A little clarity.
A little help.

Install MacPurge

MacPurge supports Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 or later. The same universal download works on both.

Open the latest DMG, drag MacPurge into Applications and launch it. The release app and installer are Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple.

Start with a scan

A quick scan checks known locations. Choose an extended scan for broader coverage. You can follow progress, cancel a scan and inspect partial or unavailable measurements.

macOS may request access to protected locations when you include them. Inaccessible locations are reported in the results. Use Settings to exclude folders, including everything inside them.

Read Safe and Review labels

Safe items are supported cleanup candidates assessed as recreatable. Review items may contain personal files, installed tools or application data. Inspect the explanation, location and effects before selecting an action.

Inventory coverage does not mean everything can be deleted. Permissions, ownership and the item’s data type determine which actions are offered. Some content is managed by macOS or its owning tool.

Inspect project folders

Choose project roots using the folder button. MacPurge discovers supported build outputs and dependency folders. Read the details to understand whether an item can be recreated or needs reinstalling or further review.

Project totals distinguish measured sizes from the estimated space released after emptying the Trash. Estimates exclude external hard links.

Preview cleanup and check Activity

Supported file removals show a preview and move files to the Trash. Activity keeps restore records. Restore options require the files to remain available in the Trash.

Moving files to the Trash does not immediately free disk space; they still occupy the disk until the Trash is emptied. Tool-specific permanent operations have their own explicit confirmation and cannot be restored from the Trash.

Plan space and keep history

Set a cleanup target in Space plan, inspect the proposed candidates and check whether available actions can reach your goal. Activity also shows previous scans, storage changes and cleanup results.

Scan history and restore journals stay on your Mac. In Settings, choose scan-history retention of 30 days, 90 days or forever. Restore records are retained separately.

Menu bar, Dock and updates

Choose menu bar access, Dock access or both in Settings. You can keep the app available after closing its window and optionally launch it at login.

Check for updates in the app or download the latest stable DMG here. In-app updates validate the release manifest, checksum, publisher and Gatekeeper approval before installing a matching signed release.

Need a hand?

Include your macOS version, MacPurge version, scan type and a description of what happened. Review any attached logs or exported reports for personal paths before sharing them.