This feature in Apple’s Mac operating system promises to free up precious storage space.
Apple’s laptops rely on flash storage, and prices really shoot up if you want more local storage (the actual storage on your computer)—if the model you want offers an upgrade in the first place. The Optimized Storage feature in macOS is designed to help free up precious storage space on your Mac.
Optimized Storage requires iCloud, Apple’s online service, to use one of its features (Option 1 mentioned below). Apple provides 5GB of free iCloud Drive storage per Apple ID, so you may want more to take full advantage of Optimized Storage. iCloud storage pricing as follows: 5GB for free; 50GB for $1 per month; 200GB for $3 per month; 2TB for $10 per month. Apple has instructions on how to buy more iCloud storage.
To access the Optimized Storage options in macOS:
- Go to Apple menu > About This Mac.
- In the window that appears, click on the Storage tab, then click Manage.
Read more at MacWorld.com