Mac disk cleanup
Free up disk space on your Mac
On most Macs the space is spread across caches, build files, old downloads and copies you forgot about, so start by finding out what is actually using it. macOS points you to the big files. Mint scans the rest and ticks only data it can prove will be rebuilt, leaving your own files for you to decide.
What macOS already shows you
Open System Settings, choose General, then Storage. You get a total for each category and a few recommendations, which is often enough when the problem is one huge video or an app you never open.
For your own folders, Finder is still the quickest tool. Open Downloads in list view, turn on Calculate all sizes in View Options, and sort by size. Move anything you recognize and no longer need to the Trash, and leave it there for a few days until you are sure nothing depended on it.
Be careful with caches and Library folders
Apps rebuild their caches, but that doesn’t make every cache disposable. Clearing one can sign you out of an app or throw away its offline downloads. If the app has its own setting for clearing the cache, use that first.
The same caution applies to folders inside ~/Library. A name that looks like an old app can belong to something you still use.
What Mint does when it scans
Click Scan in Mint’s Disk tab and it sorts what it finds into groups called Leftovers, Rebuildable, Clutter and Keep. Open a group and every row shows what it is and its size. Hover over a row to see its path. A row is ticked only when Mint can prove the data will be rebuilt and nothing is using it right now, like the cache of an app that is closed.
Duplicates, large files and old downloads are your own content, so they always start unticked. If something can’t be removed at the moment, for example because its app is running, Mint puts it under Keep and says why. It moves back on its own once the app quits.
Where removed files go
That depends on what you selected. For rows Mint ticked, such as caches and build output, there is one button, Delete permanently, and one confirmation. Moving that kind of data to the Trash would free nothing until you emptied it anyway.
When your selection includes your own files, Move to Trash appears next to it, and Mint records the run so you can undo it for 90 days. That helps when you pick the wrong row. It is no substitute for a backup, so keep one for anything you can’t replace.
What each edition can see
The Direct and Setapp editions scan supported locations across your whole Mac, using the access you grant. The App Store edition runs inside Apple’s sandbox. It only looks in supported places in your home folder and in folders you approve, so app caches in ~/Library and Xcode build data are out of its reach.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mint delete files permanently?
Caches, build output and other data Mint has proven it can rebuild are deleted permanently after one confirmation. For your own files, such as duplicates and large files, you can choose Move to Trash and undo it later.
Is every cache safe to remove?
No. A cache can hold offline content or keep you signed in, and clearing it makes the next launch slower. Mint only ticks a cache when the app it belongs to isn’t running.
Can the App Store edition clean my whole disk?
No. Even with access to the startup disk, it only finds items in supported locations inside your home folder and in folders you approve separately.
See where your space went before you delete anything
Run a scan in Mint, open a group, and remove only the rows you understand.