truthful about storage space, on machines, iphone/pad & iCloud.

Please Apple do not try to hide the bleeding obvious!

As I assume by your comment "BTW, Apple issued isn’t here" you mean that no one from Apple reads

these pages, I find that disappointing & feel that they should, they might learn something about their

products!

In any case that does indicate that we need a button that says "report this as a bug" that points people

in the right direction.

But then my experience at trying to report a bug to apple has been that it is generally ignored.