paint-brush
5 Mac Apps with the Largest Service Filesby@arina len
884 reads
884 reads

5 Mac Apps with the Largest Service Files

by Arina LienkovaJanuary 16th, 2021
Read on Terminal Reader
Read this story w/o Javascript
tldt arrow

Too Long; Didn't Read

Merely removing apps on Mac OS X is not a hard thing to do: drag & drop or just delete to the Trash. But sometimes after such removal on your Mac, there could be left system files, caches, logs, and other debris – called app leftovers. Sometimes its service files occupy tiny space calculated in KB, other times – comparable to the size of the application itself. It is better to use special third-party app uninstallers for removing programs with all their service files.

Companies Mentioned

Mention Thumbnail
Mention Thumbnail
featured image - 5 Mac Apps with the Largest Service Files
Arina Lienkova HackerNoon profile picture

Merely removing apps on Mac OS X is not a hard thing to do: drag & drop or just delete to the Trash. But sometimes after such removal on your Mac, there could be left system files, caches, logs, and other debris – called app leftovers. That is why it is better to use special third-party app uninstallers for removing programs from your Mac with all their service files.

During the development and research of system files, applications, we reviewed a variety of different applications. Sometimes its service files occupy tiny space calculated in KB, other times – comparable to the size of the application itself.

Here are the most “dirty” apps that can take tons of MBs on your hard drive without any warning.

Applications with Large System Files:

1. Shazam (for Mac)

Service that helps people around the world to not lose their favorite tune. Its system files occupy around 17.1 MB. Not huge, but it’s around 70% the size of the application (23.5 MB).


2. Pixelmator

A simplified and very convenient alternative to Adobe Photoshop. After removal leaves you with ~20MB scattered on your startup disk.

3. Skype

One of the most common messengers in the world. Its service files take up about two times more than the app itself. In our case, it was 475.6 MB with the original app size of 257.4 MB.


4. Xcode

The basic environment for the development of Apple software. By the size of files outside of the container, it is the undisputed leader. But, firstly, the app is not very common among regular users, and secondly, the specifics of the application justify such dimensions. Xcode client – 11.91 GB, service files – 5.2 GB.


5. Google Chrome

And of course, no one could get to the first position other than the king of the dimensionless. It uses both RAM memory and the memory of your drive. His Majesty the Google Chrome. System files of which have a royal size of around 1.2 GB.

It is commonly recommended to regularly clear applications` service files to keep your Mac running fast. You can clear applications` service files manually. However, you should note that this method requires understanding the macOS catalog system which takes a bit more time.