Storage Sense is an easy way to prevent your PC from running out of space. Running out of storage space can cause problems with system performance. Thanks to the built-in function Storage Sense in Windows 11, you can easily manage your PC’s storage.
However, if you have not set up Storage Sense, you can configure it in Windows settings. Storage Sense will automatically free up drive space by deleting unnecessary temporary files and items in your Recycle Bin that are no longer in use.
How to Enable Storage Sense in Windows 11
To use Storage Sense in Windows 11, you must enable it on your system to manage your disk space. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Windows icon to open the Start Menu and click on Settings. Alternatively, use the shortcut key Win + I to open the settings.

2. In the Settings window, click on the System option and select the Storage option.

3. Turn on the Storage Sense toggle under the Storage Management section.
4. Then, click the arrow to customize Storage Sense settings.

How to Use Storage Sense in Windows 11
If you’re happy with the default Storage Sense settings to automatically free up space, delete temporary files, and manage locally stored cloud content. No further action is needed, you’re all set with the default configuration.
However, if you want to configure the Storage Sense cleanup settings, follow these steps:
1. Open Settings and navigate to Storage Sense Option.
2. Here, you will see various options to configure Storage Sense. To automatically clean up temporary files, turn on the Automatic User content cleanup toggle.
3. You can also set up cleanup schedules, like when Storage Sense runs, how often to delete files from the Recycle Bin, and when to clear out files from the Downloads folder. Click the drop-down menu for each option under Configure cleanup schedules to choose the schedule that works best for you.
4. Once you’ve set it up, Storage Sense will automatically remove temporary and unnecessary files from your system based on the schedule you selected.

5. If you want to optimize your disk space right away. Then click on the Run storage sense now button.

Conclusion
That’s it! This is how you can enable and use Storage Sense in Windows 11. By using it, you can effortlessly free up disk space and run your machine at its full potential.
However, Storage Sense might not clear the Windows.old folder. If you recently updated your Windows system, you might still have older files from the previous version in the Windows.old folder, which can occupy a significant amount of storage on your system. To free up that space, you can check out our detailed guide on deleting the Windows.old folder in Windows 11.