Mac cleanup and disk space questions

Start with Storage Map to see which folders use the most space, then review chat media, app caches, old installers, duplicates and developer caches. Keep work files, important attachments and backups you still need. Only select items you no longer need. MacClean shows scan results from your Mac; reclaimable space depends on the actual files, with no fixed GB guarantee.

In Developer Tools, review the size and notes for Xcode DerivedData, npm, pip and Gradle caches. Quit the relevant tools before selecting unwanted items. Removing build caches can require rebuilding or downloading dependencies again. Xcode Archives contain release archives and debug symbols; they are not ordinary caches and are not selected by default.

Caches are often regenerated as you use apps again, so the next launch or project build may take longer. Caches, login cookies, received chat files and device backups serve different purposes and should not all be treated as junk. MacClean lists these categories separately. Read the notes, quit the relevant apps, and select only what you no longer need.

Use App Manager to review an app and its associated files before uninstalling it. If the app has already been removed, review the leftover items. Related data can include preferences or content you want to keep, so inspect it before cleaning. MacClean supports review and selection; it does not promise to erase every trace of every app.

Ordinary cleanup moves files to the Trash, where they still occupy disk space so you can restore them. Emptying the Trash after confirming you no longer need the files may release that space; this cannot be undone through Cleanup History. macOS storage figures may also update later, and snapshots or shared data can affect the result. Bytes moved to the Trash do not necessarily equal an immediate increase in available space.

Scans only read file information. Review and select items before cleaning. Ordinary files move to the Trash and can be restored from Cleanup History before it is emptied. Emptying the Trash, Docker cleanup and deleting local snapshots cannot be undone this way; these actions show a separate warning.

Only what you tick: app and browser caches, logs older than 7 days, old installers, local copies of Mail attachments, device backups you select, developer caches and so on. Each category explains where it comes from and what deleting it means (caches, for example, are rebuilt when needed).

Open Cleanup History in MacClean, pick a cleanup and click Restore. The files go back where they were. This works as long as you haven’t emptied the Trash. After that, Recover Files can still try local snapshots and Time Machine backups.

Possibly, but not always. In MacClean 1.1, Recover Files copies files back from APFS local snapshots and Time Machine backups. With Time Machine on (or after a system update), macOS keeps local snapshots of roughly the last 24 hours. If the file wasn’t in any snapshot or backup when it was deleted, it can’t be recovered, and MacClean won’t pretend otherwise. In that case, check Recently Deleted in iCloud Drive or Photos.

Turn on Time Machine: it backs up regularly and lets macOS keep local snapshots. Act quickly when you notice a mistake, since local snapshots usually last only about 24 hours. Until you’ve recovered the file, avoid writing lots of data (big downloads, installing apps), which can make macOS purge snapshots early to free space.

No. MacClean isn’t antivirus. macOS has built-in protections such as XProtect that check for known malware in the background. Security checks that those protections are on and that XProtect’s data is current, and lists permissions and signatures worth a look so you can decide. It only reads and changes no settings.

Identical files are grouped by content, with at least one copy kept in each group; you can change which one is kept. Similar photos are not necessarily duplicates, so preview each group before deciding. Ordinary removed copies go to the Trash and can be restored from Cleanup History before it is emptied.

Open Chat Cleanup to review WeChat, QQ or WeCom media, then select unwanted photos, videos, attachments and caches by type and month. Supported WeChat media can be grouped by conversation folder; this does not identify contact names. MacClean does not read message databases. Only regenerable caches and thumbnails are preselected. Save important attachments and quit the chat app before cleaning. Removed media may appear expired in chats; restore ordinary files from Cleanup History before emptying the Trash.

System Data is not all junk. It can include local snapshots, backups, Spotlight indexes, developer caches, local AI models and virtual memory. Start with the System Data view in Storage Map to review measurable categories and sizes, then use the relevant feature for unwanted caches, backups or models. Analysis is read-only and does not automatically delete system files. Items that need more permissions or cannot be measured are identified. Do not remove data you still need just to reduce the number.

You’ll need to download a model again the next time you use it. MacClean shows how much that would be on every row, and nothing is selected by default. Ollama models share data files, so the space shown only counts data no other model uses. Files go to the Trash and can be undone; MacClean never runs ollama rm, and you quit Ollama before cleaning. Hugging Face tokens and images you generated are never touched.

While browsing the Folder Map, drag files or folders you want gone into the Basket, or add them with the hover button, the right-click menu or the B key. A running total shows how much you can free. Adding a folder absorbs anything inside it that’s already in the Basket, so nothing is counted twice. System folders, top-level home folders and iCloud Drive can’t be added, and you’re told why. Review the list, take out anything you want to keep, then move it all to the Trash at once, which you can undo. Items in Documents, Desktop or Pictures, and anything over 10 GB, get an extra warning. Press the Space bar for Quick Look, just like in Finder.

Every feature works for 7 days after the first launch. After that, scanning and viewing results stay free; cleaning needs a license.

We check payments by hand and usually issue licenses within 24 hours. Please write the payment code in the payment note so we can match it to your order. Once confirmed, the license appears on your order page; open your order link or look it up with your order number and email.

No problem. Email us your order number, the payment time and the amount, and we’ll match it by hand.

Open MacClean, click Upgrade at the top of the sidebar, choose Enter License, paste your license key (it starts with MCLN-) and click Activate. Activation needs an internet connection once.

Lifetime activates 2 Macs; Family activates 5. When you switch computers, click “Deactivate on this Mac” in the old Mac’s settings to free the slot.

On the Mac you no longer use, open MacClean’s settings, go to License and click “Deactivate on this Mac”. If you no longer have that Mac, email us your license key and we’ll free the slot.

Yes. Within 30 days of purchase, email us your order number for a full refund, no reason needed. The license is deactivated after the refund.

macOS protects the data folders of apps like Mail and Safari. Without this permission MacClean can’t see the caches and history stored there. It still works without it, just with some files missing from scans. See the download page for how to grant it.

MacClean isn’t notarized by Apple yet, so macOS stops it the first time you open it. In Applications, Control-click MacClean and choose Open, or go to System Settings › Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. See the illustrated guide.

Maintenance commands like flushing DNS, rebuilding the Spotlight index and deleting local snapshots need administrator rights; macOS requires it. Each one is marked “Requires admin password” and only asks when you click Run.

No. Every scan runs on your Mac; file names, paths and browsing history never leave it. It only goes online to activate a license and check for updates. Details are in the privacy policy.

If it’s activated, first click “Deactivate on this Mac” under License in settings so the slot can go to another Mac. Then quit MacClean and drag it from Applications to the Trash.