Understand maintenance tasks

Your Mac performs better with regular optimizations and diagnostic checkups. Running these tasks manually can be tiresome, but CleanMyMac handles it all for you. It provides essential Mac care through general and specific tasks that help maintain your software and hardware:

• Flush DNS cache
• Free up RAM
• Reindex Spotlight
• Repair disk permissions
• Speed up mail
• Thin Time Machine snapshot
• Periodic scripts

Run your maintenance activities in one place:

1. In CleanMyMac, click Performance in the sidebar.

2. Click Scan to begin, and wait for the results.

   

   To repeat the scan, click Start Over on the upper left, confirm, and click Scan again.

3. Review and run maintenance tasks:

   • CleanMyMac may suggest tasks like Free Up RAM or Thin Time Machine Snapshots in tiles.

     Click Run to perform the respective task.

     

   • To review all maintenance tasks, click the button above the tiles – View All Tasks, – then select the Maintenance Tasks category.

     

     Review and select tasks to run, then click Run to perform the selected tasks.

Read the recommendations below to avoid system lag during high workloads. It's not necessary to run all tasks at once.

macOS stores a local cache of resolved DNS (Domain Name System) requests for a set period defined by the DNS server. Sometimes, you may need to reset the cache to update DNS records, such as after changes to the DNS server.

Run this task if you experience:

• Inability to connect to some websites
• Random or ongoing network slowdowns

RAM stores data for currently running system processes and apps, helping operations run smoothly. As memory fills up, your Mac may slow down.

Run this task if macOS or apps are running slower than usual.

Spotlight reindexing improves the performance and accuracy of your Mac search engine. While Spotlight usually indexes automatically, a large number of files or extended usage may require manual reindexing.

Note that Spotlight reindexing is resource-intensive and may slow down your Mac during the process. Once complete, Spotlight will function more efficiently.

Run this task if you experience:

• Slow search performance
• Spotlight not finding existing items

Every file and folder on your Mac has permissions that control access and actions. Permissions can become corrupted due to improper shutdowns or software installations.

Run this task if you encounter:

• Access-related issues (for example, inability to move, view, or delete files)

• Applications malfunctioning (for example, Dock icons appearing as question marks, or apps failing to launch)

This task reindexes the macOS Mail database to resolve issues, improve performance, and enhance search speed. Reindexing is safe and doesn't affect your emails.

For faster reindexing, clean up your Junk and Trash folders and delete unnecessary emails before running the task.

Run this task if you experience:

• Slow Mail search or failure to find existing messages

• Issues deleting, moving, or receiving messages

• Problems with message content display

Time Machine is a reliable backup feature that keeps all your files (including music, photos, apps, and so on) safe even when something goes dramatically wrong. Time Machine creates local backups that can take up significant space on your Mac.

Running this task occasionally helps shrink the size of Time Machine snapshots without affecting their contents.

macOS runs daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance scripts to keep your system in good shape. CleanMyMac unifies these scripts into one task, which includes:

• Deleting temporary files
• Rotating and compressing log files
• Rebuilding system databases

This task is quick to run and helps maintain your Mac performance.