Here’s a quick guide on how to clean junk files on Mac. We’ll go over types of junk you might have on your Mac and why it’s there, as well as ways of getting it removed. Why would you want it removed (apart from the desire to keep your Mac clean)? Because junk not only takes up space, it slows your Mac down, and it’s usually the reason behind system glitches and errors. In other words, getting rid of it is all around a great idea.
This guide will help you to clean all the extra junk on your Mac’s operating system and breathe new life into your Mac.
What are user cache files and how to remove them?
The user cache files are usually app files that are stored on your Mac. These are various temporary files that are meant to speed the performance of the Apple software. Caching data is essential for Macs that use wired internet connection. But, by caching for a long time, your Mac accumulates lots of files, which can affect its performance. So, it’s better to clean your Mac of them and help it run faster.
The cleaner wants you to install additional software programs to clean Mac of junk files. The cleaner aggressively pushes a subscription or premium license. If you stick to the top 10 best free Mac cleaners described in this article, then you shouldn’t run into any of these issues. Cleaning Mac For Free. No.5 Free Mac cleaner: Dr. Cleaner – Free memory, disk, system cleaner. Cleaner is one free Mac cleaning app to offer Memory Optimization, Disk Cleaning and System Monitoring to keep your Mac optimized for the best performance. Smart and accurate selection for duplicates scan and remove on Mac with OS X 10.6.6 or later. Best FREE PC cleaner in 2021. Free disk space clean up, optimize memory, and speed up Windows system. Optimize and clean my PC. Cleaner & PC Cleaner for free. CCleaner & Clean master alternative cleaner. Keep your computer clean and fast with Total PC Cleaner. It lets you clean.
Here’s how to clean junk files on Mac and remove user cache:
- Open Finder.
- Press Command+Shift+G.
- Enter the following command into the field and select Go:
~/Library/Caches. - In the window that appears, you will see all your cache files.
- Press Command+A to select all files and delete them. Press Command and click on the folders you want to delete if you don’t want to remove all files at once.
- In the pop-up that appears, you’ll need to enter your user name and password.
If you still see folders in Caches, maybe you have some windows open. In other cases, there will be no cache files left.
What are system log files and how to remove them?
Every Mac has system log files stored deep inside its memory. Mac saves and stores system log files mainly for developers to diagnose errors and problems with macOS and system applications when they occur. These logs are plain text files, so they usually don’t take up a lot of storage. But, when you’re running out of free space, deleting even such small files may help you declutter your Mac.
It’s important to note, though, that cleaning system log files manually, you may accidentally delete some essential data. So, make sure to back up your data to avoid heartache when you delete something important. Using safe cleaning tools notarized by Apple, like CleanMyMac X, can help you prevent the risks of removing valuable data.
So, to clean system junk on your Mac, do the following:
- Open Finder.
- From the Go menu, select Go to folder.
- Enter the
/var/login the field and select Go. - You will see all the system log files. Select the files you want to remove and drag them to the Bin.
Mac Os X Cleaner Free
You can also find system log files in /Library/Logs. This folder contains system application logs that aren’t essential to store.
If you go to /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports, you will find system reports. Safely delete the files to keep your Mac clean and free of clutter.
How to remove user log files?
When your app crashes, you usually are asked to submit a bug report. The system gathers your user logs and includes them in a report. The user log files don’t contain information on user activity as it may seem. They only deal with app-level functionality.
If your Mac is old, you probably have a lot of user logs. So, it’s time to clean your machine of them.
Follow the instructions to delete user log files on your Mac:
- Open Finder.
- Press Command+Shift+G.
- Enter the following command in the field and press Go:
~/Library/Logs. - You will see all the system log files. You can manually move the files from folders to Bin.
If you want to declutter your Mac fully, select all user log files and delete them.
How to delete language files?
Thanks to localization and language files, you can set your apps to the language you prefer. But once you determined the language of the app, you may delete other language files. These files are usually stored inside application packages, so many users don’t even have the faintest idea they exist on their Macs.
If you wonder how to delete junk files on Mac, you may start by removing the language files:
- Open Finder and go to the Applications folder.
- Right-click any application icon and select Show Package Contents.
- Find the Resources folder and open it.
- All subfolders ending with “lproj” are language files. Each folder contains localization information on a particular language. For example, the folder named en.lproj comprises English language files.
- Select the language folders and move them to Bin.
Don’t forget to empty the Bin, when you’re done removing junk files from your Mac.
How to remove Xcode junk?
If you use Xcode, tons of your disk space gets hogged with old cache and junk that Xcode consumes. You might not even notice it until it impacts your Mac’s performance. In case you would like to go over all the libraries to remove Xcode junk manually, here’s a list of paths you need:
Best Free Junk File Cleaner For Mac
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup
Important notice: we do not assume responsibility for the possible damage or loss of data that might occur when you manually clean Xcode libraries. Thus, venture this path on your own risk. Or use CleanMyMac X, because it knows exactly how to clean Xcode cache, traces, and leftovers and does it neatly, leaving all the important files intact.
How to remove junk files on your Mac with CleanMyMac X?
We already mentioned CleanMyMac X as a universal cleaning solution for your Mac. So how to clean system junk on your Mac with CleanMyMac X's System Junk module?
Free Junk Cleaner For Mac
- Download CleanMyMac X for free here.
- Launch it and select System Junk from the list of features on the left.
- Click Scan.
- After the scan is done, click Review Details.
- Check the boxes opposite to User Cache Files, System Cache Files, Language Files, and other items you want to delete
- Hit Clean.
Now your Mac is as good as new! CleanMyMac X deletes junk files, including user cache, system logs, downloads, and even Xcode junk files all at once to speed up your Mac and free it from clutter.
Although each system file or user log doesn’t seem to take much of your Mac’s storage, together, they can make it difficult for your Mac to perform well. That’s why it’s better to scan your machine for junk files and get rid of them once in a while.
Clean your Mac of old clutter. Clear up your recycle bin, temporary files and folders, broken permissions and more. Remove installed programs with the click of a button. Apeaksoft Mac Cleaner is the powerful Mac cleaning and managing software which can help you remove any junk/unnecessary/old/large files on Mac and keep Mac system in good state. It can also clean emails, unneeded iTunes backups, find and remove duplicate files, and uninstall seldom used apps. MobiKin Cleaner for iOS (Mac Version) Find your iPad, iPhone or iPod runs slowly and slowly and wish to find a way to clean it? Then this MobiKin Cleaner for iOS (Mac Version) could be a great option for you. It is a simple and professional software that can help you clean all the junk files. Supported OS: Mac. How to Delete Junk Files on Mac with MacClean. Free download MacClean and install it on your Mac desktop or laptop. Open MacClean from your Launchpad or directly click the MacClean app from the Dock. On the left side of this junk-cleaning tool, you can select any types of junk to have a scan on your Mac. 10 Best FREE Mac Cleaners to Remove Junk from Your Mac 1. When it comes to Mac cleaners, you would be hard-pressed to find a more popular solution than. Cleaner One Lite. Formally known as Dr. Cleaner, this well-rated Mac cleaner is developed by Trend Micro, an.
No matter what kind of gadget it is – a Mac or any other, it is a well-known fact that all devices need occasional cleaning. If you want to have great performance and speed after years of using your Mac, regular maintenance work is what you need to do.
The biggest disadvantage of not cleaning your Mac is that it becomes slower and slower with time. Of course, most other computers become slower earlier than Macs do, but when you invest a large sum of money into a high-quality computer, you want it to work flawlessly for as long as possible.
In fact, Macs do clean themselves time after time, but a computer cannot manage to perform such a cleanse that a human can. This is because the computer can not decide which files and apps it can and can’t delete. So today we are going to give you some tips for cleaning junk files on Mac – we hope it helps your Mac run faster.
Tip #1 – Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
If you have too many of them, apps could easily become the biggest clutter source on your computer. And you need to understand that the more storage space you have used up, the slower and underperforming your precious Mac will become. And if you do not take care of this issue at all, your Mac can become slower, not in a few years – one year will be enough.
If you were to read more about how crucial it is to clean up your Mac from unnecessary apps occasionally, you would be scheduling the time to perform this task. So do not wait until your Mac becomes slow – go ahead and delete all those apps you do not need or use.
Tip #2 – Remove Unnecessary Files
Apps take up valuable storage space on your computer. But so do your files. If you want to take a look at the numbers of how much all of the files and apps are taking storage space on your Mac, you can do it in less than a minute. Simply click on the Apple icon, which you can find in the upper left corner. Once you do, click About this Mac. Then, choose the Storage tab.
You will have to wait a little bit until your Mac calculates the data, and afterward, you will be able to see how bad the situation is with the number of files that you have on your computer. If you have a lot, try to delete as many as possible.
If you deleted a lot of files, but you still see that there is not much free storage space left, then you have two other options. If you have constant access to the internet connection, the best option would be to start using a cloud-based service like Dropbox or Google Drive. If you are not sure about the internet connection, then you can use an external hard-drive and keep your files there.
Tip #3 – Clean the Trash Bin
It may seem like a very easy and obvious tip. But you have to admit that you often forget to clean the Trash Bin on your Mac, and you definitely do not do it every single day, which is actually the best practice. Once you form a habit, you will not even have to use reminders to remember to empty the computer’s Trash Bin.
If you are wondering why it is so important, then it is very simple. Just like the unneeded apps take valuable storage space, so do the items in the Trash Bin. As long as those items are sitting in the Trash Bin, they are still using your Mac’s storage space.
To empty the Trash Bin, simply locate its icon in the Dock, hover your mouse over the icon, hit the Control key on the Magic Keyboard, and click the option Empty Bin. You will be asked if you really want to perform this action. Confirm, and you will have an empty Trash Bin.
Tip #4 – Clean the Cache Files
Another effective way to remove junk files from your Mac is by cleaning the cache files. If you have not heard about cache files before, these are temporary files that are lying in the hard-drive of your Mac. There can be three different types of these files: system cache, browser cache, and user cache files.
How To Clean Mac System Junk Files
For example, if you visit a website using your computer, the computer will download small cache files so that the next time your browser can load that specific website faster. This also helps the browser remember your login information so that you do not need to enter your username and password every single time.
To remove these files, it is best to use specialized software – so that you do not remove something you shouldn’t. And it does not matter if you use Google Chrome for Mac, Safari or any other browser – you still need to clean the browser cache files.
Businesses often opt to use Macs due to their performance, reliability and the fact that they tend to require very little maintenance. While Macs certainly have those advantages, they do still require some maintenance – particularly when it comes to cleaning out unnecessary junk files from their storage.
Every Mac will invariably accumulate junk files over the time in the form of duplicates, old logs, cache files, trash bins, and so on. If these files are not removed periodically, they will eventually pile up and cause a shortage of free space, or affect performance levels. Needless to say attempting to manually remove junk files is unfeasible, which is why there are apps that automate the process and are colloquially referred to as Mac cleaners.
If you want to keep your Macs in good condition, it is important you find one of these cleaners to help you out – and there are a couple that stand out:
CleanMyMac
Overall CleanMyMac is a modern-looking yet simple app that will let you easily clean junk files from your Mac and also help uninstall apps as well as optimize it in other ways. It does have one big drawback however in that it doesn’t detect duplicate files, and if you want that functionality you’ll need a separate app. At $39.95 for the full version it is reasonably priced however.
Clean Junk Files For Free
CCleaner
Compared to most other Mac cleaners, CCleaner looks relatively dated and its interface can be a bit clunky. On top of that its features are fairly basic and it is likely to find much less junk than most other cleaners. Despite this it is a fairly popular app, and can act quite well as a basic cleaner that is priced on the cheap side at $24.95.
Movavi Mac Cleaner
In terms of features, Movavi Mac Cleaner matches or exceeds other cleaners while still adopting an intuitive approach. Its scans will detect all types of junk files, and it has a variety of other tools to free up disk space and optimize Macs. With its Uninstaller you can cleanly remove unwanted apps, and it also has a Shredder to safely delete confidential files along with an Antivirus and Firewall. On top of that it has a wide selection of support options, and at $39.95 it a very reasonably priced Mac cleaning software.
How Do I Clean Mac Os Of Junk Files
MacBooster
The comprehensive features of MacBooster are similar to Movavi Mac Cleaner, and will give you the ability to thoroughly scan your Mac for junk, uninstall unwanted apps, and optimize your Mac in several other ways. It has an intuitive interface, however it does not have the some key support options such as a live chat. Additionally at $59.95 it is significantly more expensive than other cleaners.
Clean Mac For Junk Richmond County
All of the cleaners listed above will help you to clean junk files from your Mac, and you should definitely consider using one of them on a regular basis. Depending on the features as well as the price point you should be able to find an app that fits well, and will ensure your Mac doesn’t get cluttered with too much junk.