How Do I Remove Duplicate Files in Mac

Unlike Windows, macOS is a stable operating system and not prone to security threats or performance issues easily. It still requires regular maintenance and clean-up from the cache, cookies, junk files, temp files and duplicate files. Duplicate files are nothing but added clutter on our device that takes up a lot of space on our storage. It is required to find and remove them on a periodic interval.

Duplicate files can cause a significant nuisance once they start piling up and create clutter inside your Mac drive. It even keeps on nagging you about the “storage almost full” pop-up. The duplicates hide in multiple folders, mostly in the form of large media files and document files. These are created either through multiple downloads or mistakenly copied, but the major flaw is that it stresses your Mac. Now the question arises – How to delete them on Mac without stressing ourselves and our Mac?

When your Mac nags you about duplicates, you need to first send unwanted files to the quarantine. Yes, it’s a fair shot to delete duplicate files on Mac which might be actually hidden inside numerous folders. Hence, it’s better to use a duplicate file finder for Mac to easily list out and ultimately shred unwanted duplicate clutter of Mac drive.

The manual process to find and delete duplicate files, documents, photos, music, videos, movies, and more can be time taking and tiresome however the best duplicate file finder can ease up the task. These programs are designed with a special algorithm to identify and list our duplicate files. we have tried, tested, compared and reviewed dozens of duplicate file finders for Mac and listed the Best Duplicate File Finder for Mac in 2022. Let’s start with the manual process first!

 Create a Smart Folder

 A Smart Folder is an inbuilt utility of Mac to give you options to add multiple search criteria and find your exact match. You can easily find and remove duplicate files using a Smart Folder.

Step 1. Click on the Finder App, go to the File menu and click on the ‘New Smart Folder’ option.

Step 2. Click on the plus button on the top right and add search filters. You can find documents, photos, music, videos, of folders by size, date, file extension, location, last created, last opened, last modified, kind, etc.

Step 3. You can also select the search location like internal/external HDD, SSD, SD Card, USB Flash Drive, Shared Folders, Desktop, etc. and search duplicate files by file extensions like DOCX, XLSX, PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP, MP3, MP4, AVI, etc.

Step 4. Switch between various view options to preview the search result. View search results by details, list, tiles, or thumbnails depending on the type of documents or pictures you are looking for.

Step 5. Press and hold the Command key and click to select duplicate files that you wish to delete from your Mac. Press the delete key to send them to Trash.

Use the Finder for Mac

The manual method may not find and remove all the the from your Mac. It is wise to use one of the Best Duplicate Files Finders for Mac to automate the process and regain access to huge storage space.

Duplicate Files Fixer

Duplicate Files Fixer is one of the best duplicate file finders to find and remove duplicate files from your Mac. It can easily find duplicate files, documents, photos, music, videos, and other file formats from internal/external HDD, SSD, 4K Drive, USB Drive, SD Card, or other storage devices that connect to your Mac. It has great compatibility with MacOS 10.8 & Above, Windows 11 and earlier, Android 4.1 and above versions.

How to Use the Fixer

Using this Duplicate File Finder for Mac is absolutely easy. You can follow these simple steps to find and remove duplicate files from your Mac.

Step 1. Download and install the Fixer from its Official Website or get it from the App Store.

Step 2: Access the app and select folders, drive partition, files, or devices that you wish to scan.

Step 3. Adjust matching levels and settings to run a perfect quick scan or deep scan and find the desired results. Click on the ‘Scan Now’ button to initiate the scanning process.

Step 4. Preview the scan results, sort duplicate files by different filters and select files that you wish to delete. If all the duplicates need to be removed, you can click on the Auto Mark button to select all of them.

Step 5. Click on the Remove Files button or Delete Marked button to send the files in the Trash.

Duplicate Files Fixer is a dedicated and most renowned duplicate file finder for Mac and is highly reliable in fixing your Mac while getting rid of duplicates. Duplicate Files Fixer runs on a “scan and delete” system, where the tool performs a deep scan of your Mac and weeds out duplicate documents and media files.

This Macintosh duplicate finder has a smart algorithm behind it, capable of searching duplicates based on thumbnail, extension, and content. Once all the duplicates are listed out, you just need to mark and then delete them in a single click.

PROS:

1. Intuitive and modern dashboard
2. Suitable for the novice as well as experienced users
3. Very modern dashboard and intuitive interface
4. This duplicate file finder for Mac is suitable for novice as well as an experienced user
5. Fastest scanning process
6. Preview option to skim duplicates before deleting.

CONS:

1. Only scanning is provided with a trial version

Our Opinion: Best overall in de-duplicating files

Scanning thousands of folders in a single go to find exact duplicates, similar-looking images and recovering huge chunks of space are the best features of Duplicate Files Fixer. We scanned our Mac, internal and external storage system, the results are accurate. Moreover, one-click scanning was pretty fast with comprehensive results while allowing us to adjust settings for better results.

Wrapping Up

Duplicate files are unwanted clutter that needs to be removed at a timely interval. The manual process to find and remove duplicate files may not declutter all the duplicate files from your Mac. You can make use of the best Duplicate File Finder and remover to automatically remove duplicate files, documents, photos, music, videos, movies and more. Keep it Clean!