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Only if you turn on Maintain’s automatic cleanup, which is off by default. It then moves safe caches and logs to the Trash after a day’s notice, and deletes them for good after 7 days only if you allow that separately. Everything else waits for you: scans only read, cleanups move only what you approve to the Trash, and the few permanent steps (container images, stopped virtual machines, Empty Trash) say so and ask first.

Not without you. Your Photos library, Movies and Music folders, and Ollama and LM Studio models are shown, never offered for cleanup. Hugging Face downloads and Tart images always wait for your review, and so do build folders changed in the last two weeks. Containers are cleared through each engine’s own tools, never by deleting its disk image.

No, it’s optional. Without it, Disk Whisk still scans your home folder, and macOS may ask before it looks in Desktop, Documents, Downloads or the Trash; if you say no, the rest of the scan still works. With Full Disk Access, it can also size Mail, Messages and other app data. Either way, scans only read. You can change it any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.

Scanning, review, cleanup and History all happen on your Mac. No account is needed, and there’s no telemetry: no analytics, crash reporting or ads SDK. The app contacts our server only for licensing and, from version 0.9.5, a daily update check you can turn off. Ask Disk Whisk is optional: it answers locally, or with your own DeepSeek API key, in which case it sends your question and, for each item, a random ID, its category, a broad storage domain such as “developer cache” or “installer”, its size, last-changed date and safety level, a generic reason and impact, how it can be recovered, and a count of related items, plus your disk’s total size and free space. Never file names, paths or contents, so keep names out of your question too.

Scans, the storage map, every explanation, Make Room plans, container insights, Compress estimates, Uncompress, Ask Disk Whisk, History and restore are free forever. Pro runs the cleanups, including Make Room and container cleanup, compresses what you choose, and adds Storage Story and Maintain automation. Every download includes a 7-day Pro trial you start when you’re ready, with no account or card. When it ends, Disk Whisk returns to Free and everything free keeps working. Pro checks in online at least once every 30 days; scans, History and restore always work offline.

Moving files to the Trash doesn’t free space until the Trash is emptied. Disk Whisk shows what moved and what you actually gained as separate numbers. Once you empty the Trash, the space is yours and those items can no longer be restored.

No. It stores the same files in macOS’s own compressed form, so their contents, names and places stay the same. Uncompress, which is free, reverses it.

From version 0.9.5, Disk Whisk checks for a new version once a day and tells you when one is ready, and you can choose Disk Whisk ▸ Check for Updates… at any time. To update by hand, download the latest version from diskwhisk.com/download, quit Disk Whisk, then drag the new DiskWhisk.app to Applications and choose Replace. Your settings, History and license are kept.

Disk Whisk is signed, notarized and downloaded directly from this site, and it’s still being refined. The safety model doesn’t change with the label: scans only read, every item is rechecked right before it changes, cleanups move only what you approve to the Trash, every cleanup leaves a receipt you can restore from, and the few permanent actions say so and ask first. It runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel.

Scans only read. Open each item to see why it’s there and how to get it back, then approve. Only what you approve goes to the Trash.

macOS may restrict Desktop, Documents, Downloads, app data or removable volumes. For the fullest picture, turn on Disk Whisk in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access, then run a fresh scan. It’s optional: without it, Disk Whisk still scans your home folder, and with it, scans still only read.

Open History in Disk Whisk and choose the cleanup receipt. Restore checks that each item is still the same one before putting it back. It works while the items are still in the Trash; once you empty the Trash, they can’t be restored.

Check that your DeepSeek key in Settings is correct and that you’re online. If DeepSeek can’t be reached, remove the key and Ask Disk Whisk answers locally from its own rules.

It arrives in your purchase email. To get it again, open Your license and have it emailed, or sign in there with your purchase email to reveal it and manage your Macs.

Open Disk Whisk → Settings → License and choose Deactivate, then activate the new Mac with the same key. If you no longer have the old Mac, open Your license on this website, sign in with your purchase email, deactivate the old seat, and activate the replacement.

One-time and annual purchases have a 30-day refund window: email us from your purchase email with your receipt. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time through Billing & cancellation in Your license. History and restore stay available either way. The details are in the license, transfer and refund policy.