How to delete Time Machine local snapshots on a Mac

If Time Machine is enabled, macOS keeps local snapshots of your disk so it can restore files even when the backup drive is not connected. They are normally thinned automatically, but they can occupy a lot of space and are counted in System Data.

List the snapshots

tmutil listlocalsnapshots /

Each line looks like com.apple.TimeMachine.2026-01-15-120000.local. The part between the last two dots, for example 2026-01-15-120000, is the date to use below.

Delete one

sudo tmutil deletelocalsnapshots 2026-01-15-120000

Repeat for each snapshot you want to remove. Deleting the oldest first is a sensible order.

What to expect

• Storage may take a few minutes, or a restart, to show the reclaimed space.
• You lose the ability to restore from those local snapshots. Your external Time Machine backup is not affected.
• If you turn Time Machine off entirely, local snapshots are removed automatically.

Snapshots are only one possible cause of a large System Data figure. This checklist covers the others.

Disclosure: this guide is published by the developer of McCleaner. Scanning is free; cleaning is paid, from €1.99. Back up important data before deleting anything. Commands are provided as is.