What Roomy removes

Here is every kind of item Roomy looks for, how each one is removed, and the places it never touches. Nothing is removed until you choose it and confirm, and the ⓘ button on any row shows its exact location.

System Junk

• App caches in ~/Library/Caches, plus sandboxed apps' caches when Full Disk Access is on.
• Browser caches for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera and Vivaldi. Only the web cache goes; bookmarks, passwords, history, open tabs and logins stay.
• Logs and crash reports in ~/Library/Logs.
• Temporary files nothing has touched for 3 days or more.
• Saved window states (Review): apps just open with fresh windows.
• Shared caches and logs in /Library that belong to you (Review).

User Files

These belong to you, so apart from old device updates nothing here is selected for you.

• Trash: cleaning it empties the Trash, which is permanent.
• Old downloads older than 90 days (change this in Settings → General → Show downloads older than) and installers (.dmg, .pkg, .mpkg, .xip) of any age.
• Mail attachment copies Mail saved when you opened them (with Full Disk Access). Originals stay in your mail.
• iPhone and iPad backups stored on this Mac (Caution). iCloud backups aren't affected.
• Old iPhone and iPad software updates that Finder downloaded. Finder downloads them again if needed.

Developer

• Xcode: DerivedData, device support files, SwiftUI preview builds, the Xcode cache, Simulator caches, and archives (Caution).
• Package caches: npm, Yarn, pnpm, Bun, Deno, Homebrew, pip, Poetry, uv, CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, Gradle, Maven, Cargo and Go.
• Editor caches: VS Code, Cursor and JetBrains IDEs. Extensions, settings and projects stay.

Apps, Duplicates and Large Files

• Apps: the uninstaller removes an app plus its caches, logs and helpers. Its documents, settings and logins stay unless you switch on Also remove app data & settings. Everything goes to the Trash.
• Duplicates: files with identical contents. The oldest copy is kept; copies you choose go to the Trash.
• Large Files in your home folder that you choose go to the Trash.

The Optimize tools (free memory, flush DNS, thin Time Machine snapshots and so on) only run when you click Run.

Deleted or moved to the Trash?

Caches, logs, temporary files, build data and package caches are deleted straight away because apps rebuild them. A few copies that can be fetched again, such as Mail attachment copies, old device updates and saved window states, are deleted too. Everything else moves to the Trash, so you can put it back. To send everything to the Trash, turn on Settings → General → Move everything to the Trash instead of deleting.

What Roomy never touches

Every path is checked again right before removal. Roomy refuses anything:

• in macOS system folders, such as /System and /usr;
• in iCloud Drive or other cloud storage folders;
• in Keychains, Mail, Messages, Photos, Contacts, Calendars or your accounts;
• that is an important folder itself, such as Documents, Desktop or ~/Library;
• outside your home folder, Applications and the cache, log and temporary folders;
• reached through a symbolic link, or on your exclusion list.

Tips

• Right-click any item and choose Never Clean This, or add folders in Settings → Exclusions.
• Items installed for all users need your administrator password. macOS asks for it; Roomy never sees it.

If that didn't work

If an item wasn't removed, see Troubleshooting. To learn how items are rated, read Safe, Review and Caution.