Clean My Mac X: A Powerful Mac Cleaner for Your M1 Mac

Clean My Mac X : A Powerful Mac Cleaner for Your M1 Mac, If you own a Mac, you probably know how important it is to keep it clean and optimized, especially if you have a new M1 Mac that runs on Apple’s own silicon chip. A clean and optimized Mac can perform faster, smoother, and more reliably and give you a better user experience.

However, cleaning and optimizing a Mac is not always easy or straightforward. There are many files and settings that can clutter your Mac, such as system junk, cache files, duplicate files, large files, old files, unused apps, extensions, and more. These files and settings can take up valuable space on your Mac, slow down your Mac, and cause some issues or errors.

That’s why you need a tool that can help you clean and optimize your Mac with ease and efficiency. And that’s where CleanMyMac X comes in.

CleanMyMac X is a Mac utility app that offers a comprehensive set of features and tools to help you clean, optimize, protect, and maintain your Mac. It can scan your Mac for various types of junk and unwanted files, and remove them with a few clicks. It can also monitor your Mac’s health and performance and alert you to any potential problems or threats. It can also update your apps, uninstall your apps, manage your extensions, free up your RAM, and more.

In this article, we will review CleanMyMac X in detail and show you why it is the best Mac cleaner and optimizer for M1 Macs. We will also give you some tips and tricks on how to use CleanMyMac X effectively, and how to get the most out of it.

What is CleanMyMac X?

MacPaw, a software company that specializes in creating apps for Mac and iOS devices, developed CleanMyMac X, a Mac utility app. CleanMyMac X is the latest and most advanced version of CleanMyMac, which has been around since 2008. CleanMyMac X was launched in 2018, and it has been updated regularly to support the latest macOS versions and features, including the M1 chip.

CleanMyMac X is designed to be a one-stop solution for all your Mac cleaning and optimization needs. It has a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to access all its features and tools from a single window. It also has a smart and powerful scanning engine that can analyze your Mac and find all the junk and unwanted files that you can safely remove. It also has a menu bar icon that gives you quick access to some useful information and functions, such as your Mac’s storage, battery, CPU, RAM, and network status.

CleanMyMac X is not just a Mac cleaner but also a Mac optimizer, protector, and maintainer. It can help you improve your Mac’s speed, performance, and stability by freeing up space, optimizing your system, removing malware, and fixing issues. It can also help you protect your Mac from viruses, adware, spyware, and other threats, by scanning your Mac and removing any malicious files or apps. It can also help you maintain your Mac in good condition by updating your apps, uninstalling your apps, managing your extensions, running maintenance scripts, and more.

CleanMyMac X is compatible with all Mac models and macOS versions, including the M1 Macs and macOS Big Sur. It is also optimized for the M1 chip, which means it can run faster and more efficiently on the new Macs. Additionally, Apple has certified it as a trustworthy and safe app, so it won’t harm your Mac or your data.

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What are the Features and Tools of CleanMyMac X?

What are the Features and Tools of CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X has a lot of features and tools to offer, and they are grouped into five categories: Cleanup, Protection, Speed, Applications, and Files. Here is a brief overview of each category, and what they can do for your Mac.

Cleanup

The Cleanup category is where you can find the core features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you clean your Mac and free up space. It includes the following features and tools:

• Smart Scan: This is the main feature of CleanMyMac X, and it allows you to scan your Mac for three types of junk and unwanted files: system junk, photo junk, and mail attachments. System junk includes cache files, log files, broken preferences, outdated updates, and other files that are no longer needed by your system. Photo Junk includes cache files, thumbnails, and other files that are generated by your Photos app, and that can take up a lot of space. Mail attachments include attachments that are downloaded by your Mail app and that can also consume a lot of space. Smart Scan can also scan your Mac for malware and for optimization tasks, such as freeing up RAM, running maintenance scripts, and flushing the DNS cache. Smart Scan can help you clean and optimize your Mac in one click, and it can save you a lot of time and effort.
• System Junk: This is a more detailed and advanced version of the System Junk scan, and it allows you to scan your Mac for various types of system junk, such as user cache files, system cache files, system log files, user log files, broken preferences, broken login items, iOS software updates, Xcode junk, development junk, and localization files. You can also customize the scan and choose which types of system junk you want to scan and remove. System Junk can help you clean your Mac and free up space, and it can also improve your Mac’s performance and stability by removing unnecessary files that can slow down your Mac or cause some issues or errors.
• Photo Junk: This is a more detailed and advanced version of the Photo Junk scan, and it allows you to scan your Mac for various types of photo junk, such as cache files, thumbnails, local copies, RAW files, and face data. You can also customize the scan and choose which types of photo junk you want to scan and remove. Photo Junk can help you clean your Mac and free up space, and it can also improve your Photos app’s performance and speed, by removing unnecessary files that can clog up your Photos library.
• Mail Attachments: This is a more detailed and advanced version of the Mail Attachments scan, and it allows you to scan your Mac for various types of mail attachments, such as documents, images, videos, audio files, and archives. You can also customize the scan and choose which types of mail attachments you want to scan and remove. Mail attachments can help you clean your Mac and free up space, and it can also improve your Mail app’s performance and speed by removing unnecessary files that can clutter up your Mail inbox.
• Trash Bins: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of trash bins, such as the main Trash, the iPhoto Trash, the Mail Trash, and the external drive Trash. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of trash bins you want to scan and empty. Trash Bins can help you clean your Mac and free up space, and it can also prevent your Mac from running out of space, by removing files that are already deleted, but still taking up space on your Mac.

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Protection

The Protection category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you protect your Mac from viruses, malware, and other threats. It includes the following features and tools:

• Malware Removal: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of malware, such as viruses, adware, spyware, ransomware, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of malware you want to scan and remove. Malware Removal can help you protect your Mac and your data, and it can also improve your Mac’s performance and security, by removing malicious files or apps that can harm your Mac or your data, or compromise your privacy or identity.
• Privacy: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of privacy traces, such as browsing history, cookies, autofill values, download history, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of privacy traces you want to scan and remove. Privacy can help you protect your Mac and your data, and it can also improve your Mac’s performance and security, by removing privacy traces that can reveal your online activity or personal information, or expose you to hackers or trackers.

Speed

The Speed category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you improve your Mac’s speed and performance. It includes the following features and tools:

• Optimization: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of optimization tasks, such as freeing up RAM, running maintenance scripts, flushing DNS cache, and reindexing Spotlight. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of optimization tasks you want to scan and perform. Optimization can help you improve your Mac’s performance and speed, by freeing up resources, fixing issues, and enhancing functions.
• Maintenance: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of maintenance tasks, such as repairing disk permissions, verifying startup disk, rebuilding launch services, reindexing Mail, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of maintenance tasks you want to scan and perform. Maintenance can help you improve your Mac’s performance and stability, by repairing errors, restoring order, and updating databases.
• Uninstaller: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of apps, such as user apps, system apps, leftovers, and unsupported apps. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of apps you want to scan and uninstall. Uninstaller can help you improve your Mac’s performance and space, by removing apps that you don’t need, use, or support, and their associated files and folders.
• Speed Optimization: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of speed optimization tasks, such as disabling heavy memory consumers, reducing launch agents, disabling login items, and disabling hung applications. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of speed optimisation tasks you want to scan and perform. Speed Optimization can help you improve your Mac’s speed and responsiveness, by reducing the load on your system, and freeing up resources for the apps that you need.

Applications

The Applications category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you manage your apps and their updates, extensions, and permissions. It includes the following features and tools:

• Updater: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of apps, such as user apps, system apps, and app store apps, and check if they have any available updates. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of apps you want to scan and update. Updater can help you improve your Mac’s performance and security, by keeping your apps up to date, and fixing any bugs or issues that they may have.
• Extensions: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of extensions, such as Safari extensions, widgets, preference panes, plugins, dictionaries, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of extensions you want to scan and manage. Extensions can help you improve your Mac’s performance and stability, by removing or disabling extensions that you don’t need, use, or support, and that may slow down your Mac or cause some conflicts or errors.
• Privacy: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of privacy permissions, such as camera access, microphone access, location access, contacts access, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of privacy permissions you want to scan and manage. Privacy can help you protect your Mac and your data, by removing or restricting permissions that you don’t need, use, or trust, and that may compromise your privacy or identity.

Files

The Files category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you manage your files and folders, and find and remove the ones that you don’t need, use, or support. It includes the following features and tools:

• Large & Old Files: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of large and old files, such as documents, images, videos, audio files, archives, and more. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of large and old files you want to scan and remove. Large & Old Files can help you clean your Mac and free up space, by removing files that are taking up a lot of space on your Mac, and that you haven’t used for a long time.
• Shredder: This is a feature that allows you to securely delete any file or folder from your Mac, and make it unrecoverable by any means. You can also customize the deletion method, and choose between fast, medium, or secure. Shredder can help you protect your Mac and your data, by deleting files that contain sensitive or personal information, and that you don’t want anyone to access or recover.
• Space Lens: This is a feature that allows you to scan your Mac for various types of files and folders, and visualize them in a graphical and interactive way. You can also customize the scan, and choose which types of files and folders you want to scan and view. Space Lens can help you manage your Mac and your space, by showing you how your files and folders are distributed on your Mac, and allowing you to easily find and remove the ones that you don’t need, use, or support.

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you access some useful information and functions from the menu bar of your Mac. It includes the following features and tools:

• Menu: This is a feature that allows you to access some of the main features and tools of CleanMyMac X, such as Smart Scan, Optimization, Maintenance, Uninstaller, and more, from the menu bar of your Mac. You can also customize the menu, and choose which features and tools you want to access from the menu bar. Menu can help you save time and effort, by allowing you to clean and optimize your Mac without opening the app, and by giving you quick access to some of the most frequently used features and tools of CleanMyMac X.
• Health Monitor: This is a feature that allows you to monitor your Mac’s health and performance, and alert you to any potential problems or threats, from the menu bar of your Mac. You can also customize the health monitor, and choose which aspects of your Mac’s health and performance you want to monitor and display, such as storage, battery, CPU, RAM, and network. Health Monitor can help you improve your Mac’s performance and security, by showing you the status of your Mac’s resources, and by notifying you of any issues or risks that may affect your Mac or your data.

Preferences CleanMyMac X

The Preferences category is where you can find the features and tools of CleanMyMac X, that can help you customize and configure the app according to your needs and preferences. It includes the following features and tools:

• General: This is a feature that allows you to adjust some general settings of CleanMyMac X, such as the language, appearance, notifications, updates, and analytics. You can also customize the general settings, and choose which options you want to enable or disable. General can help you personalise your CleanMyMac X experience by allowing you to change the app’s look and feel, and by giving you more control over the app’s behavior and feedback.
• Ignore List: This is a feature that allows you to add or remove any file, folder, app, or extension that you want to exclude from the scans and actions of CleanMyMac X. You can also customize the ignore list, and choose which items you want to ignore or unignore. Ignore List can help you protect your Mac and your data, by allowing you to keep the files, folders, apps, or extensions that you need, use, or support, and that you don’t want CleanMyMac X to touch or remove.
• Shredder: This is a feature that allows you to adjust some shredder settings of CleanMyMac X, such as the deletion method, the confirmation, and the sound. You can also customize the shredder settings, and choose which options you want to enable or disable. Shredder can help you protect your Mac and your data, by allowing you to change the way CleanMyMac X securely deletes your files or folders, and by giving you more control over the shredder’s feedback and confirmation.
• Menu Bar: This is a feature that allows you to adjust some menu bar settings of CleanMyMac X, such as the icon, the items, the notifications, and the shortcuts. You can also customize the menu bar settings, and choose which options you want to enable or disable. Menu Bar can help you save time and effort, by allowing you to change the way CleanMyMac X displays and functions on the menu bar of your Mac, and by giving you quick access to some useful information and features.

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How does CleanMyMac X work on M1 Macs?

CleanMyMac X is fully compatible with the latest M1 Macs, which use Apple’s own silicon chip instead of Intel’s processors. The app has been optimized to run natively on the M1 chip, which means it can take advantage of its speed and efficiency. According to MacPaw, CleanMyMac X runs up to 3 times faster on M1 Macs than on Intel Macs.

CleanMyMac X also supports the new macOS Monterey, which is the latest version of the operating system for Macs. The app has been updated to work smoothly with the new features and changes of Monterey, such as the redesigned Safari, the new Focus mode, the Universal Control, and more.

CleanMyMac X also supports the new Mac models that use the M1 chip, such as the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, and the upcoming MacBook Pro 14 and 16. The app can detect the model and the chip of your Mac and adjust its settings and features accordingly.

How to Use CleanMyMac X

Now that you know what CleanMyMac X can do for your Mac, you may be wondering how to use it effectively and efficiently. In this section, we will show you how to use CleanMyMac X in a few simple steps, and give you some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of it.

• Step 1: Download and Install CleanMyMac X. To use CleanMyMac X, you need to download and install it on your Mac. You can download CleanMyMac X from the official website of MacPaw, or from the Mac App Store. The download and installation process is quick and easy, and it won’t take more than a few minutes. You can also try CleanMyMac X for free for 14 days, and see how it works for you.
• Step 2: Launch and Activate CleanMyMac X. To launch CleanMyMac X, you can either double-click on its icon in the Applications folder, or click on its icon in the menu bar. To activate CleanMyMac X, you need to enter your license key, which you can get from MacPaw after purchasing the app, or from the Mac App Store after downloading the app. You can also activate CleanMyMac X with your Setapp account, if you have one.
• Step 3: Scan and Clean Your Mac. To scan and clean your Mac, you can either use the Smart Scan feature, or the individual features and tools, depending on your needs and preferences. To use the Smart Scan feature, you just need to click on the Scan button, and wait for CleanMyMac X to analyze your Mac and find all the junk and unwanted files, malware, and optimization tasks that you can safely remove or perform. Then, you can click on the Run button, and let CleanMyMac X do the rest. To use the individual features and tools, you just need to click on the category that you want to use, such as Cleanup, Protection, Speed, Applications, or Files, and choose the feature or tool that you want to use, such as System Junk, Malware Removal, Optimization, Uninstaller, or Large & Old Files. Then, you can click on the Scan button, and wait for CleanMyMac X to analyze your Mac and find the items that you can manage or remove. Then, you can review the results, and select or deselect the items that you want to keep or delete. Then, you can click on the Clean, Remove, or Run button, and let CleanMyMac X do the rest.
• Step 4: Monitor and Maintain Your Mac To monitor and maintain your Mac, you can either use the Health Monitor feature, or the Menu Bar feature, depending on your needs and preferences. To use the Health Monitor feature, you just need to click on the Health Monitor icon in the upper right corner of the CleanMyMac X window, and you will see a dashboard that shows you the status of your Mac’s storage, battery, CPU, RAM, and network. You can also click on the icons to see more details, and to access some quick actions, such as freeing up RAM, running maintenance scripts, or flushing DNS cache. To use the Menu Bar feature, you just need to click on the Menu Bar icon in the menu bar of your Mac, and you will see a menu that gives you quick access to some of the main features and tools of CleanMyMac X, such as Smart Scan, Optimisation, Maintenance, Uninstaller, and more. You can also see some useful information and notifications, such as your Mac’s storage, battery, CPU, RAM, and network status, and any issues or risks that may affect your Mac or your data. You can also access some shortcuts, such as opening the app, checking for updates, or contacting support.

How to Get CleanMyMac X

If you are interested in getting CleanMyMac X for your Mac, you have two options: you can either buy it from the official website of MacPaw or you can get it from the Mac App Store. Both options have their pros and cons, and you can choose the one that suits you best.

If you buy CleanMyMac X from the official website of MacPaw, you can get a license key that you can use to activate the app on your Mac. You can also choose between a one-time purchase, or a subscription plan, depending on your needs and preferences.

The one-time purchase costs $89.95, and it gives you a lifetime license for one Mac. The subscription plan costs $34.95 per year or $4.49 per month, and it gives you a license for one Mac, plus free updates and priority support. You can also get a discount if you buy a license for more than one Mac, or if you are a student, a teacher, or a non-profit organization. You can also try CleanMyMac X for free for 14 days, and see how it works for you.

If you get CleanMyMac X from the Mac App Store, you can download and install the app on your Mac, and use your Apple ID and password to activate it. You can also use the app on any Mac that is signed in with the same Apple ID. However, you can only get CleanMyMac X from the Mac App Store as a subscription plan, which costs $39.99 per year, or $4.99 per month. You can also get a free trial for 7 days, and see how it works for you.

The main difference between the two options is that the Mac App Store version of CleanMyMac X has some limitations, due to Apple’s sandboxing policy, which restricts the access and permissions of the app. For example, the Mac App Store version of CleanMyMac X cannot scan and remove system junk, malware, or extensions, or perform some optimization or maintenance tasks. Therefore, if you want to get the full functionality and features of CleanMyMac X, you may want to buy it from the official website of MacPaw, instead of getting it from the Mac App Store.

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How does CleanMyMac X compare with other Mac cleaners?

CleanMyMac X is not the only Mac cleaner on the market. There are many other apps that offer similar or different features to clean, protect, speed up, and manage your Mac. Some of the most popular ones are:

• MacBooster: A Mac cleaner that offers features such as system junk, malware removal, privacy, optimization, uninstaller, extensions, and more. It also has a Turbo Boost feature that can free up RAM and disk space and improve your Mac’s performance. MacBooster is compatible with macOS 10.9 or later, including Monterey and M1 Macs.
• OnyX: A Mac cleaner that offers features such as system junk, maintenance, utilities, parameters, and more. It also has a Automation feature that can run multiple tasks at once. OnyX is compatible with macOS 10.15 or later, including Monterey and M1 Macs.
• DaisyDisk is a Mac cleaner that offers features such as disk space analysis, large and old files, and more. It also has a beautiful and intuitive interface that shows you a visual map of your disk space. DaisyDisk is compatible with macOS 10.10 or later, including Monterey and M1 Macs.

1. More features: CleanMyMac X has more features than the other Mac cleaners, such as malware removal, updater, space lens, shredder, and more. It also has a smart scan that can perform multiple tasks in one click.
2. More speed: CleanMyMac X is faster than the other Mac cleaners, especially on M1 Macs, where it runs up to 3 times faster than on Intel Macs. It also has a quick scan that can scan your Mac in seconds.
3. More security: CleanMyMac X is more secure than the other Mac cleaners, as it has a malware removal feature that can protect your Mac from viruses and other threats. It also has a safety database that prevents it from deleting any important files or settings.
4. More user-friendly: CleanMyMac X has a more user-friendly interface than the other Mac cleaners, as it has a modern and sleek design that is easy to navigate and use. It also has a menu bar item that gives you quick access to some of the features and information.CleanMyMac X stands out from the other Mac cleaners in several ways. Some of the advantages of CleanMyMac X are:

• CleanMyMac X is a powerful and versatile Mac cleaner that can help you clean, protect, speed up, and manage your Mac.
• It is fully compatible with the latest M1 Macs and macOS Monterey, and it can run faster and more efficiently on them.
• It also has more features, more security, and more user-friendliness than the other Mac cleaners on the market.
• If you are looking for a reliable and comprehensive Mac cleaner for your M1 Mac, you should definitely give CleanMyMac X a try.

FAQs

• Q: How much does CleanMyMac X cost?
• A: CleanMyMac X has a free version that lets you scan your Mac and remove up to 500 MB of junk. To unlock all the features and remove unlimited junk, you need to buy a license. The license costs $34.95 for one Mac, $54.95 for two Macs, or $79.95 for five Macs. You can also get a subscription plan that costs $39.95 per year for one Mac, $59.95 per year for two Macs, or $89.95 per year for five Macs.
• Q: How do I install CleanMyMac X on my M1 Mac?
• A: To install CleanMyMac X on your M1 Mac, you need to download the app from the official website or the Mac App Store. Then, you need to drag and drop the app to your Applications folder and launch it. You may need to grant the app some permissions to access your Mac’s files and settings.
• Q: How do I use CleanMyMac X on my M1 Mac?
• A: To use CleanMyMac X on your M1 Mac, you need to open the app and choose the feature you want to use from the sidebar. You can also use the smart scan feature to scan your Mac for system junk, malware, and optimization issues in one click. Then, you need to review the scan results and choose what to remove or optimize. You can also use the menu bar item to access some of the features and information quickly.
• Q: Is CleanMyMac X safe to use on my M1 Mac?
• A: Yes, CleanMyMac X is safe to use on your M1 Mac, as it has a safety database that prevents it from deleting any important files or settings. It also has a malware removal feature that can protect your Mac from viruses and other threats. It also has a backup and restore feature that lets you undo any changes you make with the app.
• Q: What are the benefits of using CleanMyMac X on my M1 Mac?
• A: The benefits of using CleanMyMac X on your M1 Mac are:
  • You can free up disk space by removing junk files, large and old files, mail attachments, trash bins, and more.
  • You can protect your Mac from malware, adware, spyware, ransomware, and other threats by scanning and removing them.
  • You can improve your Mac’s speed and performance by optimizing launch agents, login items, hung applications, heavy consumers, and more.
  • You can enhance your Mac’s health and stability by running maintenance tasks, repairing disk permissions, flushing DNS cache, reindexing Spotlight, and more.
  • You can manage your Mac’s applications and extensions by uninstalling them completely, updating them easily, and enabling or disabling them as you wish.
  • You can explore your Mac’s disk space by using the space lens feature that shows you a visual map of your storage.
  • You can delete files and folders permanently and securely by using the shredder feature that erases them without leaving any trace.