How CleanMyMac Helped Me Revive My Mac

Isn’t it so frustrating when your Mac starts to slow down? You would not want to wait minutes for your Mac mini, MacBook Pro, or iMac to wake up, correct? It’s even more frustrating when your relatively new Mac slows down. But, of course, we are talking about Mac devices you may have purchased in 2023 or 2022.

But when you think about it, MacBooks and other Mac devices are designed to be a long-term investment, right? Well, they still are. It’s just that you need to revive your Mac sometimes. Reviving your Mac may seem confusing, but it is easier and less expensive than upgrading to a new MacBook, iMac, or Mac Pro.

I have done it with some of my Mac devices, and CleanMyMac, a Mac cleaning and optimization tool, was a lifesaver. So, I have prepared this guide to show you how it helped me revive my Mac.

It is also a story of how CleanMyMac helped me save hundreds of dollars that I may otherwise have spent on upgrades.

Key takeaways

• CleanMyMac delivers a comprehensive suite of tools for Mac optimization and maintenance.
• The software effectively frees up storage space, speeds up system performance, and protects against malware.
• User-friendly interface and automated processes simplify the cleaning process.
• Additional features like app uninstallation and menubar monitor enhance its utility.
• While offering significant improvements, some users might find the malware protection module to be less robust than dedicated antivirus solutions.

CleanMyMac in 2025

CleanMyMac has been our go-to Mac cleaning and optimization suite for years. While new competitors have emerged, CleanMyMac still stands out in 2025—here’s why:

• Optimized for macOS Sequoia – CleanMyMac is fully compatible with macOS Sequoia, so you can install it without worrying about compatibility issues.
• Enhanced Security – The latest version is built to comply with Sequoia’s new security measures, ensuring seamless integration with macOS. Plus, it’s fortified against emerging threats.
• Advanced Malware Protection – CleanMyMac’s malware detection and removal tools have been supercharged. With better real-time protection, it’s more equipped to detect zero-day threats.
• Smarter App & Background Item Management – The new version streamlines app uninstallation and background process management, making it easier to keep your Mac clutter-free.

But are these upgrades really worth it? Well, let me share how CleanMyMac helped me revive and speed up my Mac in ways I didn’t expect.

The experience aka how CleanMyMac helped me revive my Mac

As you know, there is a manual way to clean up and optimize a Mac. But first, you have to find out big files, unwanted applications, and junk files and remove them. I was aware of this method but was a little skeptical. For one, I did not want to accidentally delete a critical system file. Nor did I want to make any system-level changes that would turn out negatively.

Overall, the manual cleaning method did not appeal to me as viable or safe. After some research and several Reddit threats, I came across CleanMyMac from MacPaw. Since I had used other apps from MacPaw in the past, I was confident about the security. I understood that CleanMyMac is not adware or bundleware. It seemed very legit—for all the good reasons.

Getting started with CleanMyMac

Probably the best thing about CleanMyMac is that you can get started with it in a few seconds. Moreover, thanks to its intuitive UI and design, it is easy to use all the utilities. The first time I used CleanMyMac, the Smart Care feature caught my attention. Smart Care is designed to analyze different aspects of your Mac to find room for cleaning, optimization, and speed improvement. And it works smoothly.

In particular, the Smart Care looks for five aspects:

• Cleanup your Mac
• Look for threats
• Boost performance
• Run applications update
• Declutter storage

After a scan that takes about a minute, CleanMyMac will show you a summary with actionable items. Then, you can review potential fixes before applying them. For instance, CleanMyMac offered to clean up a whopping 40GB of space on my Mac.

Upon reviewing the results, I discovered that the Mac Trash and System Junk were responsible for the severe storage space issue on my Mac.

The scan took a few minutes, but I could start seeing a better experience from my Mac.

You can also find smart recommendations from CleanMyMac once it has finished fixing the primary issue. For instance, it may suggest uninstalling unused apps, purging available space, or running a deep scan to improve the in-depth problems.

That’s when I checked out the powerful utilities in the CleanMyMac package. I tried the utilities featured in different sub-sections like Cleanup, Protection, Performance, Applications, and Clutter. Here is what I think of them.

# Junk Cleanup

As you may know, macOS generates system files like logs, which, while initially necessary, can become outdated and consume disk space within the “Other” storage category. These temporary files don’t automatically disappear.

Manually deleting them carries the risk of removing essential data, which is why Apple doesn’t simplify this process. The CleanMyMac is designed to deeply identify and remove only the system files that are safe to delete. As I had expected, various system junk files were taking up a lot of my storage and slowing down my Mac.

To remove system files, I

• Open CleanMyMac and go to the Cleanup section.
• Click Scan, and then Clean.

After the system junk cleanup, particularly if this is my first time cleaning my Mac, I notice a significant reduction in the “Other” storage used by macOS. In our experience, this method freed up gigabytes of space on our MacBook.

Trash Bins are also more helpful than one would imagine, especially if you have multiple Trash bins on your Mac. You can clean multiple Trash Bins at once. This was a helpful thing, especially in showing that my Mac had multiple trash bins.

Another helpful tool to free up storage is Mail Attachments. Even if you forget to delete unimportant mail attachments, CleanMyMac will help you with that. Since I was not using any native email apps on my Mac, this section was not really helpful.

# Malware Protection

CleanMyMac includes a thorough malware scanner that identifies and removes even sophisticated threats. Its Protection feature also provides real-time malware and virus protection.

Here’s how I use CleanMyMac to scan for and eliminate malware:

• Open CleanMyMac and select “Protection” from the sidebar.
• As it’s my first time using this feature, I configure the scan. I click “Configure Scan” to select the file types to check, and for a comprehensive scan, I choose “Deep Scan.”
• Then, I click “Scan” to initiate the system-wide scan. It found 29 threats on my system.
• Once the scan is complete, I click “Remove” to eliminate them.
• Finally, I review application permissions to ensure no apps can access my files without my knowledge.

Please note CleanMyMac’s malware database is updated weekly, which significantly reduces the risk of malware infiltrating the system.

The Privacy module on CleanMyMac helps you take a step further regarding online security. For example, I often use it to remove browsing traces and chat data in a single click. I found this quite impressive as it helps us stay one step ahead of privacy threats.

# Performance Monitor

Here we’ll take a look at CleanMyMac’s performance monitor with menu bar. This menu app offers a detailed snapshot of your Mac’s health and performance, making it easy to keep your system in check. One of my favorite aspects is the ability to connect Dropbox, allowing me to preview its capacity directly from the menu!

In this section, you can get an overview of

• Real-time system monitoring: Track CPU usage, RAM consumption, battery health, and storage space in real-time.
• Security insights: Stay informed about malware status and update your database for optimal protection.
• Storage management: Analyze storage usage, identify large files, and clean up junk.
• Battery health tracking: Monitor battery temperature, percentage, and charge cycles.

CleanMyMac’s menu bar monitor has also evolved managing connected devices. You can monitor the health of devices like iPhones and iPads, as well as manage external drives and bluetooth devices. While it does the job well enough for my core devices, it’s not quite as comprehensive as a dedicated battery management tool like AlDente Pro. However, it’s still a handy feature to have right within the app, adding convenience to the overall experience.

# Applications Uninstall

You can use the Application utility to find and remove multiple Mac apps at once. It also helped me find out unused/unopened applications. It was a great way to free up space on my Mac.

When you delete an application, leftover components can remain, often running small service apps that continue to use your Mac’s processor and memory. The Leftover module solves this by fully removing apps and all their associated components, regardless of their location.

On the other hand, the Updater module helped me update all my Mac apps with a single click. It meant I did not have to visit multiple app stores. For instance, I could manage all the apps I installed from Setapp, other app stores, etc.

# Clutter Control

And the last feature is a fully-fledged clutter manager, which helped me find out what is taking up storage on my device. It is also helpful in removing these huge/unnecessary files.

Alternatively, you can use the Duplicates & Similar Images module to have a more filtered view. Once again, I was able to clean up the system better.

Note: To avoid unintended deletions, CleanMyMac only removes files from the category you are currently viewing. For example, even if you previously selected files in the ‘Duplicates’ category, clicking ‘Remove’ while viewing ‘Large & Old Files’ will only delete files from the ‘Large & Old Files’ category.

Now, the big question: did CleanMyMac revive my Mac?

Yes. After the first use of CleanMyMac, I got the following perks:

• Right away, I noticed that my Mac could multitask better. Handling multiple browser windows and shifting between apps was smoother than before. I also saw that my Mac worked better with multi-touch gestures.
• More importantly, there was a lot of available storage space. I could use this space to arrange my files better and sync them with other devices. Otherwise, I would have had to purchase an extra SSD for my machine.
• Last but not least, there was less clutter on my Mac altogether. I could remove unwanted apps, files, and extensions with a single click. In addition, because CleanMyMac arranged everything based on categories, it was a lot easier.

In short, within a few minutes, CleanMyMac revived different aspects of my Mac. And I could put aside the thought of purchasing an additional SSD or upgrading to an expensive model. So, it was worth whatever I spent on CleanMyMac.

For reference, CleanMyMac is available for $39.95 per year. But since I use the Setapp subscription, I did not have to pay anything.

The improvements

It is not to say that CleanMyMac is perfect. As you would expect, there is room for improvement.

• The malware removal utility on CleanMyMac does not quite replace an antimalware program. So even though it detects various threats, it could use some improvements.
• Some utilities like Extensions and Updater can also use some improvements. For example, they are not 100% right when detecting and categorizing elements.

If we keep these points aside, CleanMyMac is an exceptional choice I can recommend.

The competition

There is no scarcity of Mac cleaning and optimization apps on the market. You can find various options which offer different levels of control and features. Some of them are:

CCleaner for Mac is a popular option people swear by, especially those who have moved from Windows to macOS. This cleaning app can do a thorough cleaning of your Mac, helping you get rid of junk files and apps. It also works closely with browser extensions and removing bad/duplicate photos from your Mac.

MacKeeper is also a popular choice for many. However, even though the cleaning suite offers a couple of great cleaning utilities, we felt the tool is not comprehensive enough. But you can give it a try if you already have a good idea about what is slowing down your Mac.

We have also recommended Sensei as a great Mac optimization tool, but it can be a little tricky to get used to. For instance, it does not have a smart wizard or anything. However, on the bright side, Sensei gives you a lot of system information.

Overall, we think the competition does not cut it when considering the comprehensive Mac cleaning and optimization abilities of CleanMyMac.

The conclusion

As is evident, I truly appreciate CleanMyMac for its powerful features and intuitive UI. The developers also actively listen to user feedback, constantly enhancing the app by improving malware detection and introducing additional speedup tools. This makes CleanMyMac not just a one-time purchase, but an evolving tool that adapts to your needs over time. More importantly, the money you invest in this cleanup solution could potentially save you from larger expenses, such as hardware upgrades or an external SSD.

Rest assured, if you have a relatively new Mac that’s slowing down, CleanMyMac can help. And with a free 7-day trial, you can explore all the features and modules of the app without any limitations before making your decision.

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