Mac storage hacks

Upgrade your Mac's storage the smart (and cheap) way.

Author

Leander Kahney
May 08, 2025

For all my adult life, I’ve been the go-to tech expert for family and friends — which is ironic, because I’m not super-technical at all. I’m just a bit more technical than them, I guess.

And of all the tech headaches I dread, it’s running out of storage space.

I’ve dealt with this problem on almost every device I’ve ever owned (except maybe iPad) — iPhones, Macs, even iPods! No matter how much storage you initially buy, you always, always run out eventually.

The problem is compounded by Apple’s latest machines, which often come with un-expandable internal storage (at least by regular all-thumbs folks like ourselves).

So take a gander at our latest guide for some good — and, crucially, cheap — ways to increase your Mac’s storage. It breaks down most of the options.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • You’ve got to check this out. What the flying fig is this freaky weird portable-screen-cum-mini-projector? It looks goofy and mad, but Ed Hardy, our resident expert on portable screens, loves it, as you can see from his hands-on review.

  • Sony’s long made great headphones, and these refurb cans have a special bass button that makes your head rattle. Great discount, too.

  • Meet the young winners of Apple’s Swift Student Challenge, who get to attend next month’s WWDC in person, the little b****rds! And not a vibe coder among them.

  • As an online publisher, I’m absolutely terrified by AI and its ability to decimate the publishing industry. The good news is, Apple’s thinking of building it right into Safari. Oh joy!!!! Can’t wait to be destitute.

  • The utility of AI can’t be denied, though, and Google’s new Gemini app for iPad is designed for split-screen multitasking, making the destruction of publishing even easier.

  • The upcoming Apple TV+ movie Echo Valley puts out great neo-noir vibes. It looks pretty good, with a great cast and production team. Watch the trailer.

  • Finally, today’s the day in Apple history that Cupertino launched the proto-MacBook Air, which weighed a hefty 4.4 pounds.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

How to upgrade your Mac's storage the smart (and cheap) way

You don’t need to splurge on Apple’s pricey storage upgrades to expand your Mac’s space. Our buying guide shows you plenty of other options.

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A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Discount code: Get a versatile iPhone scanning app for $24.99 (works with iPad, too)

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These Swift Student Challenge winners hope to change the world through code

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iPad 11 drops to lowest price yet

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This brilliant portable foldable monitor is like nothing you’ve ever seen [Review]

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Today in Apple history: 1997's 'MacBook Air' weighed 4.4 pounds

On May 8, 1997, Apple released the PowerBook 2400c laptop, a 4.4-pound "subnotebook" that presaged the rise of speedy, lightweight notebooks.

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

We've observed that the oldest and largest organization in the world has only four layers of management. That's the Catholic Church. And, uh, five if you count the highest order I suppose. So, we see no reason why we need over four layers of management. Indeed, we have usually about three.

— Steve Jobs, 1983.

Today’s poll

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