How to Delete Duplicates in Mac Finder? Comprehensive Guide
Overview: In this blog post, we are going to solve one of your problems, which is to delete duplicates in Mac Finder. So, we are going to explore why duplicates appear and how to remove them efficiently.
Duplicate files can take up valuable space in your system. As time goes it eventually creates more of them and makes file management miserable. Also, Mac Finder does not have their in-built tool, but you can still remove duplicate files manually. But before we dive into that, let’s first figure out how to search folder for duplicate files?
Reasons to Delete Duplicate Files
Here are the points to delete duplicates in Mac Finder. Let’s know them in below wordings:
- If you have multiple duplicate files, then it can occupy a massive amount of disk space which can otherwise be used for other purposes.
- Having fewer duplicate files means that your system can work faster.
- Easier management of files with few duplicates.
- Having lots of copies can make things confusing and lead to errors, especially in collaboration.
How to Delete Duplicates in Mac Finder – Manual Solutions
In this section, we are going to have three ways to delete duplicates in Mac Finder. Follow them in a sequential manner.
Method 1. Using Smart Folders in Finder
Smart folders in Finder provide a fast way to locate duplicate files without manually searching through folders. You can also set filters based on file type, name, or size, to identify and remove unnecessary file duplicates.
- Simply, open Finder and click the new “New Smart Folder” link under the File menu.
- In the search bar, at the top right corner, click the + symbol.
- Select Kind > Document, Image, or other Types of Files.
- You can sort the results into Name or Size so that you can find duplicates.
- Now, manually review and delete any duplicate files.
Method 2. Search For Duplicate File Manually
This method can take time because you are going to delete duplicates in Mac Finder by searching manually.
- Firstly, open the Finder first and type the name of the file in the Search bar.
- Compare the file details like size and modification date.
- Then, right-click and move the duplicate file to the Trash section.
Method 3. Delete Duplicates in Mac Finder Using Terminal Command
It is best suited for users who are strong in technical. By, doing this you can find duplicates:
1. You will need to launch Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
2. Type this below command to list files with the same name:
find ~/Documents -type f -exec md5 {} + | sort | uniq -w32 -d
3. Then delete the duplicates manually.
Delete Duplicates in Mac Finder – Specialized Software
If you have a hard time dealing with duplicate files in your Finder on Mac, then the best option is a dedicated tool such as SysTools Duplicate File Finder. It is very effective in scanning and deleting duplicate files from your Mac system and then creates space for storage as well as improves performance for your system. The method is much better than doing it yourself because it ensures accurate detection and safe deletion without the risk of losing any important data.
Winding Up
You have seen the benefits of deleting duplicate files. As, it can free up your space and improve the overall performance of your system. Moving on, we have mentioned three manual methods to locate and delete duplicates. For better choice, you can use professional tool to save time and find accuracy. So, always try to clean your Mac regularly for better performance.
