macOS 26.1 Update messed up storage

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Level 1

4 points

macOS 26.1 Update messed up storage

This may not be related to 26.1 but happened just after I updated. I had roughly 200GB free on a 1TB drive. But all of a sudden all my apps started locking up 2 days after update saying I'm out of storage. I checked Settings > Storage and it showed my drive completely full with the "Applications" category specifically taking up 8.4TB, which is clearly impossible.

3 reboots later it now shows a weird mixed state where it still says 8.4TB of Applications, the storage GUI bar is 100% full with red (red = applications) but it now at least state 200GB free again.

Any idea if this is a known issue? No search results showing anything for me yet.

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 23, 2025 7:54 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 24, 2025 4:01 AM in response to HoboGoblin

The categories in System Settings > General > Storage are based on Spotlight, so the first step is to rebuild the Spotlight index.

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

If that doesn’t help, you can reinstall macOS (it won’t affect your data, but personally I wouldn’t do it without a backup or better yet two of them).

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Owl-53

Level 10

102,217 points

Nov 24, 2025 1:04 AM in response to HoboGoblin

HoboGoblin wrote:

Any idea if this is a known issue? No search results showing anything for me yet.

Using that way * GUID Storage )t o measure Storage is generally understood to the " Eye Candy "the seldom gives a true and accurate measure

Where as 1 - Disk Utilities >> Show All Devices is far more accurate as will 2 - Finder >> Show Hard Drive >> ⌘ + I (eye)

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