Discover system junk cleanup list
(Updated: )Over time, apps and macOS leave behind files that take up storage without being useful, such as caches, logs, outdated backups, and leftovers from removed apps. CleanMyMac sorts these files into groups, so you can understand what each group contains before you remove anything.
CleanMyMac detects the following types of system junk. To review and remove them, follow the steps in "Remove system junk".
Broken Login Items: When you remove an app or a service, a broken link to it can remain among your Login Items. A login item is considered broken when CleanMyMac can't find the app it points to. CleanMyMac finds these links so you can remove them.
Broken Preferences: App preference files can get damaged, for example, when an app crashes while working with its preferences. A damaged preference file can cause an app to behave improperly or fail to open. CleanMyMac finds only damaged preference files, and removing them usually eliminates these problems.
Deleted Users: When you delete a user account from your Mac, you can choose to keep the Home folder of that user. macOS then stores the folder as a DMG file in the
/Usersfolder. CleanMyMac finds these folders and lists them in this group. They aren't necessarily waste, so review them before removing.Document Versions: Many apps save versions of a document so you can restore an earlier one. Versions are saved automatically as you work, or when you save changes manually. This feature is useful, but copies of your documents can occupy gigabytes of space.
CleanMyMac never offers to remove the earliest and the latest version of a document. It automatically selects only versions saved less than four hours apart, keeping the latest version in that range.
iOS Device Backups: Backups of your iOS devices are stored on your Mac. Data on your devices changes constantly, so backups become outdated quickly. You can remove old backups without losing valuable data.
CleanMyMac never selects the most recent backup for removal automatically.
Language Files: Almost every app includes multiple localizations that you don't use. You can safely remove them to save a significant amount of disk space.
System Cache Files: System apps generate and keep a lot of cache files. Over time, they can lead to longer startup times, lower performance, and sometimes improper system behavior. Removing system cache files helps restore performance.
System Log Files: System apps and services record their activity in numerous log files. These files are generally useful only for debugging, so they're hardly worth the disk space they occupy.
Universal Binaries: To make an app work on both Intel-based Mac computers and Mac computers with Apple silicon, developers include two versions of the app code. Your Mac uses only one of them, so the other version only takes up disk space. CleanMyMac removes the version your Mac doesn't need and keeps the one that matches your Mac.
Note that after you update an app, the removed version can return. This continues until the app developer stops supporting one of the two processor types in that app.
User Cache Files: Caches are originally intended to improve startup times. However, cache files of your apps accumulate over time and can lead to improper app behavior or lower overall performance. CleanMyMac groups cache files by app, so you can identify which app each cache belongs to.
User Log Files: Your apps record their activity in numerous log files. These files can take up a lot of space over time, but they're rarely used, and old ones can be useless at all.
Xcode Junk: If you're a developer, Xcode generates a significant amount of intermediate build data and project indexes. Cleaning them up helps you free up space and can speed up a slow project.
This group appears only if Xcode is installed and you've built at least one app. It can include derived data, module caches, device support files, iOS device logs, archives, and simulators.
CleanMyMac doesn't select module caches and archives for removal automatically.
