If you want to free up Mac storage without guessing what a cleaner will remove, Purge can scan caches, developer files, app leftovers, large files and duplicates. The important choice is what happens after you select an item: ordinary files go to the Trash, while some categories are permanently deleted.
Purge describes itself as a free, open-source Mac utility and lists macOS 13 or later as its minimum requirement. (Purge)
Before you delete, check whether the item goes to the Trash or is removed permanently. Those are very different cleanup choices.
A practical cleanup sequence
- Check your macOS version. Purge lists macOS 13+ as its system requirement. (Purge)
- Start with a scan of caches or developer-tool files if those are your target. Purge says these scans can begin without Full Disk Access, the macOS permission that lets an app access protected disk areas. Its product page lists application caches, Xcode derived data and other developer-tool files among its cleanup targets. (Purge)
- Review the item’s safety category before cleaning. Purge’s safety page lists 300 explanations: 223 marked Safe and 77 marked Check First. Purge says one-click and scheduled cleanups act only on Safe items; Check First items require you to choose them. (Purge safety guide)
- Check whether the feature needs Full Disk Access. Purge says it requests this permission after the first clean to enable its large-file and app-leftover features. Large-file and app-removal actions require confirmation. (Purge)
- Empty the Trash if you need the space back. Sending ordinary files to the Trash does not release their disk blocks; Purge says you must empty the Trash to reclaim that space. (Purge)
What happens to each kind of cleanup
Purge says it uses a fixed allowlist and does not display unrecognized paths. That gives you a defined set of cleanup targets to review, but the destination still matters: some items can be recovered from the Trash, while listed exceptions bypass it. (Purge safety guide)
| Action or item | What to expect |
| Cache and developer-junk scans | Can start without Full Disk Access. |
| Large-file and app-leftover features | Purge requests Full Disk Access after the first clean to enable them. |
| Ordinary files removed by Purge | Go to the Trash. Empty it to release their disk space. |
| iOS simulators and runtimes, local Time Machine snapshots, and Apple Intelligence models | Purge lists these as permanent-deletion exceptions. |
| One-click and scheduled cleaning | Limited to items marked Safe; scheduled cleaning is off by default. |
The key practical distinction is between finding an item and removing it. A scan can start without Full Disk Access for caches and developer junk, but Purge says the broader large-file and app-leftover features need that permission. And a Trash-bound deletion does not increase free space until you empty the Trash.
Apple Intelligence models and the reported storage gain
Purge lists Apple Intelligence models among the items it permanently deletes. WIRED’s Justin Pot reported that removing those models could free more than 10 GB. That is a reported potential result, not a storage amount to expect on every Mac.
System requirement and privacy statements
Purge lists macOS 13+ as its minimum system requirement. The developer also says the app has no analytics, telemetry or crash reports, and that its only network request is an optional update check. (Purge)
