PruneoPruneo adapts to your Mac: sections based on what you use
Pruneo doesn't ask what you use your Mac for: it finds out. It uses Spotlight to count the projects you saved in the last 90 days and checks when you last opened each app. With that it decides which sections go first, which show up separately and which you don't need to see. Everything happens on your Mac.
A generic cleaner shows everyone the same screens. But the junk on a developer’s Mac looks nothing like the junk on a video editor’s or a music producer’s. Pruneo solves this without asking you anything: it looks at what you actually use and shapes itself around it.
Why there are no more profiles
The first versions of Pruneo asked you to choose profiles: General use, Development, Design and Music. It worked, but it had two problems:
- What’s installed isn’t what you use. A developer may have CapCut and open it once a month. With profiles, you either saw everything or missed something.
- Nobody wants to configure a cleaner. Choosing profiles before seeing anything is one step too many.
Since version 1.1, Pruneo decides on its own, and you can repeat it whenever you want.
How it detects what you use
Pruneo combines two signals, without crawling your disk:
- Your recent projects. It asks Spotlight how many projects of each area you saved in your home folder in the last 90 days. It counts projects, not files: several files in the same folder are one project, and anything inside
node_modulesisn’t yours. - When you opened each app. macOS records the last time each app was opened. Pruneo checks the apps of each area: Xcode, Visual Studio Code or Docker; Photoshop, Final Cut or Figma; Logic, Ableton or FL Studio.
| Area | Files that count as a project |
|---|---|
| Development | package.json, Cargo.toml, go.mod, pyproject.toml, Package.swift, Gemfile, pom.xml, build.gradle, composer.json, .xcodeproj |
| Design, photo and video | .psd, .ai, .indd, .fig, .sketch, .afdesign, .prproj, .aep, .fcpbundle, .drp, .lrcat, .blend, .c4d, .procreate |
| Music and audio | .als, .logicx, .band, .flp, .rpp, .ptx, .cpr, .bwproject |
Main or secondary
With those signals, each area ends up in one of three states:
- Main: you have 5 or more recent projects. Its sections go first.
- Secondary: you use it, but not much. It shows up separately, under “Also on your Mac”, so it doesn’t get in the way.
- Not used: it isn’t shown.
If no area has projects, the app you opened in the last 14 days decides. That way Figma, which keeps everything in the cloud, also counts.
Pruneo also only shows sections for the tools you have. If you don’t use Docker, there’s no Docker section.
What you see in the app
- In the welcome screen, Pruneo tells you what it found and why: for example “Found 12 projects in 3 months”, labeled “You use it often” or “Now and then”.
- In Professional, the sections of your main areas go first and the secondary ones stay under “Also on your Mac”.
- In Settings › Your Mac you see the result and can repeat it with “Detect again”.
FAQ
Do I have to choose a profile?
No. Earlier versions had profiles (Development, Design, Music). Now Pruneo detects what you use and builds the sections from that.
How does Pruneo know what I use?
It asks Spotlight, the macOS search engine, how many projects of each area you saved in the last 90 days (for example package.json, .psd or .als files) and checks when you last opened each app. It doesn't crawl your disk or open your files.
Is any of this sent to the internet?
No. Detection runs on your Mac and the result stays there. Pruneo has no telemetry.
What if I barely use an app?
Its area shows up separately, under “Also on your Mac”, instead of going first. For example, CapCut on a developer's Mac.
Can I run the detection again?
Yes. In Settings › Your Mac, the “Detect again” button repeats it.