.app size 163mb but About the Mac>More Info>Applications shows 108GB

[gregoryfu]

I have an app, Audio Converter Lite, where the .app file is 163.6 MB. But when I go to the Apple menu in to top left corner > About this Mac > More Info > Applications, it shows it's a concerning 108.81 GB.

I don't understand the discrepancy. The app is no longer in the App Store and I'm afraid if I delete it, it will leave extra files on my drive.

Does anyone have any idea what's goin on?

Thanks

 

[bogdanw]

Easy way to identify folders/files related to an app: drag the app in AppCleaner https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/
Don’t click on Remove, click on Cancel after.

 

[gilby101]

I don't understand the discrepancy.

In its main window, Finder shows the "real size" of the app (for want of a better term). System Settings (also More Info > Applications) is showing "size on disk" which is usually/often larger. You can see both sizes in Finder if you do a Control-I (Get Info).

But the APFS file system includes compression and other bits of magic. So that the "size on disk" can be smaller than the "real size" of the app. This applies to any file, though the size on disk is usually larger.

As an extreme case, I have Xcode installed. Finder's Get Info shows Size: 12,428,509,605 bytes (5.94 GB on disk).

I do agree it is most confusing when macOS presents as "Size" two measures of size without saying which. But don't worry about it!! Just use Get Info when unsure.

I'm afraid if I delete it, it will leave extra files on my drive.

Nothing to do with the size issue, but it will! If you just delete any app (that you have actually used), it will leave behind all sorts of files on your disk. Always some in ~/Library, but can also be in other places.

Use AppCleaner (see above from @bogdanw) to see what else the app may have created.