Old .dmg and .pkg installers in Downloads: safe to delete?
Where it is
~/Downloads
⏱ Only items untouched for 30 days · *.dmg *.pkg *.iso *.xip *.mpkg
What it is
When you install Mac apps from the web, you typically download a .dmg disk image or a .pkg installer, and Xcode releases come as .xip archives. Once the app is in Applications, the installer just sits in your Downloads folder.
Why it gets so big
Installers are easy to forget, and they're often hundreds of MB each, with Xcode archives and OS images far larger. Every app update you download manually adds another one.
Is it safe to delete?
Usually, but review the list first. Deleting an installer doesn't affect the installed app. Keep anything you can't easily download again, such as an older app version you depend on, installers for software you've paid for, or OS images you use for virtual machines. Installers that have sat untouched for weeks are the best candidates.
Tip
If a .dmg is still mounted in Finder's sidebar, eject it before deleting the file.
See how much space it uses
find "$HOME/Downloads" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 \( -name '*.dmg' -o -name '*.pkg' -o -name '*.iso' -o -name '*.xip' -o -name '*.mpkg' \) -mtime +30 -exec du -ch {} + | tail -1Delete it by hand
Run in Terminal. Deleting cannot be undone, so check the paths first.
find "$HOME/Downloads" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 \( -name '*.dmg' -o -name '*.pkg' -o -name '*.iso' -o -name '*.xip' -o -name '*.mpkg' \) -mtime +30 -print