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How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-LevittOriginal
2025-03-01 09:44:08910browse

The macOS system comes with a large number of language files, which is convenient for users around the world, but it also occupies a lot of storage space. This article describes how to safely delete unwanted language files on your Mac and free up disk space.

What are language files on Mac?

Language files or localized files are responsible for the language display of the application interface, such as item descriptions and dialogues in the game. Each application uses pre-installed language files, but usually only one language is needed, and the rest of the language files waste disk space. If the Mac disk space is insufficient, deleting these files can effectively free up space.

How to find language files on Mac?

The language data for each application on the Mac is stored locally. To view the language list, you need to access the Resources folder for each application. These language files all end with the extension ".lproj". The search method is as follows:

  1. In the "Applications" folder, right-click an application and select "Show package content". This will display the "Contents" folder.
  2. In "Contents > Resources", look for folders ending with ".lproj", these are language files. The two letters beginning with the folder name indicate the language code.

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to delete language files on Mac?

Deleting language files will not affect system functions, but can free up disk space. The deletion method is as follows:

  1. Use the terminal to delete localized files
  2. Use Finder to delete language files
  3. Delete language files through wastebasket
  4. Use third-party software to delete localized files

1. Use the terminal to delete localized files

If you are familiar with using text commands, you can use the terminal to delete language files. The steps are as follows:

  1. Press Cmd Space to open Spotlight, search and open the terminal.
  2. Enter cd /Applications/Application.app/Contents/Resources and replace "Application.app" with the name of the application you want to delete the language file. Press Enter.
  3. Enter sudo rm -rf language.lproj and replace "language" with the short name of the language (for example, Spanish is es.lproj). Press Enter again.
  4. Enter the macOS password and press Enter. If the language folder exists, it will be deleted.

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

2. Use Finder to delete language files

Using Finder to delete language files requires deleting each language pack for each third-party application separately. The steps are as follows:

  1. Right-click on the application and go to "Show package contents > Contents > Resources". Find any folders ending with ".lproj", right-click one, and select "Move to Trash".
  2. If prompted, enter your password and click "OK".

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

3. Delete language files through wastebasket

Sending language files to the Trash is only the first step. They still take up space until the trash is empty. The permanent deletion method is as follows:

  1. Click the "Trash" icon in the Dock to open the Trash. You will see the deleted language folder.
  2. In the menu bar, select "Findor > Clear Trash".
  3. Click "Empty Trash" to confirm that all contents in the Trash are deleted.

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

4. Use third-party software to delete localized files

Using Finder or terminal manually deletes language files is inefficient. It is recommended to use MacKeeper's "Safe Cleanup" feature to automate this process. This feature allows you to search and delete unnecessary language files, and keep necessary language files in mind your geographical location and preferred language.

How to use MacKeeper to delete unwanted language files:

  1. Open MacKeeper, click "Safe Cleanup" in the left sidebar, and then click "Start Scan".
  2. After the scan is completed, click "Language".
  3. Select the unwanted language and click "Clean junk files" to delete unwanted language files and other junk files.
  4. Click "Skip Trash" or "Empty Trash".

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

How to Delete Language Files on a Mac? How to Find & Remove Localization Files on Apple Laptop?

Summary

It is reasonable for an application to contain multiple languages, but these unused language files can take up a lot of disk space. Manually deleting these files is time-consuming and laborious. It is recommended to use third-party software such as MacKeeper to automate this process to efficiently free up disk space.

FAQ

1. What is a .localized file on your Mac?

Files ending in .localized tell the Finder which language to display the folder name. For example, if you set macOS to Spanish, the Downloads folder will appear as Descargas. After deleting the .localized file, the folder name will default to English.

2. How to delete unused languages?

There are many language files on the Mac that need to be processed separately. It is recommended to use MacKeeper's "Safe Cleanup" feature to automate the entire process.

3. How to manually delete files on your Mac?

You can delete language files like you would delete any other data on your Mac - find them, send them to the Trash, and then empty the Trash. You can also use a terminal, but it's more time consuming.

4. How to delete input language from Mac?

You can delete the input language from macOS by following the steps below:

  1. In System Settings, select Keyboard from the sidebar.
  2. Under "Text Enter", click "Edit".
  3. Select a language and click the minus button.

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