Tag Archives: volume

fixed : Mac’s internal storage nearly full due to iOS Files

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Question :
My Mac is slow, and I can’t install updates anymore… I found out, by looking in Settings > General > Storage, that I only have about 5 GB of free space… and after the waiting for the internal storage volume bar to color up and indicate which types of files take up most space, I found out (by clicking on it) that the Applications have two sections : not only Applications (which are the installed macOS Applications I presume), but also something called “iOS Files” which take up about 45 GB…

What are those iOS Files ? and can I delete them to free up memory space ?

Answer :
Yes, it can be a good idea to free up some free space on the internal memory of your Mac by deleting those iOS Files. They are in fact backups of your iPhone(s), which you don’t need on your Mac if your iPhone is being backed up to iCloud.
Basically there are 2 ways of deleting these iOS Files from your Mac, one is deleting them without connecting your iPhone to your Mac, the other is a way that requires your to connect your iPhone. But if you have so little free space left (only a few GBs) you will need to combine the two to solve your problem :

  • first, make sure your iPhone is being backed up to iCloud, so open your iPhone
  • then, open the Settings.app
  • in the Settings window that opens, click on your Account ( your Own Name )
  • in the Account window that opens, click on iCloud
  • in the iCloud window, go to the “Saved to iCloud” chapter and click on “See All”
  • in the Saved to iCloud window, make sure taht everything that you want to include in your backups turned ON
  • then, go back into the iCloud window, go to the “iCloud Backup” chapter and click on it
  • in the iCloud Backup window that opens, make sure that “Back Up This iPhone” is switched ON
  • then, click “Back Up Now”
  • when the backup is finished, go to your Mac
  • on your Mac, open the Finder.app
  • when the Finder window is open, press the [CMD]+{SHIFT]+[G] key combo on your keyboard
  • in the search window that opens, in the search field, typ the following :
  • ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup
  • then press Enter
  • in the Finder window that opens you will see a folder named Backup
  • drag&drop that Backup folder onto your Trash
  • then, empty the Trash
  • when warned that some files can’t be deleted, just continue
  • when the emptying has finished, open the Trash and drag the Backup folder back into the location that it used to be in ( which is in the MobileSync folder inside the Application Support folder )
  • now your Mac should have a lot more memory space freed up, but you’re not finished yet
  • now, connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB or USB-C cable
  • on your Mac allow “trust this computer’, and unlock your iPhone by using your unlock passcode or face-recognition
  • NOTE : if you get a warning that a software update is needed for your Mac to recognise your iPhone, install that update first
  • now, your iPhone will appear in the sidebar of the Finder
  • when your iPhone shows up, click on it
  • in the iPhone’s settings window that opens, click on the General tab
  • then, in the General tab, in the Backups chapter, choose “Backup your most important data on your iPhone to iCloud”
  • then, go on to the Options chapter, make sure that only “Manually manage music, movies and TV shows” is checked and click the Apply button
  • then, exit the iPhone in the Finder and unplug the iPhone’s cable from your Mac
  • now, open the Finder.app again and press the [CMD]+{SHIFT]+[G]
  • in the search filed that opens, again, typ the following :
  • ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup
  • and press Enter
  • now, in the window that opens, click on the Backup folder
  • when the Backup folder opens, drag&drop all it’s contents ( usually only one folder with an unpronounceable name ) to the Trash
  • then empty the Trash
  • and close the Finder.app
  • That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

fixed : free currency converter (or unit converter) for iOS

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Question :
I used to have a currency converter app on my iPhone which was very handy when travelling the globe. But the free currency converter app that I used to use, doesn’t work with my current iOS version and is no longer available form the AppStore…

Do you have any recommendation ?


Answer :
With the introduction of iOS 18, Apple has. integrated all kinds of conversion options (including currency conversion) into the Calculator app. To use it, do this :
– open the Calculator.app on your iPhone (or iPad or Mac)
– when in the regular calculator mode, click on the Calculator-button (bottom left)
– from the popup list that appears, set the slider to the right (so ‘Convert’ will be chosen and turn orange)
– now the input field will be devided in two : an upper part with white digits and a lower part with grey digits ; the upper part is the input field, the lower part is the result field
– tip 1 : using the orange up/down-sign on the left, you can swap the currency
– tip 2 : using the grey up&down-icon next to the currencies, you can choose any currency you like
– tip 3 : after pressing the grey up&down-icon (next to the currency), you will get the option to convert not only currencies, but also all other sorts of values by choosing another orange chapter : Angle, Area, Data, Energy, Force, Fuel, Length, Power, Pressure, Speed, Temperature, Time, Volume or Weight ; you can scroll though the list or use the search field to find the currency (or other type of unit) you need
– so, after having chosen the sort of conversion you need, just key in the value and the converted value will be shown

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰