[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":29},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-en-privacy-cleanup":3},{"meta":4,"html":10,"headings":11,"raw":28},{"title":5,"description":6,"icon":7,"order":8,"updated":9},"Privacy Cleanup","Clear activity traces left by browsers, apps, and the system for a chosen time range, with possible effects listed before anything is cleared.","privacy",6,"2026-10-28","\u003Cp>Privacy Cleanup brings the activity traces left by browsers, apps, and the system into one place, such as browsing history, cookies, recent items, and the clipboard. Scanning happens on your Mac and changes nothing until you confirm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-it-finds\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#what-it-finds\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>What it can clear\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Results are sorted into four categories:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Browser activity\u003C\u002Fstrong>: browsing, search, download, and session records, plus browser caches.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Browser accounts\u003C\u002Fstrong>: cookies, site data, and site permissions, and possibly saved passwords and autofill data.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Application activity\u003C\u002Fstrong>: app caches, logs, sessions, and recent activity, such as recent documents in editors, office apps, and media players.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>System activity\u003C\u002Fstrong>: the clipboard, recent items and apps, recently used servers, terminal command history, and more.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Common browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are supported. What you see depends on the apps you have installed, your browser profiles, and the permissions you have granted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"time-range\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#time-range\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Choose a time range\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>At the top right, choose \u003Cstrong>Last hour\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>Today\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>Last 7 days\u003C\u002Fstrong>, or \u003Cstrong>All time\u003C\u002Fstrong> (the default), then click \u003Cstrong>Scan now\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Changing the time range clears the current results, so scan again afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Site permissions, saved passwords, autofill data, frequently visited sites, website icon records, and some other traces cannot be separated by time. They can be cleared only with \u003Cstrong>All time\u003C\u002Fstrong>; with other ranges they show \u003Cstrong>Not supported\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"review-results\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#review-results\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Review the results\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Switch categories on the left. On the right, results are grouped by browser or app, and browsers are split further by profile. Each item shows its number of traces and the space it uses:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Items marked \u003Cstrong>Low risk\u003C\u002Fstrong> usually do not affect normal use once cleared.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Other items state their effect, such as \u003Cstrong>May sign out accounts\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>May affect recent workflows\u003C\u002Fstrong>, or \u003Cstrong>May delete personal content\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Access limited\u003C\u002Fstrong> means Full Disk Access is needed. See \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fdocs\u002Fgetting-started#permissions\">Getting Started\u003C\u002Fa> for how to turn it on.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>While a browser or app is running, some items show \u003Cstrong>Scan after closing\u003C\u002Fstrong>, and their count shows \u003Cstrong>Pending scan\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Click an item to see its details. Some items only provide a total count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"selection\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#selection\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Choose what to clear\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>After a scan, \u003Cstrong>Smart recommendation\u003C\u002Fstrong> preselects lower-impact items such as browsing history, download history, browser caches, and recent items. Cookies, site storage, site permissions, saved passwords, autofill data, the clipboard, and terminal and command history are never selected automatically; select them yourself if you want them cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use \u003Cstrong>Selection\u003C\u002Fstrong> at the bottom to switch to \u003Cstrong>Select all\u003C\u002Fstrong> or \u003Cstrong>Select none\u003C\u002Fstrong>. You can also adjust by category, browser, profile, or individual item, and \u003Cstrong>Select category\u003C\u002Fstrong> selects a whole category at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"confirm\">\u003Ca class=\"heading-anchor\" href=\"#confirm\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">#\u003C\u002Fa>Confirm and clear\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Click \u003Cstrong>Clear selected\u003C\u002Fstrong>, then check the types and counts for each source in \u003Cstrong>Confirm privacy cleanup\u003C\u002Fstrong>:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>If a browser or app is running, select the ones to quit under \u003Cstrong>Close running apps (optional)\u003C\u002Fstrong>, and save your work first. If you would rather not quit them, click \u003Cstrong>Skip running apps and continue\u003C\u002Fstrong>; items from those apps are not cleared.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>If your selection may sign you out or delete personal data, tick \u003Cstrong>I understand that selected items may sign out accounts or permanently delete personal data\u003C\u002Fstrong> before you can click \u003Cstrong>Clear now\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>When cleanup finishes, the result for each item is shown, such as \u003Cstrong>Cleared and verified\u003C\u002Fstrong>, \u003Cstrong>No change needed\u003C\u002Fstrong>, or \u003Cstrong>Could not complete\u003C\u002Fstrong>, and the operation is recorded in \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fdocs\u002Fgetting-started#history\">Operation History\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"callout callout-note\">\u003Cp class=\"callout-title\">Note\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Privacy Cleanup only handles records stored on this Mac. It does not delete data kept by websites or cloud services, and it is not secure erasure. If your browser sync is turned on, some changes may sync to your other devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",[12,16,19,22,25],{"depth":13,"id":14,"text":15},2,"what-it-finds","What it can clear",{"depth":13,"id":17,"text":18},"time-range","Choose a time range",{"depth":13,"id":20,"text":21},"review-results","Review the results",{"depth":13,"id":23,"text":24},"selection","Choose what to clear",{"depth":13,"id":26,"text":27},"confirm","Confirm and clear","\nPrivacy Cleanup brings the activity traces left by browsers, apps, and the system into one place, such as browsing history, cookies, recent items, and the clipboard. Scanning happens on your Mac and changes nothing until you confirm.\n\n## What it can clear {#what-it-finds}\n\nResults are sorted into four categories:\n\n- **Browser activity**: browsing, search, download, and session records, plus browser caches.\n- **Browser accounts**: cookies, site data, and site permissions, and possibly saved passwords and autofill data.\n- **Application activity**: app caches, logs, sessions, and recent activity, such as recent documents in editors, office apps, and media players.\n- **System activity**: the clipboard, recent items and apps, recently used servers, terminal command history, and more.\n\nCommon browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are supported. What you see depends on the apps you have installed, your browser profiles, and the permissions you have granted.\n\n## Choose a time range {#time-range}\n\nAt the top right, choose **Last hour**, **Today**, **Last 7 days**, or **All time** (the default), then click **Scan now**. Changing the time range clears the current results, so scan again afterward.\n\nSite permissions, saved passwords, autofill data, frequently visited sites, website icon records, and some other traces cannot be separated by time. They can be cleared only with **All time**; with other ranges they show **Not supported**.\n\n## Review the results {#review-results}\n\nSwitch categories on the left. On the right, results are grouped by browser or app, and browsers are split further by profile. Each item shows its number of traces and the space it uses:\n\n- Items marked **Low risk** usually do not affect normal use once cleared.\n- Other items state their effect, such as **May sign out accounts**, **May affect recent workflows**, or **May delete personal content**.\n- **Access limited** means Full Disk Access is needed. See [Getting Started](\u002Fdocs\u002Fgetting-started#permissions) for how to turn it on.\n- While a browser or app is running, some items show **Scan after closing**, and their count shows **Pending scan**.\n\nClick an item to see its details. Some items only provide a total count.\n\n## Choose what to clear {#selection}\n\nAfter a scan, **Smart recommendation** preselects lower-impact items such as browsing history, download history, browser caches, and recent items. Cookies, site storage, site permissions, saved passwords, autofill data, the clipboard, and terminal and command history are never selected automatically; select them yourself if you want them cleared.\n\nUse **Selection** at the bottom to switch to **Select all** or **Select none**. You can also adjust by category, browser, profile, or individual item, and **Select category** selects a whole category at once.\n\n## Confirm and clear {#confirm}\n\nClick **Clear selected**, then check the types and counts for each source in **Confirm privacy cleanup**:\n\n- If a browser or app is running, select the ones to quit under **Close running apps (optional)**, and save your work first. If you would rather not quit them, click **Skip running apps and continue**; items from those apps are not cleared.\n- If your selection may sign you out or delete personal data, tick **I understand that selected items may sign out accounts or permanently delete personal data** before you can click **Clear now**.\n\nWhen cleanup finishes, the result for each item is shown, such as **Cleared and verified**, **No change needed**, or **Could not complete**, and the operation is recorded in [Operation History](\u002Fdocs\u002Fgetting-started#history).\n\n> [!NOTE]\n> Privacy Cleanup only handles records stored on this Mac. It does not delete data kept by websites or cloud services, and it is not secure erasure. If your browser sync is turned on, some changes may sync to your other devices.\n",1793257449994]