Sometimes, the default way that my Mac handles files is frustrating. Shuffling through multiple levels of Finder can be repetitive and exhausting. Sometimes, even straightforward tasks—like deleting files by dragging them to the trash—aren’t as simple as they might seem.
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I know I’m not alone in feeling this way: there’s a whole range of secondary apps that address exactly this issue. Some are pretty simple and some are more complex, but they all pose the same question: Does your Mac work the way it should right out of the box?
Onyx Mac Cleaner Free
Features of OnyX for Mac
The OnyX utility has been designed as multi-functional app to help you check your Mac's start-up disk and system files, to run various system maintenance tasks, to tweak the settings for various. Designed by Titanium Software, OnyX is free Mac maintenance and optimization software that has been around since OS X Jaguar in 2002, and so it has had a ‘few’ years of experience in this area. OnyX has a nice, clean user interface that provides you with details of what you are about to do using this third-party software. Some tasks – such as repairing disk permissions and clearing.
I decided to try OnyX, a Mac cleaning utility and disk manager that helps you supervise and organize your disk. A little disclaimer before we get started: OnyX is NOT for beginners. It doesn’t make anything simple, fun, or pretty. Instead, it delivers a set of powerful, professional tools for gaining complete control of your Mac.
Here’s what it has to offer:
- Maintenance: This tab contains a checklist of the maintenance tasks that Onyx can perform on your Mac with a single click. These are broken into three categories: rebuilding, cleaning, and miscellaneous. All you need to do is check the boxes next to the tasks that you want to perform. Each task in the maintenance section is designed to leave you with a Mac that runs more smoothly and efficiently.
- Utilities: These are the most technical operations the application can perform. I’ll confess that I’m not exactly sure what many of the tabs in this section are for, but I did find the Applications tool very useful. This feature collects a number of useful but usually hidden features on your Mac in one place, including the Storage Management, Network Utility, and Wireless Diagnostics apps. Although these are usually buried deep in System Preferences, it’s nice to have them on hand.
- Files: This feature gives you a high level of control over individual disks and files. You can change whether a disk is visible in Finder, assign it a unique Checksum label, or delete any exact duplicates or AppleDoubles. This feature also lets you delete files permanently (don’t worry—it has a triple-pass Secure Delete option to prevent any mistakes).
- Parameters: This section offers dozens of options for changing the way your Mac operates. From general choices about display speeds and graphic effects to customization options for Finder and the Dock, it lets you fine-tune all the parts of your computer that you thought were stuck that way for good.
Some of OnyX’s tasks—especially those under the Utility and Maintenance tabs—can take a long time to complete, depending on the size and contents of your drive. Make sure that you don’t start one of these intensive tasks without having a couple of hours of computer downtime available.
What makes OnyX unique?
OnyX is unlike any other disk manager I’ve used. It doesn’t simply meet the user halfway; instead, it demands a high level of input and proficiency. Here’s what I noticed:
- No Frills: OnyX isn’t very concerned with looks. Its interface is a series of tabs and checklists with only minor hierarchical organization. This look might require a bit of expertise on part of a user.
- Power: OnyX makes changes at a very deep level, allowing you to fundamentally alter the way your computer works. By addressing the parameters and rules behind the basic building blocks of your disk, it gives you an extremely high level of control, provided you know what to do with it.
One place the app is lacking is in automated features. A great deal of foresight and careful calibration are required to automate some necessary processes (like malware detection and other maintenance tasks), and even then, you might not catch everything you meant to. If you don’t have spare time to figure out all the settings, you may try more user-friendly solutions. For example, CleanMyMac X by MacPaw (love it or hate it) has automated cleanup tools and pretty impressive design.
Here’s what I mean:
If you like to play around with this app, download its free version here.
Is OnyX safe?
A disk manager can make a lot of changes to the deep structure of your Mac. It’s always a good idea to do your research and make sure that you trust the one you’re using. Look for an app with a long history of updates and a developer that’s been around for a while—that way, your computer is more likely to be in safe hands. OnyX was first released on Mac OS Jaguar in 2002, so it’s had some time to work out any kinks.
Another way to ensure that you won’t harm your computer is to use the version of OnyX that matches your current operating system. If you haven’t upgraded to Catalina yet, Titanium software (OnyX’s developer) has every past version of the app available for download on their website.
In inexperienced hands, a powerful tool like OnyX can do a lot of accidental damage. Unlike other disk analyzers, which often make suggestions or mark certain files as off-limits for deletion, OnyX’s commitment to control means that a casual user might end up deleting something important or changing settings to the point that their Mac becomes unusable. It’s important that if you plan on using a technically sophisticated tool like OnyX, you have the technical skills to use it safely.
If you’re worried about accidentally deleting important files, consider CleanMyMac X. Its Smart Scan feature helps you make informed decisions about what you can safely toss and what you shouldn’t mess with. It also gives you personalized cleanup tips based on how you use your Mac. Download the trial version here.
OnyX Review: The verdict
As I mentioned before, OnyX is a powerful Mac optimization utility. In the right hands, it’s got the power and flexibility to deliver great results. It doesn’t require much space and is incredibly stable. But if you’d like to go beyond just cleaning and tune your Mac in more ways, check out these 5 Onyx alternatives — hope you’ll pick the right tool for your needs.
Due to several reasons like a slow startup, lack of storage space, lagging system performance, and others, Mac users look for system utility tools. And due to this demand, supply is abundant. This means you can find several free & paid cleaning apps for Mac. Among them, one with a long history is OnyX, developed by Titan Software.
This free Mac maintenance utility is a useful tool for all Mac users. Using it, you can check startup disk, system files structure, run various cleaning tasks, delete cache, problem creating files and folders, rebuild databases, and do a lot more.
In a nutshell, this tool helps perform all the tasks required to keep Mac optimized. So, if you are interested to know more about this tool, here’s a detailed review of the OnyX – The best Mac optimization tool.
Writer’s Rating
- Overall – 4/5
- Price – 5/5
- Customer Service – 3/5
Onyx For Macbook
Overview –
Product Version – 3.8.6
Release Date: June 4, 2020
Price – Free
When it comes to maintaining Mac and optimizing the performance, OnyX is the best. This multifunctional tool lets you control basic Unix programs built-into macOS. Moreover, using it, you can delete files associated with uninstalled apps, rebuild the Spotlight search index, clean junk files, and a lot more.
Excited to know more about this amazing tool?
Well, before we move ahead, here’s a heads up. OnyX is an advanced and powerful tool that gives full control of Mac. This means beginners can face difficulty when using OnyX.
Highlights –
- Onyx’s maintenance tab helps rebuild, clean, and delete junk files
- Easy access to several Mac functions and verifies the structure of the file system
- Secure deletes file and folders without leaving any leftovers
- Offer configuration panel to change various settings
- Restart routine improved
Features:
1. Maintenance:
This tab consists of several subgroup tasks. Using it in a single click, you can rebuild, clean, and perform other tasks. To use it, you need to check the boxes next to the task and click Run Tasks.
Each task in the maintenance group is handcrafted to make your Mac work flawlessly and boost performance.
Verifying subgroups helps speed up the verification process by checking the file system structure. Honestly, if you are facing any problem in using the Mac or your Mac gets stuck while performing certain tasks use the First Aid built-in Disk Utility app.
Rebuilding subgroups help remove leftovers and associated files that unnecessary clutter the Mac.
Cleaning subgroups is the most useful section; you can clean log files and free disk space using it. Getting rid of these unwanted files will help boost startup time.
Misc. options help deal with problems that do not belong to any of the above subgroups. This includes maintaining scripts, fonts cache, clearing Trash, and more.
Onyx For Mac El Capitan
2. Utilities:
Honestly, all the operations explained in this group are quite advanced. I’ll confess it wasn’t easy for me too. But I did find this Applications section useful. This feature lists all the features that are hidden under System Preferences. This means you can access Storage Management, Wireless Diagnostics apps, etc., easily in one place.
3. Files:
Want to perform various actions on files, folder, and disk? Well, this feature gives control over all disks and files. You can change the disk visibility by adding a (.) to the file name. To show/hide hidden files, press the Shift+Command (.) dot key. This will show files. To hide the data, simply add a dot to the file name. This will hide the file. Moreover, using it, you permanently delete files.
4. Parameters:
This section is an all-in-one configuration panel. From here, you can change display speeds, graphic effects, change the default number of recent items from 10 to 20, save screenshots in some other format, remove restart, and shut down the menu bar, change hover color on Dark icons, and a lot more. All this will help fine-tune Mac.
Is OnyX Worth Giving a Try?
Indeed, the OnyX system utility tool for Mac is special. It helps perform intensive tasks without you bringing around and optimizing Mac in no time.
What makes OnyX a must-have system cleanup tool for Mac?
Unlike other disk managers, OnyX offers proficiency and gives full control to perform several tasks. During my research, I have noticed some noteworthy things about OnyX. They are listed below:
1. No Fancy design: Onyx believes in offering the services that users look for. Instead of paying attention to looks, the system utility app offers different tabs categorized hierarchically. This might look a bit old fashioned, but it does work.
2. Power: OnyX performs cleaning at a deep level, thereby permitting users to customize settings.
How to install OnyX
Note: Before you install OnyX you need to know the macOS version you are using. This is required to install the compatible version of OnyX.
However, if you do not know the OS, you are running, follow the steps below.
How to find the macOS Version?
1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar > select About this Mac from the drop-down menu.
2. This will open a new window; here you can see the name of the current OS.
3. Now that you know the version of macOS head to the official site and download the compatible version of OnyX.
Note: When downloading the version of OnyX, ensure you download it from the website. This will prevent you from installing an infected version of OnyX.
4. Once downloaded, look for .dmg file on the Downloads folder in the Finder and double click the file.
5. Drag the app into the Applications folder > grant Full Access to the disk by following instructions.
Pros
- Free to use Mac system utility
- Excellent maintenance and Mac optimization tool
- Helps clean junk files
- Automated cleaning and maintenance
- Allows accessing macOS hidden features
- Enlist malware infections in detail
Cons
- No information about the reclaimed storage space
- Lacks preview option
- There’s a specific version of OnyX for every macOS
So, this is all the information about OnyX – a safe to use Mac system utility. Using it, you can perform different operations on your Mac. However, if you are still looking for an alternate, try using Disk Clean Pro – #1 Mac cleanup and optimization app. Offered by Systweak, this Mac tweaking tool works wonders. If you want to give it a try, click here.
Alongside you can check the list of best Mac optimization apps. This will help find alternatives to OnyX and make you aware of the tools available in the market.