DeezSpacesaver

A cyberpunk-styled macOS utility that helps you reclaim disk space safely. Scan categories, review what was found, and move items to Trash — nothing is permanently deleted without you emptying Trash yourself.

Created by deac.online @ worldbuild.io

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For Users

No terminal required. Install and run like any Mac app.

Install

1. Download DeezSpacesaver.dmg from the Releases page.
2. Double-click the DMG to open it.
3. Drag DeezSpacesaver into the Applications folder.
4. Open Applications and double-click DeezSpacesaver.

On first launch, the app shows a short welcome guide. You can optionally grant Full Disk Access (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access) so Mail, Messages, and browser cache categories can scan protected folders.

How to use

1. Dashboard — see used/free space and total reclaimable size from your last scan.
2. Cleanup — pick a category from the sidebar (Quick Wins, Apple, Developer, System).
3. Tap Scan to find reclaimable items in that category.
4. Review the list, select items, then Move to Trash.
5. Empty Trash in Finder when you are ready to permanently free the space.

Categories

Group	What it finds
Quick Wins	Trash, Downloads, large files, installers, unused apps
Apple	iOS backups, Mail/Messages attachments, iCloud guidance
Developer	Xcode caches, simulators, package manager caches
System	App caches, browser caches, logs, Time Machine snapshots
Guided	iCloud Optimize Storage, restart recommendations

Developer categories appear only when Xcode or Command Line Tools is installed. Mail Attachments, Messages Attachments, and Browser Caches require Full Disk Access to scan.

Per-category guide

Quick Wins

Empty Trash — Safe

Files you already moved to Trash still occupy disk space until Trash is emptied. This category lists everything waiting in Trash so you can permanently remove it.

• Finds: Contents of your Trash folder
• Cleanup: Empties Trash via Finder (requires Apple Events permission)
• Note: Space is not freed until Trash is actually emptied

Downloads — Review

Downloads often accumulate large installers, archives, and files you forgot about. This scan surfaces candidates based on age and size.

• Finds: Files in Downloads older than your min-age setting (default 30 days), files above your large-file threshold (default 500 MB), or installer extensions (.dmg, .zip, .pkg, .iso)
• Cleanup: Move selected files to Trash
• Note: Review before deleting. Adjust thresholds in Settings.

Large Files — Review

Big files in common folders are often the fastest way to reclaim space.

• Finds: Files above your size threshold (default 500 MB) in Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Movies, and Pictures
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Does not scan external drives. Add exclude paths in Settings if needed.

Installer Artifacts — Review

DMG, PKG, and ISO files are safe to remove after you've finished installing — they are just the delivery package.

• Finds: .dmg, .pkg, .mpkg, and .iso files in Downloads, Desktop, and home folder
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Only delete installers for apps you have already installed

Unused Apps — Caution

Apps you have not opened recently, plus their support files scattered in Library folders.

• Finds: Unused apps in /Applications (including nested folders) and ~/Applications, filtered by last-launch age (default 90 days). Includes Application Support, Containers, Preferences, Caches, Logs, and other related Library paths. Apple system apps are excluded.
• Cleanup: Moves app and all related support paths to Trash
• Note: Deleting an app removes its data. Reinstalling may not restore settings. Threshold adjustable in Settings.

Apple

iOS Backups — Review

Each iPhone/iPad backup can be many gigabytes. Old device backups are often the largest reclaimable Apple data on a Mac.

• Finds: Backup folders labeled by device name
• Cleanup: Move backup folder to Trash
• Note: You cannot restore a device to that point in time after deleting a backup

Mail Attachments — Review (Full Disk Access required)

Mail caches downloaded attachments on disk. Clearing the cache does not delete mail from your account.

• Finds: Cached attachment files over 500 KB
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Attachments re-download when opened in Mail

Messages Attachments — Review (Full Disk Access required)

Messages stores photos, videos, and files locally. Clearing cached attachments frees space.

• Finds: Attachment files over 500 KB in Messages storage
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Media may re-download from iCloud when you open conversations

iCloud Optimize Storage — Safe (Guided)

macOS can keep recent files on your Mac and store older files in iCloud, freeing local disk space automatically.

• Finds: No file scan — opens System Settings
• Cleanup: Opens Apple ID → iCloud settings
• Note: Does not delete files — moves infrequently used files to cloud

Developer

Requires Xcode or Command Line Tools.

Xcode Derived Data — Safe

Derived Data is Xcode's build cache — intermediate files from compiling your projects. Regenerated on the next build.

• Finds: Build cache folders in Xcode DerivedData
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Next build will be slower while cache rebuilds

iOS Device Support — Review

Xcode downloads device symbols for each iOS version you debug against. Old versions can be removed.

• Finds: Device symbol folders named by iOS version
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Xcode re-downloads symbols if you connect an old device again

Xcode Archives — Caution

Archives are saved build exports used for App Store submission. They can be very large.

• Finds: .xcarchive bundles in Xcode Archives
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Archives are your only local copy of signed builds — verify before deleting

iOS Simulators — Review

Simulator runtimes and device data accumulate over time. Unavailable simulators are safe to remove.

• Finds: Simulator device data folders (unavailable devices preferred)
• Cleanup: Move device data folders to Trash
• Note: Simulators can be re-downloaded from Xcode

Package Manager Caches — Safe

Homebrew, npm, pip, Yarn, pnpm, and Docker cache downloaded packages locally.

• Finds: Cache directories for each package manager (5 MB minimum)
• Cleanup: Move cache folders to Trash
• Note: Packages re-download on next install. Homebrew estimate item is informational only

System

App Caches — Safe

Apps store temporary data in Library/Caches to load faster. These files are regeneratable.

• Finds: Top-level cache folders in ~/Library/Caches
• Cleanup: Move cache folder to Trash
• Note: Apps may be slower on first launch after clearing

Browser Caches — Safe (Full Disk Access required)

Browsers cache pages, images, and assets locally. Clearing cache frees space but pages reload from the network.

• Finds: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge cache directories
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Saved passwords and bookmarks are not affected

Log Files — Safe

Apps and macOS write diagnostic logs that grow over time. Old logs are rarely needed unless troubleshooting.

• Finds: Log files over 100 KB in Library/Logs and DiagnosticReports
• Cleanup: Move to Trash
• Note: Skip logs if Apple Support asked you to keep them for a bug report

Time Machine Snapshots — Safe

macOS creates local Time Machine snapshots on your startup disk between full backups.

• Finds: Local snapshots on your startup disk
• Cleanup: Permanent deletion (not moved to Trash)
• Note: Snapshots provide recent restore points. macOS recreates them over time.

Guided

System Maintenance — Safe (Guided)

macOS swap files and temporary system caches accumulate during long uptime. A restart often recovers 5–15 GB.

• Finds: No file scan — informational
• Cleanup: Shows restart instructions
• Note: Save open work first. Choose Apple menu → Restart

Safety

• Items go to Trash, not permanent deletion (except Time Machine snapshots).
• System folders (/System, /usr, etc.) are never touched.
• Large batches (>500 items or >10 GB) require extra confirmation.

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For Developers

Requirements

• macOS 14.4+
• Xcode 15+

One-click run (from source)

Double-click run.command in the project folder. It builds the app if needed, launches it, and closes the terminal window automatically.

First time only: if macOS blocks the unsigned build, right-click DeezSpacesaver in dist/ and choose Open.

Build

# Regenerate project (after adding Swift files)
python3 scripts/generate-xcodeproj.py

# Debug build → dist/DeezSpacesaver.app
./scripts/build-local.sh

# Release build + DMG
./scripts/build-release.sh Release

Test

./scripts/verify.sh

This regenerates the Xcode project, builds, and runs unit tests — the same steps CI runs.

Install a pre-push hook so broken builds are caught before they reach GitHub:

./scripts/install-git-hooks.sh

Or run tests only:

xcodebuild -project DeezSpacesaver.xcodeproj -scheme DeezSpacesaver -configuration Debug -derivedDataPath build/DerivedData test

Notarize

Create notarize.env (never commit this file):

APPLE_ID=your@email.com
APPLE_TEAM_ID=XXXXXXXXXX
APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

Then:

chmod +x scripts/notarize.sh
./scripts/notarize.sh

Project structure

• DeezSpacesaver/Scanners/ — one scanner per cleanup category
• DeezSpacesaver/Services/ — scan engine, trash, safety guard
• DeezSpacesaver/Views/ — SwiftUI interface
• DeezSpacesaver/Theme/ — cyberpunk color and typography tokens

After adding or removing Swift files, run python3 scripts/generate-xcodeproj.py to refresh the Xcode project.

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License

MIT — see LICENSE.