How to run it
- Open TerminalApplications › Utilities › Terminal, or Spotlight › Terminal.
- Paste and press ReturnSearching the whole disk can take a few minutes. Folders you don't have permission to read are skipped quietly.
- See everythingGive Terminal Full Disk Access in System Settings › Privacy & Security to include Mail, Messages and other protected folders.
What the parts mean
-size +500M: only files bigger than 500 MB.-mtime +365: only files not modified in the last 365 days.-x: stay on the startup disk instead of wandering into external drives.du -handsort -rh: show human-readable sizes and sort largest first.
Faster, and with a cleanup button
Broom indexes a home folder of 1.78 million files in 8.4 seconds, shows the result as a map, and lets you search every file by name as you type. When you find something to remove, it goes to the Trash with a Put back button.
Questions
Is this command safe?
Yes. find and du only read. Nothing is moved or deleted.
Why do I see 'Operation not permitted'?
macOS protects some folders. The command hides those messages; grant Terminal Full Disk Access to include them.
How do I delete a file it finds?
Drag it to the Trash in Finder, or run open -R followed by the path to reveal it. Avoid rm unless you're sure, because it skips the Trash.