In short
- Local snapshots are extra copies kept on the Mac itself. Deleting them does not touch your files or your Time Machine backups.
- macOS removes them on its own: after 24 hours, or sooner when the space is needed.
- To remove them now, set Time Machine to back up manually for a few minutes, or run
tmutil deletelocalsnapshots /. - The snapshots macOS keeps for its own updates can only be removed by macOS.
What local snapshots are
Besides the backups on your backup disk, Time Machine keeps snapshots on the Mac's own disk, and uses them to restore files when the backup disk isn't available. Apple says it saves one about every hour and keeps each for 24 hours, keeps one more from the last successful backup until the space is needed, and saves another before a macOS update is installed (About Time Machine local snapshots).
Apple also says macOS deletes snapshots on its own, as they age or as space is needed for other things, and that the Mac counts the space they use as available storage. That is why you rarely need to delete one yourself.
When deleting them makes sense
- You need the space now. A large download or an update can fail before macOS has thinned its snapshots.
- The numbers don't add up. The disk looks fuller than your files explain, and the list of snapshots is long.
How to see the snapshots on your Mac
In Terminal:
tmutil listlocalsnapshots /The first line is a heading. Each line after it is one snapshot, and its name carries the date and time it was made, such as 2026-10-01-194723. If only the heading appears, there are none.
How to delete local snapshots
Apple's way, in System Settings
These are Apple's steps for macOS Ventura 13 and later.
- Open Time Machine settings. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, click General, then Time Machine.
- Turn automatic backups off for a moment. Click Options and set the backup frequency to Manually, then click Done.
- Wait a few minutes. macOS deletes the local snapshots.
- Turn automatic backups back on. Set the backup frequency back to what it was.
In Terminal
To delete one snapshot, pass its date:
tmutil deletelocalsnapshots 2026-10-01-194723To delete every local snapshot on the startup disk:
tmutil deletelocalsnapshots /To ask macOS to give back a set amount instead, name the amount in bytes and an urgency from 1 to 4. This asks for 10 GB, at the highest urgency:
tmutil thinlocalsnapshots / 10000000000 4Some snapshots are not Time Machine's. macOS keeps snapshots of its own for system updates. These commands don't delete them, and only macOS removes them.
How StorageJanitor shows them
StorageJanitor's first screen says how many snapshots macOS is keeping on the disk, and explains what they are. The full version removes the Time Machine snapshots for you, one by one, and says what will happen before you confirm. Backups on a Time Machine disk are not touched, and the snapshots macOS keeps for its own updates are left to macOS.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to delete local snapshots?
Yes. They are extra copies kept on the Mac itself. Your files stay where they are, and the backups on your Time Machine disk are not touched. What you give up is restoring a version from the last day while the backup disk is not connected.
Do local snapshots use up my storage?
They occupy space on the disk, but Apple says the Mac counts that space as available, and macOS deletes snapshots when the space is needed for something else.
How long does macOS keep a local snapshot?
Apple says Time Machine saves a snapshot about every hour and keeps it for 24 hours. It also keeps a snapshot of the last successful backup until the space is needed.
How do I see the local snapshots on my Mac?
Run tmutil listlocalsnapshots / in Terminal. After a heading line, each line is one snapshot, named with the date and time it was made. StorageJanitor shows how many there are on its first screen.
Does deleting local snapshots delete my Time Machine backups?
No. Local snapshots live on the Mac's internal disk. Backups on an external Time Machine disk are separate and stay as they are.