TidyMacYes. Once an app is in your Applications folder, the .dmg or .pkg file you installed it from isn’t needed anymore; you can download it again if you ever do. Full macOS installers (“Install macOS …”) in Applications are over 12 GB each and are safe to remove too.
The five questions
Installer files (.dmg and .pkg) you downloaded, and full macOS installers.
After you install an app, the installer stays in Downloads. A macOS installer alone is over 10 GB.
Yes when the app is already installed. TidyMac marks the ones it can match to an installed app as Safe and the rest as Check first.
You'd download the installer again if you ever need it.
Only when you download new ones.
How big it gets: 1–20 GB, mostly in Downloads. A single forgotten macOS installer adds about 12–15 GB.
Where it lives: ~/Downloads, /Applications
Do it yourself
Open Downloads in Finder, sort by Kind, and move .dmg and .pkg files for apps you've installed to the Trash.
ls -lh ~/Downloads/*.dmg ~/Downloads/*.pkg
See your own old installers in seconds
Scan free, see every part of your storage explained, and clean only what’s safe. Everything goes to the Trash first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete old installers on a Mac?
Yes when the app is already installed. TidyMac marks the ones it can match to an installed app as Safe and the rest as Check first.
Why are my old installers so big?
After you install an app, the installer stays in Downloads. A macOS installer alone is over 10 GB.
What happens after I remove old installers?
You'd download the installer again if you ever need it.
Will old installers come back?
Only when you download new ones.
How do I clean old installers manually?
Open Downloads in Finder, sort by Kind, and move .dmg and .pkg files for apps you've installed to the Trash.