Duplicate files
How to find duplicate files on your Mac
Two files are duplicates only when their contents match, so compare the contents and don’t rely on the names. Once you have a match, look at where each copy lives before you delete one. A copy may be your backup, or the file another app expects to find in that exact place.
Why matching names aren’t enough
Names mislead in both directions. A browser adds a number like (1) to a new download even when it has nothing to do with the first file, and the same photo can sit on your disk under two completely different names. Matching sizes are a better hint.
To be certain, compare checksums. In Terminal, shasum -a 256 followed by two file paths prints a fingerprint for each file, and if the two fingerprints match, the files are identical.
Checking duplicates by hand
Finder can narrow things down before you compare anything.
- Open the folder in Finder, switch to list view and sort by size so files of the same size sit together.
- Compare likely pairs with shasum, or simply open both if they are small.
- Decide which copy you actually use, based on its folder and whether that folder is backed up or synced.
- Move the other copy to the Trash, and open the one you kept to make sure it works.
How Mint handles duplicates
Mint compares files in your personal folders, such as Desktop, Documents and Downloads, and in any folder you have added to it. The App Store edition only looks in folders you grant. Mint skips very small files, groups the rest by size, and then compares their contents. For very large files it compares size and sampled content, calls those likely duplicates and lists them under Similar, so you know to take a closer look.
Each extra copy appears as its own row under Clutter in the Disk tab, and the row names the file it duplicates. Nothing is ticked for you, and Move to Trash sits next to Delete permanently, so a wrong pick can be undone. Files that are stored only in iCloud and not downloaded are left out, because checking them would force a download and removing one would free no space on your Mac.
Copies to leave alone
Don’t remove duplicates from inside a Photos library, an app bundle, a Git repository or a backup. Their own software manages those files, and deleting one by hand can break it. Keep a separate backup of anything you can’t replace, and check the copy you kept before you empty the Trash.
Frequently asked questions
Are files with the same name always duplicates?
No. Two files can share a name and have different contents, so compare them with a checksum or with a tool that reads the contents.
Which copy should I keep?
Keep the one in the folder you actually work from, especially if that folder is backed up or synced. The modified dates can also tell you which copy you last opened and saved.
Does Mint delete duplicates automatically?
No. Duplicate rows start unticked, and you decide which copies go and whether they go to the Trash.
See which copies are taking up space
Run a scan in Mint, open Duplicates under Clutter, and tick only the copies you are sure about.