

The first box is called Speed Up Mac and shows how many issues are potentially slowing down the performance of the Mac. There is a colorful bar chart showing the type of files taking up space on the Mac’s drive. Beneath the chart are three boxes. The first option is called Overview and this shows the state of the Mac in terms of its performance and storage status. This mode is ideal for beginners but those who know their way around macOS, there’s an Expert Mode that lets users get their hands dirty. Firing up MacCleaner Pro 2 displays all the modules in one window and starts off in General Mode. Let’s go through the modules of MacCleaner Pro 2 individually to see what each of them do. That’s not to say MacCleaner Pro 2 can’t be used by people without any knowledge and there are also safeguards in the utility preventing the removal of any essential elements of macOS. If you know anything about macOS and are comfortable tinkering with your computer’s operating system, this is the utility package for you. Some people even claim that these apps can “destabilize” your system though, in reality, they’re more likely to just take your money and hang around on your system even when you thought they were gone.All the utilities that make up MacCleaner Pro 2 are presented in a single interface that’s clean and uncluttered but not as graphically fancy as MacPaw’s CleanMyMac.

They can be incredibly hard to uninstall, as this guide on iMore demonstrates. Some, like the infamous MacKeeper, have been described as “invasive malware” on more than one occasion.

On the surface, these apps may appear legitimate. You may find the worst offenders tirelessly advertised using spammy tactics like pop-up windows and banner adverts, with hooks like “39 problems found with your Mac, click here to fix” on less-than-reputable websites. Some of these apps are less than honest in their marketing, and some are borderline malware. RELATED: CleanMyMac X Review: One Click for a Tidy Mac The Dark Side of Cleaner Apps

CleanMyMac X is one example of a trustworthy cleaner app that we’ve looked at in the past, and we recommend it if this kind of application is something you’re interested in. These apps offer a simpler way of “spring cleaning” your Mac by highlighting apps and files you may have forgotten about, speeding up your Mac’s startup by disabling software that starts up when you login, and notifying you about outdated software. RELATED: How to Free Up Disk Space on a Mac It isn’t fun to constantly manage a paltry amount of free space, so using a trusted cleaner app can keep things ticking over in just a few clicks. It feels good to click a button and get a few gigabytes of space back or clean out your temporary files, even if it ultimately this isn’t something you need to worry about unless you’re desperate for free space. What cleaner apps do well is consolidate all of these processes into a single interface.
