iMac Storage Showing Much More Space Than Disk Utility

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iMac Storage Showing Much More Space Than Disk Utility

My iMac storage reads that I have 200GB free out of a total of 250GB. This is incorrect as my files and applications add to much more than this. Disk Utility seems to read more accurately and states that I have only 55GB free. I ran first aid but it found no errors, I reinstalled the OS in Recovery Mode but the problem still persists.

It is a 2021 M1, 8GB, iMac and everything is up to date, currently running Sequoia 15.5. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

iMac 24″, macOS 15.5

Posted on May 30, 2025 2:01 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

HWTech

Level 9

68,198 points

May 31, 2025 5:49 PM in response to roisin20

roisin20 wrote:

My iMac storage reads that I have 200GB free out of a total of 250GB.

Are you sure that is 200GB free? Or was it 200GB Available? On macOS Available is not synonymous with Free. Unfortunately macOS shows the very misleading "Available" storage value everywhere, but only shows the more important, reliable, and critical Free space value in Disk Utility or the Apple System Profiler (aka System Information).

Available storage consists of Free space and Purgeable space. Purgeable storage space will be released at some unknown time in the future. Only Free space is storage that can be used immediately.

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Answer 2

kaz-k

Level 9

51,078 points

May 30, 2025 4:46 AM in response to roisin20

Hi,

I think it's a bug. You should report the storage space bug of Sequoia to Apple with going to Apple Feedback page and report about your issue which you face with now.

https://feedback.apple.com/

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