TidyMacThe VM volume holds macOS swap files and the sleep image. They grow when memory is under pressure and shrink after a restart. Never delete them by hand. To reduce swap, quit memory-heavy apps or restart; macOS manages the space itself.
Location: /private/var/vm · System Volumes/VM
What’s inside
- swapfile0, swapfile1, …
- sleepimage
What actually helps
Restart the Mac. Swap files are removed at boot and recreated only as needed. Quitting apps that use lots of memory (browsers with many tabs, VMs) keeps swap small.
Find every folder like this on your Mac
TidyMac lists big folders outside its library, checks which app owns each one and whether that app is still installed, and explains it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete /private/var/vm (swap and sleep image)?
Leave alone: Removing this directly can break something. There’s a right way to shrink it. The VM volume holds macOS swap files and the sleep image. They grow when memory is under pressure and shrink after a restart. Never delete them by hand. To reduce swap, quit memory-heavy apps or restart; macOS manages the space itself.
Where is /private/var/vm (swap and sleep image) on my Mac?
/private/var/vm · System Volumes/VM. In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder and paste the path.
How big does /private/var/vm (swap and sleep image) get?
Usually 1 – 20 GB.