cleanyourmac.space
Official Step-by-Step Guide

Installation & First-Run Guide

Everything you need to know about downloading the right build, safely resolving standard macOS security alerts, and starting your first storage scan in under 60 seconds.

Important Security Notice

Seeing a macOS warning: “Apple cannot check it for malicious software” or “Unidentified Developer”?

Don't panic — this is 100% normal. Apple Gatekeeper displays this generic alert for any independent app downloaded directly from a web browser rather than the Apple App Store.

CleanYourMac Space is 100% offline, private, and safe. It contains no telemetry, no tracking daemons, and operates entirely on your Mac. You do not need to disable Gatekeeper or run complex Terminal scripts. Follow the 5-second solution below.

1

Download the Right Build for Your Mac

Select the binary built natively for your Mac's processor for instant launch speeds and zero translation overhead:

Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 / M5)

For all modern MacBooks, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMacs released from late 2020 onward.

Download for Apple Silicon (.dmg)

Intel Mac (Core i5 / i7 / i9 / Xeon)

For older Intel-based MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Pro models.

Download for Intel Mac (.dmg)
Not sure which Mac you have? Click the Apple () icon in the top-left of your screen ➔ select About This Mac. If it says Chip: Apple M1/M2/M3/M4, choose Apple Silicon.
2

Install to Your Applications Folder

  1. A
    Open the downloaded .dmg file: Go to your Downloads folder and double-click CleanYourMac-AppleSilicon.dmg (or Intel).
  2. B
    Drag into Applications: In the window that appears, drag CleanYourMac.app into your Applications folder shortcut icon.
  3. C
    Eject Disk Image: You can now right-click the installer disk image on your desktop or Finder sidebar and click Eject.
3

How to Open the App (Resolving the Security Prompt)

If macOS displays an alert when you first open the app, choose either of these official Apple methods to launch it immediately:

Recommended • Works on every macOS version

Method 1: System Settings ➔ Open Anyway

Open the app once so macOS shows its warning, click Done, then approve it here:

  1. 1.Open System Settings on your Mac.
  2. 2.Click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar.
  3. 3.Scroll down to the Security section.
  4. 4.You will see: “CleanYourMac.app was blocked...”. Click Open Anyway.
  5. 5.Enter your Mac password or Touch ID to confirm.
This is Apple's standard flow for apps downloaded outside the App Store on macOS 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia and later. You only do it once.
macOS 14 Sonoma only

Method 2: Right-Click ➔ Open

On Sonoma, Control-clicking tells macOS you trust the app. (macOS 15 Sequoia and later removed this shortcut — use Method 1 there.)

  1. 1.Open Finder and click on your Applications folder.
  2. 2.Right-Click (or hold the Control key and click) on CleanYourMac.app.
  3. 3.Click Open from the context popup menu.
  4. 4.A dialog appears with an “Open” button. Click Open.
You only ever need to do this once! Afterwards, double-clicking opens normally.
For Developers & Security Engineers

Method 3: Terminal Safety Verification & Checksum Inspection

You do not need to take our word for it. Inspect the binary's code signing and Gatekeeper assessment directly in macOS Terminal before opening:

# 1. Verify downloaded DMG checksum against official hash:shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/CleanYourMac-AppleSilicon.dmg
# 2. Inspect application code signature and team identity:codesign -dv --verbose=4 /Applications/CleanYourMac.app
# 3. Assess Gatekeeper policy:spctl --assess --type execute -vv /Applications/CleanYourMac.app
# 4. Remove quarantine attribute directly via Terminal (Instant Fix):xattr -cr /Applications/CleanYourMac.app
CleanYourMac Space requires zero root privileges, runs 100% offline, never asks for macOS admin passwords, and communicates with no external telemetry servers.
4

How to Use CleanYourMac Space

Our core motto is: “First see where your space is going, then decide what to clean.” Here is how to use the app effectively:

Step 1: Scan

Select & Scan Drive

Choose your main drive or Home directory. Click Scan Full Mac. The multi-threaded Mach kernel engine indexes millions of files in 5-15 seconds without freezing your Mac.

Step 2: Review

Inspect the Visual Treemap

Color-coded blocks visually show where storage is consumed. Hover to inspect exact file paths, double-click to drill down into folders, and find hidden Xcode caches, Docker VM files, and AI weights.

Step 3: Reclaim

Safe Trash Rollback

Select unwanted items and click Delete. All items are moved safely to the macOS Trash first. You can inspect or put back any file from the Trash anytime. Zero risk of accidental loss.

Our Security & Privacy Guarantee

100% Local & Private:All scanning and calculations run strictly on your CPU. We never upload file paths, names, or directory contents to any cloud server.
Protected System Volumes:Core macOS system files and APFS snapshots are strictly protected against deletion. We never tamper with SIP or macOS roots.
Zero Background Daemons:CleanYourMac Space runs only when you open it. No silent background processes, no battery drain, and no telemetry services.

Ready to see what's taking up space on your Mac?

Download the lightweight native app today. 100% free visualizer with optional Pro lifetime upgrade.

Download for Apple Silicon (.dmg)View All Download Formats