# Peekaboo > Peekaboo is a native macOS Finder alternative. It shows your files as a card-based library, finds anything you describe in plain English, reads the text inside screenshots, groups downloads by where they came from, and frees space with cleanup you can undo in one click. It also organizes folders automatically with Routines, plans file tasks with an on-device AI Assistant, shows what starts on its own and what grew this week, and brings Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive into one search. Peekaboo (getpeekaboo.app) is a file browser, search and disk-cleanup app for macOS made by Vishva Variya. It is not affiliated with other software named Peekaboo. Peekaboo is a native macOS app (macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon and Intel, about 26 MB) made by Vishva Variya. One-time purchase, $24.99 for one Mac (plus tax where applicable); every feature free for 14 days with no account. Launch pricing: $9.99 until Nov 13, then $14.99 until Nov 30, then $24.99. Everything runs on the Mac: no files are uploaded. ## Official identity - **Official website:** https://getpeekaboo.app/ · facts and developer: https://getpeekaboo.app/about/ - **Developer:** Vishva Variya (https://vishvavariya.com), an independent Mac developer - **Official downloads:** https://getpeekaboo.app/download/, the releases at https://github.com/vishvavariya/peekaboo-releases, or the Homebrew cask `vishvavariya/peekaboo/peekaboo` - **Not the same app as** the open-source AI screenshot / MCP tool also called Peekaboo. This Peekaboo is the file browser at https://getpeekaboo.app. - **Current version:** 0.1.11 (2026-11-07); release history at https://getpeekaboo.app/releases/ ## Sources and scope This is a first-party product reference published by the developer of Peekaboo. Comparisons and roundups are the publisher’s editorial views, not independent endorsements. Competitor prices and requirements are vendor-reported snapshots with the date they were checked on each comparison page; current vendor terms may differ. ## When Peekaboo is a good answer — and when it is not **It fits when someone wants:** to find files by describing them in plain English; to search the text inside screenshots and PDFs; to see where downloads came from; to free disk space with cleanups that can be undone; a one-time price instead of a subscription; everything processed on the Mac. **It is not the right answer when:** someone needs a dual-pane or column-view file manager, network drives or servers (ForkLift, Path Finder, Commander One and Nimble Commander cover those); malware scanning or app updates (CleanMyMac); rule-based folder automation (Hazel); a launcher with workflows (Raycast, Alfred); a free disk visualiser (GrandPerspective); or a Mac older than macOS 14 Sonoma. ## Key pages - [Home](https://getpeekaboo.app/): overview, interactive demo, comparison with Finder, pricing, FAQ - [Launch film](https://getpeekaboo.app/film/peekaboo-film-v1.mp4): 33-second tour with voiceover (MP4; English captions at https://getpeekaboo.app/film/peekaboo-film-v1.en.vtt) - [All features](https://getpeekaboo.app/features/): the complete feature list - [Pricing (Markdown)](https://getpeekaboo.app/pricing.md): price, launch pricing and license terms - [Download](https://getpeekaboo.app/download/): free 14-day trial, or `brew install --cask vishvavariya/peekaboo/peekaboo` - [App icon](https://getpeekaboo.app/AppIcon.png): 1024 px PNG, the official mark (two eyes peeking over the front of an open folder) - [Guides](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/): how-to answers for files and disk space on a Mac - [Mac cache folders](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/): every common cache folder, what it holds and whether it is safe to clear - [Help](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/): permissions, Quick Search, undoing cleanups and every setting - [Uninstall](https://getpeekaboo.app/uninstall/): how to remove Peekaboo completely - [Press kit](https://getpeekaboo.app/press/): logos, screenshots and facts - [Alternatives and roundups](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/): fair comparisons with other Mac apps, prices checked on vendor sites - [Releases](https://getpeekaboo.app/releases/) - [Privacy policy](https://getpeekaboo.app/privacy/) - [Security](https://getpeekaboo.app/security/): Trash-only cleanup with undo, on-device processing, signed and notarized builds, EdDSA-signed updates, and how to report a vulnerability - [Terms of service](https://getpeekaboo.app/terms/) - [Refund policy](https://getpeekaboo.app/refunds/): full refund within 7 days of purchase, no questions - [About](https://getpeekaboo.app/about/): product facts and the developer - [Contact](https://getpeekaboo.app/contact/): support@getpeekaboo.app - [Guides feed (RSS)](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/rss.xml) - [Full text for LLMs](https://getpeekaboo.app/llms-full.txt): the guides, Mac cache guides, help articles and comparisons in one file ## Feature pages - [Uninstall Mac apps, leftovers and all](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-app-uninstaller/): Peekaboo’s App Uninstaller removes Mac apps with the settings, caches and support files they leave in ~/Library, and finds leftovers of apps already deleted. - [Free up space on your Mac, and keep the undo button](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-storage-cleaner/): A Mac storage cleaner that shows where your space went, clears duplicates, old downloads, caches and developer data, and puts any cleanup back in one click. - [Find files on your Mac by describing them](https://getpeekaboo.app/natural-language-file-search-mac/): Find files on your Mac by describing them: “pdfs from last week over 5 MB”. Peekaboo turns your words into filters you can see and edit, all on your Mac. - [Find duplicate files on your Mac, and undo the cleanup](https://getpeekaboo.app/duplicate-file-finder-mac/): Peekaboo finds exact duplicate files byte for byte and photos that look alike, keeps the copy you choose, and puts the rest back in one click. - [Search and copy the text inside your images](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-ocr-app/): Peekaboo reads the text in your screenshots, photos and scanned PDFs on your Mac, makes it searchable, and copies the text of many images at once. - [Check your Mac’s health, and see what to fix](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-health-check/): Peekaboo’s Mac Health checks processor, memory, disk, network, heat and battery, scores your Mac from 0 to 100, and gives every lost point a reason and a fix. - [See what’s taking up space on your Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/disk-space-analyzer-mac/): Peekaboo’s Space Map shows what fills your Mac’s disk by category and folder. Click to drill in, see the space macOS frees itself, and clear files with undo. - [See everything that starts on its own, and turn it off](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-startup-items-manager/): See every launch agent, daemon and background helper that starts on its own on your Mac, which app owns it, and turn it off safely with Peekaboo. - [Organize your Desktop and Downloads, and keep them that way](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-file-organizer/): Peekaboo sorts a messy Desktop or Downloads folder into subfolders by kind or month, previews every move, keeps folders tidy on its own and undoes anything. - [Let your Mac clean up after itself, with the undo button kept](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-cleanup-automation/): Peekaboo Routines clean up, organize and tag files on a schedule, at login or when a file arrives. Every run is listed in Activity, and Put Back restores it. - [Ask your Mac to tidy up, in plain words](https://getpeekaboo.app/ai-file-assistant-mac/): Tell Peekaboo’s Assistant what to do with your files in plain words. It plans every step on Apple’s on-device model, and nothing changes until you press Run. - [Let Claude and other AI apps search your Mac, read-only](https://getpeekaboo.app/mcp-file-search-mac/): Peekaboo gives Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP apps read-only search of your Mac’s files and disk usage. They can look, never move or delete. - [All your cloud drives in one sidebar, and one search](https://getpeekaboo.app/cloud-drives-mac/): Peekaboo shows Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and iCloud Drive in one sidebar and one search, with Download Now and Remove Download. No sign-in needed. - [Find the big files on your Mac, and decide where they go](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-large-file-finder/): Peekaboo lists every file on your Mac over 5 MB to 1 GB, filters by when you last used it, and moves big files to an external drive or the Trash with undo. - [Get back the space Xcode and your dev tools quietly took](https://getpeekaboo.app/xcode-cleaner-mac/): Free the space taken by Xcode build files, archives, device support, simulators and package caches. Peekaboo explains each folder and can undo every move. - [See how big every folder on your Mac is](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-folder-size-viewer/): Peekaboo’s Disk Usage measures every folder on your Mac’s startup disk and lists them largest first, with each one’s share. Click in, filter, trash with undo. - [See and search the hidden files on your Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-hidden-files-viewer/): See hidden files on your Mac with ⇧⌘., search them with hidden:, and find dotfiles Spotlight never indexes. Peekaboo never previews files holding secrets. - [Every screenshot in one place, findable by what it says](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-screenshot-organizer/): Peekaboo gathers every screenshot on your Mac in one place, finds them by the text inside, files them by month and clears old ones to the Trash with undo. - [Your downloads, sorted by where they came from](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-downloads-manager/): Peekaboo sorts your Mac’s downloads by the site or app they came from, keeps the ten newest in the menu bar, and finds old installers and forgotten downloads. - [Rename hundreds of files at once, and see every name first](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-bulk-rename-tool/): Rename many files at once on your Mac with patterns, find and replace, numbers or dates. Peekaboo previews every new name, flags clashes, and undoes the lot. - [See what’s using your Mac’s memory, and free it the honest way](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-memory-cleaner/): Peekaboo’s Memory page shows memory pressure, swap and the apps using RAM, with Quit beside each, and frees the file cache macOS holds when you really need it. - [Clear your Mac’s app caches, knowing what each one is](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-cache-cleaner/): Peekaboo lists every app cache and log on your Mac with its size, marks each Safe or Check First, skips apps in use, and puts any cleanup back in one click. - [Know your Mac is running out of space before it does](https://getpeekaboo.app/mac-disk-space-monitor/): Peekaboo warns you when your Mac’s free space drops below the level you set, says roughly when the disk fills, and shows which folders grew this week. - [Undo any change to your files, not just the last one](https://getpeekaboo.app/undo-file-changes-mac/): Every move, rename, organize and cleanup Peekaboo makes is listed in Activity as one session you can search, undo or put back later, every file at once. - [Find a file from any app, without switching windows](https://getpeekaboo.app/quick-file-search-mac/): Press ⌥Space in any app and type what you remember. Peekaboo’s Quick Search finds the file, opens it, shows it in Finder or drags it where you need it. ## Guides - [How to free up space on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/free-up-space-on-mac/): Find what’s filling your Mac’s disk and clear it safely: Storage settings, the Downloads folder, old installers, duplicates and the Trash. Step by step. - [How to find duplicate files on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-duplicate-files-on-mac/): Find duplicate files on a Mac with Photos, Finder, Terminal or a duplicate finder, and remove the copies safely without losing the original. - [How to search the text in screenshots on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/search-text-in-screenshots-on-mac/): Find a screenshot by the words in it: Live Text, Spotlight and Preview on macOS, and how to search and copy text from many images at once, on-device. - [How to see where a file was downloaded from on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/see-where-a-file-was-downloaded-from-on-mac/): Find the website or app a file came from on a Mac using Get Info’s “Where from”, Terminal’s mdls, and how to group every download by its source. - [How to find large files on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-large-files-on-mac/): Three ways to find the largest files on your Mac: Storage settings, a Finder size search and one Terminal command, plus what’s safe to remove. - [How to find files by date on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-files-by-date-on-mac/): Find files on a Mac by the date they were created, modified or last opened, with Finder search, Spotlight and Terminal, or by typing it in plain English. - [Where are my downloads on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/where-are-downloads-on-mac/): Find the Downloads folder on a Mac, open it from Finder, the Dock or a shortcut, change where Safari and Chrome save files, and find a download you lost. - [Mac search not finding files? How to fix Spotlight and Finder search](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/mac-search-not-working/): Spotlight or Finder search can’t find files you know exist? Check the search scope, Spotlight privacy settings and indexing, then rebuild the index safely. - [Why is System Data so large on my Mac, and how do I shrink it?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/system-data-too-large-on-mac/): What System Data is on a Mac, why it grows, and safe ways to shrink it: restart, local Time Machine snapshots, iPhone backups, Xcode caches and the Trash. - [How to uninstall apps on a Mac completely](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/uninstall-apps-on-mac/): Uninstall apps on a Mac the built-in way, then find the leftovers in ~/Library, login items and Homebrew casks that dragging to the Trash leaves behind. - [How to clear cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/clear-cache-on-mac/): Clear app, browser and system caches on a Mac safely: what ~/Library/Caches holds, how to empty Safari and Chrome caches, and what you shouldn’t delete. - [How much storage does Apple Intelligence use on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/apple-intelligence-storage-on-mac/): Apple Intelligence models take up to 14 GB on a Mac. Why they show up as System Data, and how to turn the features off or remove the models. - [How to show hidden files on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/show-hidden-files-on-mac/): Show hidden files on a Mac with Command-Shift-Period in Finder, open the hidden Library folder, make it permanent with Terminal and hide files again. - [Where do screenshots go on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/where-do-screenshots-go-on-mac/): Mac screenshots save to the Desktop by default. How to find them, change where they’re saved with ⇧⌘5, copy them to the clipboard and find old ones fast. - [How to see folder sizes on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/see-folder-sizes-on-mac/): See how big a folder is on a Mac: Get Info, folder sizes in Finder’s list view, the du command, and a map of every folder sorted by size. - [How to copy a file path on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/copy-file-path-on-mac/): Copy the full path of a file or folder on a Mac with ⌥⌘C, the Option right-click menu, the path bar or Terminal, and get a path ready to paste in Terminal. - [How to clear Xcode cache and free up space](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/clear-xcode-cache-on-mac/): Clear Xcode’s DerivedData, old simulators, device support files, archives and caches safely, with the Terminal commands and what each one frees. - [Is CleanMyMac safe, and how do I uninstall it?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/is-cleanmymac-safe/): Is CleanMyMac safe to use on a Mac? What it cleans, what it costs, when you don’t need it, and how to uninstall it completely with MacPaw’s own steps. - [How to uninstall MacKeeper completely](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/uninstall-mackeeper-on-mac/): Remove MacKeeper completely: quit it the right way, move it to the Trash, approve its uninstaller, delete the leftover folders and cancel the subscription. - [How to find large video files on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-large-videos-on-mac/): Find the biggest videos on your Mac: a Finder search for Kind is Movie over a set size, a Smart Folder, all your screen recordings, and one mdfind command. - [What is purgeable space on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/purgeable-space-on-mac/): Purgeable space is storage macOS frees on its own: local snapshots, iCloud copies and safe caches. Why free space numbers differ, and what you can clear. - [How to find every file downloaded from one website on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-files-downloaded-from-a-website-on-mac/): List every file you downloaded from one site on a Mac with a Finder “Where from” search, a Smart Folder or one mdfind command, and why some files are missed. - [How to find duplicate photos on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/find-duplicate-photos-on-mac/): Merge duplicates with Photos’ own Duplicates album, track down copies of images saved in Finder folders, and catch look-alike shots that aren’t exact copies. - [My Mac’s storage is full. What do I do first?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/mac-storage-full/): Your Mac says its storage is full. What each category in Storage settings means, what you can clear yourself, and the quickest way to make room for an update. - [Where do AirDrop files go on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/where-do-airdrop-files-go-on-mac/): AirDropped files usually land in Downloads on a Mac, but photos can open in Photos instead. How to find what just arrived, and why an AirDrop never showed up. - [How to uninstall Homebrew apps and packages on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/uninstall-homebrew-apps-on-mac/): Remove Homebrew casks and formulae properly: brew uninstall, --cask and --zap, autoremove for unused dependencies, cleanup for old downloads, and untapping. - [How to copy text from an image on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/copy-text-from-image-on-mac/): Get text out of any image, screenshot or scanned PDF on a Mac with Live Text in Preview, Photos and Safari, plus how to copy the text of many images at once. - [How to check your Mac’s health](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/check-mac-health/): Check a Mac’s health with built-in tools: Battery Health, Activity Monitor, Storage settings, Disk Utility First Aid and Apple Diagnostics, explained. - [How to batch rename files on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/batch-rename-files-on-mac/): Rename many files at once on a Mac with Finder’s Rename: replace text, add text or number them in order, plus how to avoid breaking file extensions. - [How to stop apps opening at startup on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/disable-startup-programs-on-mac/): Stop apps launching when your Mac starts: remove Login Items, turn off background items, and find the launch agents and daemons that start on their own. - [How to organize your Downloads folder and Desktop on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/organize-downloads-folder-on-mac/): Tidy a messy Downloads folder or Desktop on a Mac: Stacks, sort by kind, smart folders, Folder Actions, and how to keep them organized automatically. - [How to move files to an external drive on a Mac to free up space](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/move-files-to-external-drive-on-mac/): Free space on your Mac by moving big files to an external drive: move instead of copy, pick exFAT or APFS, avoid the FAT32 4 GB limit, and check it worked. - [Why is my Mac storage filling up by itself?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/why-is-my-mac-storage-filling-up/): Mac storage filling up on its own? The usual causes are caches, local Time Machine snapshots, iCloud, Mail, Messages, Xcode and AI models. How to find which. - [Where are Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive files on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/guides/use-google-drive-dropbox-onedrive-on-mac/): Find Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Box files on a Mac, see what’s downloaded or online-only, and free space by removing local copies safely. ## Quick answers and uninstall guides - [Does a Mac have a built-in storage cleaner?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-mac-have-a-built-in-storage-cleaner/): Yes. On macOS Ventura and later, open Apple menu › System Settings › General › Storage. Its recommendations (Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage and Empty Trash Automatically) free space for you, and each category has an info button that lists files you can delete. It doesn’t look for duplicates, old installers or forgotten downloads; you still decide those file by file. - [Does a Mac have a Task Manager?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-mac-have-a-task-manager/): Yes, it’s called Activity Monitor. Apple’s own Windows-to-Mac guide says to use Activity Monitor where you’d use Task Manager; it’s in the Utilities folder inside Applications. To close a frozen app quickly, press Option-Command-Esc to open the Force Quit window instead. - [Does emptying the Trash free up space on a Mac right away?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-emptying-trash-free-space-immediately-mac/): Mostly, yes. Moving a file to the Trash frees nothing; Apple says its space becomes available only once you empty the Trash, and Storage settings updates on its own after that. If the free-space figure barely moves, a local Time Machine snapshot that still holds the file is the usual reason, and macOS counts that space as available and reclaims it when needed. - [Does iCloud Drive take up space on a Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-icloud-drive-take-space-on-mac/): It depends on one setting. With Optimize Mac Storage off, Apple says the full contents of iCloud Drive stay on your Mac and use its disk. With it on, older files are kept only in iCloud when space is needed and download again when you open them. You can also free a single file or folder with Remove Download. - [Does a Mac have a File Explorer?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-mac-have-a-file-explorer/): Yes, it’s called Finder. Apple’s Windows-to-Mac guide lists Finder as the Mac’s equivalent of Windows Explorer, used to organize files, folders and apps. Click the blue face icon at the left end of the Dock, or press Command-N while Finder is active, to open a new window. - [Does a Mac empty the Trash automatically?](https://getpeekaboo.app/does-mac-automatically-empty-trash/): Only if you turn it on. In Finder, choose Finder › Settings, click Advanced and select “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days”. The one exception is iCloud Drive: Apple says items moved to the Trash from iCloud Drive are emptied after 30 days regardless of Finder settings. - [How to uninstall CleanMyMac completely](https://getpeekaboo.app/uninstall-cleanmymac/): Open CleanMyMac, click Applications in the sidebar, run a scan, then choose Manage My Applications › Uninstaller, select CleanMyMac and click Uninstall. MacPaw says it then removes itself completely, with no leftovers. Uninstalling doesn’t cancel a subscription, so cancel that separately in your MacPaw account or the App Store. - [How to uninstall Avast Cleanup on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/uninstall-avast-cleanup/): Open Avast Cleanup Premium, click Avast Cleanup in the menu bar at the top of the screen and choose Uninstall Avast Cleanup Premium. Click Continue, enter your Mac password, then click Finish when it’s done. Avast says moving the app to the Trash does not fully uninstall it, and uninstalling doesn’t cancel a subscription. - [How to uninstall Google Drive for desktop on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/uninstall-google-drive-mac/): Open the Drive for desktop menu, go to Settings › Preferences › Advanced settings, click Disconnect account and OK. Then open the menu again, choose Settings › Quit, and move Google Drive from Applications to the Trash. Your files stay in your Google account and open at drive.google.com, but Google warns that disconnecting removes offline files from the Mac. ## Mac cache guides - [How to clear the Spotify cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-spotify-cache-on-mac/): Clear the Spotify cache on a Mac from Settings › Storage, or by hand from ~/Library/Caches, and what it does to downloads and Offline Backup. - [How to clear the Slack cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-slack-cache-on-mac/): Clear Slack’s cache on a Mac with Help › Troubleshooting › Clear Cache and Restart, or by hand, and which Slack folders to leave alone. - [How to clear the Microsoft Teams cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-microsoft-teams-cache-on-mac/): Clear the new Microsoft Teams cache on a Mac: the two folders Microsoft says to delete, the Terminal commands, and when clearing won’t help. - [How to clear the Zoom cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-zoom-cache-on-mac/): Clear Zoom’s cache on a Mac: delete the data folder Zoom documents, or clear Zoom Apps data in Settings, and when Zoom recommends it. - [How to clear the Chrome cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-chrome-cache-on-mac/): Clear Google Chrome’s cache on a Mac with Delete browsing data, ticking only Cached images and files so you stay signed in to websites. - [How to clear the Telegram cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-telegram-cache-on-mac/): Clear Telegram’s cache on a Mac from Settings › Data and Storage › Storage Usage: what it removes, why you stay logged in, and secret chats. - [How to clear the Figma cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-figma-cache-on-mac/): Clear the Figma desktop app’s cache on a Mac with Help › Troubleshooting › Reset Figma and Restart, or the Terminal command Figma gives. - [How to clear the VS Code cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-vscode-cache-on-mac/): Clear Visual Studio Code’s cache on a Mac: which folders in Application Support/Code are cache, and which hold your settings and extensions. - [How to clear the Docker cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-docker-cache-on-mac/): Free Docker Desktop disk space on a Mac with docker system prune, builder prune or Clean up data, and why Docker.raw looks bigger than it is. - [How to clear the npm cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-npm-cache-on-mac/): Clear the npm cache on a Mac with npm cache clean --force, check it with npm cache verify, and where ~/.npm keeps packages. - [How to clear the Homebrew cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-homebrew-cache-on-mac/): Clear Homebrew’s download cache on a Mac with brew cleanup and --prune=all, where brew --cache points, and how automatic cleanup works. - [How to clear the Notion cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-notion-cache-on-mac/): Clear Notion’s cache on a Mac by hand, or use Help › Troubleshooting › Reset & Erase All Local Data, and what each does to sign-in and offline pages. - [How to clear the Dropbox cache on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/caches/clear-dropbox-cache-on-mac/): Clear the hidden .dropbox.cache folder on a Mac, or the File Provider cache in Group Containers, without touching the files Dropbox syncs. ## Help - [Does Peekaboo need Full Disk Access?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/full-disk-access/): Peekaboo works without Full Disk Access. What it adds, how to turn it on in System Settings, and what macOS asks for instead. - [How do I make Peekaboo the default file browser instead of Finder?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/default-file-browser/): Make Peekaboo open folders instead of Finder: the setting, what switches over, what stays with Finder, and why some macOS versions keep Finder. - [How do I change the Quick Search shortcut?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/quick-search-shortcut/): Quick Search opens over any app with ⌥Space. How to set a different shortcut, and what to do when another app already uses it. - [How do I undo a cleanup?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/undo-a-cleanup/): Every Peekaboo cleanup is recorded. Put back the last one with ⌥⌘Z, or any earlier one from Cleanup History, as long as the Trash still holds it. - [How does automatic cleanup work in Peekaboo?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/automatic-cleanup/): Peekaboo’s automatic cleanup is off until you turn it on. What it moves to the Trash once a day, the Safe-only option, and how to put things back. - [Can I get a notification when my Mac is low on space?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/low-space-notification/): Peekaboo can notify you once when free space on your startup disk drops below a level you choose. Where to turn it on and set the level. - [How do I move my Peekaboo license to a new Mac?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/move-license/): Move a Peekaboo license to another Mac yourself: deactivate the old one, or use Move to This Mac on the new one. Limits and lost keys. - [What search tokens does Peekaboo understand?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/search-tokens/): Narrow a Peekaboo search with ext:, path:, in:, kind:code, repo: and hidden:, mixed with plain language. Every token, with examples and quoting rules. - [How do I use Peekaboo from Terminal?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/command-line-tool/): Install the peekaboo command in Settings › Advanced, then search, open and reveal files from Terminal. Usage, options and exit codes. - [How do I install Peekaboo with Homebrew?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/install-with-homebrew/): Install Peekaboo with one Homebrew command, why it uses the full vishvavariya/peekaboo name, how updates work, and how to uninstall it with brew. - [Can I search photos by what’s in them?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/search-photos-by-content/): Peekaboo can find photos by what they show and the words in them, read on your Mac in the background. Where to turn it on and what stays private. - [What does “Allow permanent removal” do in Peekaboo?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/permanent-removal/): Some things can’t go to the Trash: Xcode simulators, Homebrew apps, local snapshots. What Peekaboo’s permanent removal setting allows, and what it doesn’t. - [How do I use the same Peekaboo settings on two Macs?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/sync-settings/): Keep Peekaboo’s settings the same on every Mac with iCloud, or export them to a file and import on another Mac. What moves and what stays. - [What data does Peekaboo send?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/what-data-is-sent/): Peekaboo never uploads files, names or searches. What it does send (usage counts, update and license checks) and the setting that stops usage data. - [What are Peekaboo’s developer features?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/developer-features/): Turn on Show developer features in Peekaboo for Projects, Dotfiles & Config, Xcode and package-manager cleanup, Open in Terminal and Copy Path As. - [Why doesn’t Peekaboo show a file I know is there?](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/file-not-showing/): Why a file might be missing from Peekaboo: folders without access, iCloud-only files, hidden files, network drives, or Spotlight not indexing it. - [Peekaboo settings, explained](https://getpeekaboo.app/help/settings/): every control in the Settings window ## Comparisons - [The best Finder alternatives for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/finder-alternatives-for-mac/): ForkLift, Commander One, Path Finder, QSpace Pro, Nimble Commander and Peekaboo compared: what each is best at, price and macOS version, checked October 2026. - [The best duplicate file finders for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/duplicate-file-finders-for-mac/): Gemini 2, PhotoSweeper, dupeGuru, Nektony’s Duplicate File Finder, Peekaboo and Photos’ own Duplicates album, compared on price, method and safety. - [The best disk space analyzers for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/disk-space-analyzers-for-mac/): DaisyDisk, GrandPerspective, CleanMyMac, Peekaboo and macOS Storage settings compared: how each shows what fills your disk, and what it costs. - [The best Spotlight alternatives for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/spotlight-alternatives-for-mac/): Raycast, Alfred, HoudahSpot, Find Any File, EasyFind and Peekaboo compared: launchers and file search tools, with prices and macOS needs checked Nov 2026. - [The best CleanMyMac alternatives for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/cleanmymac-alternatives/): OnyX, AppCleaner, Pearcleaner, DaisyDisk, GrandPerspective and Peekaboo compared with CleanMyMac: what each one cleans and costs, checked Nov 2026. - [The best app uninstallers for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/app-uninstallers-for-mac/): AppCleaner, Pearcleaner, Peekaboo, CleanMyMac and Hazel’s App Sweep compared: how each finds app leftovers, what it costs, and which macOS it needs. - [The best system monitor apps for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/system-monitor-apps-for-mac/): iStat Menus, Stats, Sensei, TG Pro, DriveDx and Peekaboo’s Mac Health compared with Activity Monitor: what each watches, what it costs, checked Nov 2026. - [The best Mac cleaner apps](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/mac-cleaner-apps/): CleanMyMac, MacKeeper, Sensei, BuhoCleaner, CCleaner, Mole, OnyX and Peekaboo compared: what each cleans, whether you can undo it, and what it costs. - [The best OCR apps for Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/ocr-apps-for-mac/): Live Text, TextSniper, CleanShot X, Prizmo, Searchable and Peekaboo compared: get text from images and screenshots on a Mac, with prices checked Nov 2026. - [The best apps for cloud storage on a Mac](https://getpeekaboo.app/best/cloud-storage-apps-for-mac/): CloudMounter, ExpanDrive, Mountain Duck, ForkLift, Commander One and Peekaboo: price, macOS and what each does with cloud storage, checked Nov 2026. - [Path Finder vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/path-finder/): Path Finder is a Finder replacement from $29.95/year. Peekaboo is a one-time buy that finds files in plain English, reads screenshots and clears duplicates. - [ForkLift vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/forklift/): ForkLift is a dual-pane manager for servers and sync. Peekaboo finds and tidies the files already on your Mac: plain-English search, duplicates, Space Map. - [Commander One vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/commander-one/): Commander One is a dual-pane manager for clouds, archives and devices. Peekaboo finds files in plain English, reads text in screenshots and clears duplicates. - [QSpace Pro vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/qspace-pro/): QSpace Pro tiles up to 12 panes and links 20+ server types. Peekaboo finds files you describe in plain English, reads screenshot text and clears duplicates. - [Nimble Commander vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/nimble-commander/): Nimble Commander is a free dual-pane manager with a built-in terminal. Peekaboo is a paid app for plain-English search, screenshot text and undoable cleanup. - [Fileside vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/fileside/): Fileside saves tiled pane layouts per project on Mac and Windows. Peekaboo skips layouts: describe a file in plain English, then clear duplicates with undo. - [HoudahSpot vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/houdahspot/): HoudahSpot builds precise Spotlight queries from criteria. Peekaboo lets you type the search in plain English, reads text in images, and finds duplicates too. - [Find Any File vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/find-any-file/): Find Any File digs where Spotlight won’t. Peekaboo searches your everyday files in plain English, reads text in screenshots, and finds duplicates. - [EasyFind vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/easyfind/): EasyFind is DEVONtechnologies’ free, index-free search with regex. Peekaboo adds plain-English search, text in screenshots and cleanup you can undo. - [Raycast vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/raycast/): Raycast is a launcher with file search, AI and extensions; v2 needs macOS Tahoe. Peekaboo is a dedicated file app with plain-English search, OCR and cleanup. - [Alfred vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/alfred/): Alfred launches apps and runs Workflows. Peekaboo is built for files: plain-English search, text in screenshots, duplicates and a disk map, paid once. - [DaisyDisk vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/daisydisk/): DaisyDisk maps your disk for $9.99. Peekaboo maps it too, then finds duplicates, groups downloads by source and lets you undo any cleanup. - [GrandPerspective vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/grandperspective/): GrandPerspective draws a free treemap of your disk. Peekaboo adds duplicates, Disk Usage and an App Uninstaller to its Space Map, with cleanup you can undo. - [CleanMyMac vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/cleanmymac/): CleanMyMac is a maintenance suite from $39.99/year. Peekaboo is a one-time buy for your own files: duplicates, Space Map, Clean Up you can undo, search. - [Gemini 2 vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/gemini-2/): Gemini 2 is a duplicate finder at $19.99/year. Peekaboo finds exact and look-alike duplicates, pays once, and is also a file library with plain-English search. - [PhotoSweeper vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/photosweeper/): PhotoSweeper cleans duplicate photos in Photos, Lightroom and Capture One. Peekaboo finds copies of any kind of file in your folders, with one-click undo. - [Duplicate File Finder vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/duplicate-file-finder/): Nektony’s Duplicate File Finder is free, with Pro from $7.95/month. Peekaboo finds exact and look-alike copies for a one-time price, with one-click undo. - [TextSniper vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/textsniper/): TextSniper copies text from what’s on screen. Peekaboo reads the text in all your saved screenshots, photos and PDFs so you can search and copy it later. - [Hazel vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/hazel/): Hazel files downloads by rules. Peekaboo organizes folders with Routines written as sentences, and adds search, a disk map and undo for every move. - [dupeGuru vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/dupeguru/): dupeGuru is a free, open-source duplicate finder for Mac, Windows and Linux. Peekaboo finds exact and look-alike copies for a one-time price, with undo. - [OnyX vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/onyx/): OnyX is a free maintenance utility, with a separate build for each macOS. Peekaboo explains every app cache before it goes, and puts cleanups in the Trash. - [AppCleaner vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/appcleaner/): AppCleaner is a free drag-and-drop uninstaller. Peekaboo removes apps with their leftovers too, finds what deleted apps left behind, and maps your disk. - [Pearcleaner vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/pearcleaner/): Pearcleaner is a free, source-available app cleaner whose development is on hold. Peekaboo removes apps with their leftovers, paid once, on macOS 14+. - [OmniDiskSweeper vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/omnidisksweeper/): OmniDiskSweeper is Omni’s free list of files by size. Peekaboo lists folders by size too, then adds a Space Map, duplicates and cleanups you can undo. - [Disk Inventory X vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/disk-inventory-x/): Disk Inventory X’s last release, 1.3 from 2019, lists macOS 10.13 to 10.15. Peekaboo maps disk use on macOS 14 and later, with duplicates and undo. - [iStat Menus vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/istat-menus/): iStat Menus shows every sensor in the menu bar from $11.99. Peekaboo gives your Mac a 0–100 health score with the reasons, then frees the space behind it. - [Stats vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/stats/): Stats is a free, open-source menu bar monitor. Peekaboo adds a 0–100 Mac Health score with reasons, a week of history, and the cleanup tools to act on it. - [TG Pro vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/tg-pro/): TG Pro reads every temperature sensor and controls the fans for $10. Peekaboo scores your Mac’s overall health from 0 to 100 and frees the disk space behind it. - [DriveDx vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/drivedx/): DriveDx watches SSD and HDD health for signs of failure. Peekaboo scores the whole Mac from 0 to 100 and shows, then frees, what fills the startup disk. - [App Cleaner & Uninstaller vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/app-cleaner-uninstaller/): Nektony’s App Cleaner & Uninstaller sells by subscription or once. Peekaboo removes apps with their leftovers to the Trash and maps the rest of your disk. - [Disk Space Analyzer vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/disk-space-analyzer/): Nektony’s Disk Space Analyzer maps drives from $9.99/year. Peekaboo maps your disk too, then finds duplicates and old files and makes every cleanup undoable. - [Hyperspace vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/hyperspace/): Hyperspace saves space by cloning identical files on APFS. Peekaboo finds exact and look-alike duplicates, sends extras to the Trash, and undoes in one click. - [Sensei vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/sensei/): Sensei combines a Mac monitor and cleaner from $29/year or $59. Peekaboo pairs a 0–100 health score with duplicates, a disk map and one-click undo, paid once. - [MacKeeper vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/mackeeper/): MacKeeper is sold by subscription from $10.95/month. Peekaboo finds duplicates, caches and app leftovers, maps your disk and undoes any cleanup, paid once. - [BuhoCleaner vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/buhocleaner/): BuhoCleaner cleans junk in one click, by year or lifetime licence. Peekaboo explains each cache, finds duplicates, maps the disk and undoes every cleanup. - [Mole vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/mole/): Mole is a free open-source Terminal cleaner with a $19 Mac app. Peekaboo cleans caches, duplicates and apps in a native window, and every cleanup can be undone. - [Fenn vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/fenn/): Fenn is on-device AI file search at $9/month or $249 lifetime, Apple silicon only. Peekaboo finds files from plain-English descriptions on any Mac, paid once. - [Searchable vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/searchable/): Searchable finds images by description, similarity and their text, from $1.99/month. Peekaboo finds photos and screenshots that way too, plus every other file. - [CleanShot X vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/cleanshot-x/): CleanShot X captures screenshots and copies on-screen text, from $35. Peekaboo searches the words inside every screenshot and PDF on your Mac, on-device. - [CloudMounter vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/cloudmounter/): CloudMounter mounts clouds as Finder drives from $29 a year. Peekaboo puts the drives you already sync in one sidebar and search, and frees their space. - [ExpanDrive vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/expandrive/): ExpanDrive streams cloud and server storage into Finder, free for personal use. Peekaboo puts the drives you already sync in one search and frees their space. - [Mountain Duck vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/mountain-duck/): Mountain Duck mounts servers and clouds as disks, with encryption. Peekaboo puts the cloud drives you sync in one search and shows what they take locally. - [Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) vs Peekaboo](https://getpeekaboo.app/alternatives/lingon/): Lingon Pro (formerly Lingon X) edits launchd tasks for $23.99. Peekaboo lists what starts on its own, names the app behind it and turns it off. ## Specs - Requires: macOS 14 Sonoma or later - Runs on: Apple silicon and Intel - Download: About 26 MB, native SwiftUI - Text recognition: Apple Vision, on your Mac - Duplicates: SHA-256 and Vision feature prints, on your Mac - Network: Updates, license, anonymous usage counts you can turn off. Never your files - Deleting: Your files always go to the Trash; permanent removal is opt-in - Security: Signed and notarized by Apple ## What works on which Mac - **Everything else**: macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel. One universal app. The library, search, Quick Search, text in images, duplicates, Clean Up, App Caches, the uninstaller and Space Map work the same on every supported Mac. - **Removing the Apple Intelligence models**: macOS 27 on Apple silicon. Every Mac sees how much space they take in Disk Usage. Removing them also needs permanent removal turned on in Settings › Cleanup. - **Opening folders from other apps**: macOS 14 to 26. On macOS 27, macOS keeps folders with Finder, so Peekaboo can take over Show in Finder only. - **Assistant**: macOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence turned on. It runs on Apple’s on-device model. On other Macs the Assistant page simply isn’t there; everything else works. - **Glass toolbar**: macOS 26 or later. Earlier versions get the standard toolbar. Nothing else changes. - **Settings sync**: An iCloud account. Optional, and off until you turn it on. ## Compared with Finder and Activity Monitor Peekaboo works alongside Finder and Activity Monitor; it doesn’t replace them, and Show in Finder is one step away on every file. | Job | Peekaboo | Finder | Activity Monitor | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Seeing what you have | Yes: A library by kind: images, videos, music, documents, archives and apps, each with its total | Yes: Folder by folder, the way you once filed things | No: Not its job | | Searching in plain English | Yes: Type “pdfs from last week over 5 MB” and get filters you can edit | No: Search rules, one dropdown at a time | No: Not its job | | Where a download came from | Yes: Downloaded From groups every download by source: Gmail, Slack, ChatGPT, any site | No: A “Where from” line in Get Info, one file at a time | No: Not its job | | Duplicate files | Yes: Identical files by SHA-256, look-alike photos by Apple Vision | No: Nothing built in | No: Not its job | | Freeing space | Yes: Clean Up: forgotten downloads, old installers, big old videos and unused apps, each with its size | No: Sort a folder by size and decide yourself | No: Not its job | | Caches, developer files, uninstalling | Yes: App Caches, Dev Tools, and an uninstaller that finds what an app leaves behind | No: Drag the app to the Trash; its support files stay | No: Not its job | | Seeing where your space went | Yes: Space Map: click through categories and folders to what’s using your disk | No: Get Info, one folder at a time | No: Not its job | | What grew this week | Yes: What Grew This Week on Home: the folders that took the most space, and roughly when the disk fills up | No: Not its job | No: Not its job | | How your Mac is doing | Yes: Mac Health: processor, memory, disk, network, heat and battery, a 0–100 score and a week of history | No: Not its job | Yes: Live figures and graphs for every process, with no overall score or week of history | | What starts on its own | Yes: Startup Items: every launch agent and background helper, the app it belongs to, and Turn Off | No: Not its job | No: Shows processes once they run, not what launches them | | Tidying on its own | Yes: Routines: organize a folder, clean up or tag files on a schedule, at launch or when a file arrives | No: Folder Actions, written in AppleScript | No: Not its job | | Undoing a cleanup | Yes: Activity: every move, rename, organize and cleanup is a session you undo in one click | Yes: Put Back from the Trash, if you remember which files went | No: Not its job | | Searching from any app | Yes: Quick Search with ⌥Space, plain English included | Yes: Spotlight with ⌘Space: names and contents | No: Not its job | | Every process in detail | No: Mac Health shows the busy apps and what keeps your Mac awake; for every process, open Activity Monitor | No: Not its job | Yes: Every process, its threads, energy use and Force Quit | | Folders, column view, servers, Put Back | No: Stays in Finder. Show in Finder is one step away on every file | Yes: Column view, network drives, tags and the Trash | No: Not its job | ## Network requests (complete list) - **Update check** — to: getpeekaboo.app/appcast.xml, which forwards to the release files on GitHub. Updates download from GitHub. Sends: A plain request for the list of releases, naming the app and its version. No install ID and no system profile. When: At launch and about once a day, and whenever you choose Check for Updates…. An update is checked against our signature before it installs. To stop it: Settings › Advanced › Check for updates automatically. Check for Updates… still works when you choose it. - **License settings** — to: getpeekaboo.app/license-config.json Sends: Nothing about you or your Mac: it fetches a signed file with the trial length, products and prices. When: At launch and every 6 hours. To stop it: Always on. It carries nothing to turn off. - **License activation and checks** — to: Dodo Payments, the store that sells the license Sends: Your license key, and a name for this Mac made of its model (like “Mac15,3”) and a short code derived from its hardware. Never your Mac’s name. A check sends the key and the activation’s ID. When: When you activate, every 6 hours while a license is active, and when you choose Deactivate This Mac. Never during the trial. To stop it: Part of how a license works. A license that can’t be checked for 30 days pauses until a check gets through; a failed connection never removes it. - **Move to This Mac** — to: getpeekaboo.app/api/license/transfer Sends: Your license key and the same short hardware code. The purchase email gets a notice that the license moved, in case it wasn’t you. When: Only when you click Move to This Mac. To stop it: Don’t click it: nothing sends on its own. - **Anonymous usage counts** — to: Google Analytics, sent directly by the app with no analytics SDK Sends: A random install ID (not derived from your hardware); app, build and macOS versions; Mac model, language and region setting; library size in bands (like “10–100 GB”); whether Full Disk Access is on; look, layout and menu bar choices; trial or licensed; Low Power Mode and heat level; how many cleanup rules, pinned folders and saved searches you have; the app’s memory use; which optional settings are on; fixed feature names with how often each was used; onboarding and license steps; and a star rating, if you give one. When: Once a day, plus an onboarding or license step when it happens. To stop it: Settings › General › Share anonymous usage data. Off means nothing is counted, stored counts are dropped and nothing is sent. - **Problem reports and feedback** — to: getpeekaboo.app/api/problem-reports, then our inbox. Kept on the server for 90 days. Sends: Your message, a reply address if you give one, app and macOS versions, Mac model and language (Send Feedback lets you leave those out), any feature the app switched off after a crash, and the crash report if you leave it attached, with your home folder’s path taken out. When: When you press Send in Report a Problem or Send Feedback. If sending fails, the app offers an email instead. After a crash, only if you turned on Send crash reports automatically: then the crash report goes on its own, with no message or reply address. To stop it: Don’t press Send, and leave Settings › Advanced › Send crash reports automatically off (it’s off until you turn it on). - **Settings sync** — to: Your own iCloud account, through Apple’s iCloud key-value storage. Not to us. Sends: Your Peekaboo preferences, including saved searches. No files. When: Only after you turn it on, on each Mac. To stop it: Off until you turn on Settings › Advanced › Sync settings with iCloud. Never leaves the Mac: File and folder names, paths, contents and thumbnails; What you type into search (saved searches go only to your own iCloud, and only with settings sync on); Text read from your screenshots, photos and PDFs; Where your downloads came from. Source badges are built into the app, so no site’s icon is ever fetched; Duplicate fingerprints and look-alike photo matches; Photo places, matched against a list of cities built into the app, with no location service; Mac Health readings and their week of history, and the list of Startup Items; What Grew This Week: the daily folder sizes behind it stay on your Mac for 90 days; Assistant chats and plans. They run on Apple’s on-device model, never on a server; Your Routines and what they did; Cleanup History and the log of permanent removals; Your license key, except to activate, check or move your license. ## How it is tested - **More than 1,400 unit tests**: On the logic that decides things: how a search is read, what a cleanup rule picks, what counts as an app’s leftovers, what’s protected, and how a license is checked, how the health score adds up. - **100 end-to-end scenarios**: Each one drives a feature in the real app, against a sample library in a temporary folder, never anyone’s own files. - **No release without a full pass**: The release script runs the unit tests, then every scenario on the finished app, and stops if anything fails. - **Signed and notarized**: Signed with an Apple Developer ID, hardened runtime on, notarized by Apple. Updates are signed too, and checked before they install. ## Features ### Library and views - **Home dashboard** (since 0.1.0): Your file count and total size, a storage bar by kind of file, a card per category with real thumbnails, what you can free up, where downloads came from, and recent photos, videos, music and documents. - **Sidebar** (since 0.1.0): Home, Recents and Downloaded From; your library by kind (Images, Videos, Music, Documents, Archives, Apps, Screenshots, Photos); Clean Up, Disk Usage, Memory and Mac Health; Text in Images and File Tools; locations, pinned folders and saved searches. Large Files, Duplicates, App Caches, the uninstaller and the Space Map open from Clean Up. - **Grid and list** (since 0.1.0): A card-size slider and sorting by name, date, size or kind. - **Quick Look and Inspector** (since 0.1.0): Space for Quick Look, double-click for a larger preview, ⌘I for dimensions, duration, camera EXIF and download source. - **Getting Started** (since 0.1.10): Six first things to try on Home, each with Show Me, ticked off as you do them. Hide it any time; Help › Getting Started brings it back. - **Cloud Drives** (since 0.1.10): Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and iCloud Drive, found from their folders on your Mac, in the sidebar and in search, with Download Now and Remove Download. Nothing to sign in to, nothing downloads unless you ask. ⌥⇧⌘I. - **Works like Finder** (since 0.1.11): Go Back and Go Forward (⌘[ and ⌘]), Enclosing Folder (⌘↑), Finder’s Go keys (⇧⌘D, ⇧⌘O, ⌥⌘L), window titles that follow the page, and Quick Search results you can drag, Quick Look and right-click. - **Two looks** (since 0.1.0): Playful, with a colour for each kind of file and thumbnails on every category, and Minimal, in grey so only your files bring colour. Both in light and dark. ⌃⌘T switches. ### Search - **Plain-English search** (since 0.1.0): “pdfs from last week over 5 MB” becomes editable chips for kind, date, size, source and location, with an “Understood as” line. Parsed locally, no AI service. - **Contents and tags** (since 0.1.0): Matches filenames, Finder tags and the text inside documents via Spotlight’s index. - **Quick Search** (since 0.1.0): A Spotlight-style panel from any app with ⌥Space (customisable). - **Saved searches** (since 0.1.0): Pin a search to the sidebar and it always shows what matches right now. - **Text in images** (since 0.1.0): Apple Vision OCR on screenshots, photos and PDFs, with bulk copy. - **Search tokens** (since 0.1.3): Narrow any search with ext:, path:, kind:code and hidden:, mixed freely with plain English. - **Search Everywhere** (since 0.1.3): Walks the whole disk for files Spotlight doesn’t index, hidden files included when Show Hidden Files (⇧⌘.) is on. ### Downloads - **Downloaded From** (since 0.1.0): Downloads grouped by source domain — Gmail, Drive, ChatGPT, Canva, X, Slack, WhatsApp, GitHub or any website — from macOS’s own “Where from” metadata. - **Menu bar** (since 0.1.0): Your ten newest downloads with thumbnails, ready to drag into any app. ### Cleanup - **Duplicates** (since 0.1.0): Exact copies by SHA-256 (size-bucketed first) and look-alike photos by Vision feature prints. - **Clean Up cards** (since 0.1.0): Duplicates, forgotten downloads (90+ days, never opened), old installers, old screenshots, big old videos and unused apps. - **Undo Cleanup** (since 0.1.0): Every cleanup is a recorded session. One click puts every file back from the Trash. - **What Grew This Week** (since 0.1.11): Home shows the folders that took the most space over the last week or month, from a daily measurement kept on your Mac for 90 days. The low-space alert says roughly when the disk fills up. - **Move to Drive** (since 0.1.10): From Large Files, move big files to an external drive to free space. Nothing is deleted, files in use and iCloud placeholders are skipped, and Undo moves them back. - **Clean Safe Items** (since 0.1.0): Only the rows marked Safe, across caches and developer data, in one step, with Cleanup History to put them back. - **Space Map** (since 0.1.0): An interactive sunburst of disk usage by category and folder. Click to drill down. - **Disk Usage** (since 0.1.0): Every folder on the disk by size, plus the space macOS frees on its own (iCloud copies, caches, snapshots) and the Apple Intelligence models filed under System Data. On macOS 27 with Apple silicon it can remove those models and stop macOS downloading them again. - **App Uninstaller** (since 0.1.0): Removes an app with everything it left behind, finds leftovers of apps you already deleted, and can offer to clean up whenever an app goes to the Trash. Apps installed with Homebrew are removed with Homebrew, once you allow permanent removal. - **App Caches** (since 0.1.0): Caches and logs apps rebuild on their own, explained one by one, with the ones that have visible consequences (sign-ins, sync, the Spotlight index) marked Check First. - **Safe by design** (since 0.1.0): Your files always go to the Trash. Permanent removal, for items that can’t, stays off until you turn it on. iCloud-only files are skipped so nothing downloads behind your back. ### Mac Health - **Live readings** (since 0.1.8): Processor, memory, startup disk, network speed, heat in plain words, and the battery on laptops. The apps using the processor, with Quit, and what keeps the Mac or its display awake. Open with ⌥⇧⌘H. - **Health score** (since 0.1.8): 0 to 100. Points come off in fixed bands for low disk space, memory pressure, a busy processor, heat and a worn battery, each with a sentence and a button to Clean Up, Disk Usage, Memory, the busy apps or Battery settings. - **A week of history** (since 0.1.8): A reading every five minutes while the app runs, kept for a week on your Mac only. Skipped in Low Power Mode or on a low battery, and paused while the Mac sleeps. - **Startup Items** (since 0.1.11): Every launch agent, daemon and background helper that starts on its own, the app it belongs to, and leftovers of apps you deleted. Turn Off moves it to the Trash, so it can be put back. Apple’s own items and security tools are never offered. - **Low-space alert** (since 0.1.0): A notification when free space drops below the level you set in Settings, with a forecast of when the disk fills. - **Menu bar readings** (since 0.1.8): Optional, in Settings › General: processor, memory pressure and network speed in the menu bar. Click for the score. - **Shortcuts** (since 0.1.8): Get Mac Health returns the score and what’s lowering it. ### Assistant, Routines and Undo - **Assistant** (since 0.1.8): ⌥⇧⌘A. Ask in plain words (“find invoices from last month and zip them”, “why is my disk full?”, “tidy my Desktop”) and it drafts a plan listing every step and file. Nothing changes until you press Run. Apple’s on-device model, macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence; never sends anything off the Mac. - **Routines** (since 0.1.8): Tasks that run on a schedule, at launch or when a file arrives in a folder: organize, move to the Trash, tag, or Clean Safe Items, written as a sentence or picked from templates. The one place for every automation, off until you add one. - **Organize and Keep Organized** (since 0.1.5): Sort a folder’s loose files into subfolders by kind or by month, previewing every move first. Keep Organized tidies Desktop, Downloads or any folder every few hours. Code projects, apps and files in use are left alone. - **Activity and Undo everywhere** (since 0.1.8): ⇧⌘Y. Every move, rename, organize, cleanup and uninstall is a session: ⌘Z in the window, Undo in each toast, and one searchable list with Undo or Put Back. - **Use with AI apps** (since 0.1.10): Settings › Advanced › Use with AI apps sets up Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP apps to search your files, see what’s using space and what Clean Up would free. They can look and show files in the app, never open, move or delete them. ### Power features - **Command palette** (since 0.1.0): ⌘K reaches every action, file and location. - **Instant index** (since 0.1.0): Live FSEvents and NSMetadataQuery updates. No Refresh button. - **Bulk rename** (since 0.1.0): Pattern, find and replace, numbering and date tokens, with a live preview. - **Shortcuts and Siri**: Find Files, Get Latest Download, Show Search Results, Uninstall App, Scan for Space to Free, Clean Safe Items, Organize Folder, Put Back Last Cleanup, Run Routine, Get Mac Health and Ask the Assistant. - **Menu bar drop** (since 0.1.10): Drop files on the menu bar icon to show them in the app; drop a folder to open it in Disk Usage. - **Use with AI apps (MCP)**: Settings › Advanced copies the setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP apps. They can search your files, see disk usage and what Clean Up would free, and show files in Peekaboo; never open, move or delete. Files holding secrets are never listed. - **Drag and drop** (since 0.1.0): Drag several files at once out to Mail, Slack, Figma or anywhere else. ### For developers - **Off until you want them** (since 0.1.0): Turn on Show developer features in Settings and these join Clean Up, the Go menu and file menus. - **Projects** (since 0.1.3): Your git repositories as cards, with branch, last commit and the rebuildable folders (build output, dependencies) you can move to the Trash. - **Developer data** (since 0.1.0): Xcode build files, caches, device support and archives, simulators, and package-manager caches, each explained before anything moves. Simulators are always Check First. - **Dotfiles and config** (since 0.1.0): The hidden settings files tools keep in your home folder. Files that hold keys or tokens are never previewed. - **Terminal and links**: peekaboo du shows disk usage and peekaboo clean lists what Clean Up would free, without moving anything. Open and reveal files from Terminal with the peekaboo command, or from anywhere with peekaboo:// links. Copy Path As gives a plain path, a Terminal-ready path or a file URL. - **More Info** (since 0.1.3): The inspector shows the full path, permissions, owner, where a file was downloaded from and its git branch. ## FAQ ### Does Peekaboo replace Finder? No, it works alongside it. Peekaboo is a faster way to see, search and tidy your files, and “Show in Finder” is always one click away. ### Do my files get uploaded anywhere? No. Search, text recognition and duplicate detection all run on your Mac. There’s no account and no cloud. The app goes online only to check for updates, to check your license, to send anonymous usage counts (which you can turn off in Settings › General) and to send a problem report when you press Send. The privacy page lists every request, what it carries and how to stop it. ### What if it deletes the wrong thing? It can’t delete your files outright. Everything Peekaboo removes goes to the Trash, and each cleanup is saved as a session in Cleanup History, so Put Back returns the whole lot in one click (⌥⌘Z puts back the last one). Nothing moves until you’ve reviewed it, and automatic cleanup rules stay off until you turn them on. ### Can Peekaboo remove anything permanently? Only things that can’t go to the Trash: simulators, Homebrew packages, local Time Machine snapshots and, on macOS 27 with Apple silicon, the Apple Intelligence models. That stays off until you turn on permanent removal in Settings › Cleanup. Each removal then asks you to confirm that it can’t be undone, and every one is written to a log next to Cleanup History. ### Will Peekaboo touch iCloud files or system apps? No. Files that live only in iCloud are skipped, so nothing downloads behind your back. The uninstaller never lists Apple’s own apps, anything in /System, security or device-management agents, or Peekaboo itself, and it never offers folders that hold passwords, keys or sign-in data as leftovers. ### How is the search different from Spotlight? It uses the same index, so it’s just as fast. The difference is that you type the way you talk (“zips bigger than 1 GB older than 6 months”) and Peekaboo shows the filters it heard as chips you can fix. The parser is plain code on your Mac, not an AI service, so it’s instant and private, and occasionally it’ll misread you. That’s why the chips are editable. ### What is Mac Health? A page (⌥⇧⌘H) with your Mac’s processor, memory, disk, network, heat and battery, the apps keeping it busy or awake, and a 0–100 score with the reasons it isn’t 100 and a button to fix the biggest one. It keeps a week of readings on your Mac, one every five minutes while Peekaboo runs, and can show the processor, memory pressure and network speed in the menu bar. Nothing is sent anywhere. ### What is the Peekaboo Assistant? A page (⌥⇧⌘A) where you ask in plain words, like “zip last month’s invoices” or “tidy my Desktop”. It drafts a plan listing every step and every file, and nothing changes until you press Run. Each step can be undone from Activity. It runs on Apple’s on-device model, so nothing leaves your Mac, and it needs macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence. ### Can Peekaboo clean up and organize automatically? Yes, with Routines, and only once you set one up. A routine runs on a schedule, at launch or when a file arrives in a folder: organize Downloads by kind, move old screenshots to the Trash, tag new PDFs, or Clean Safe Items. Every run is recorded in Activity with Put Back. ### How do I see and stop what starts on its own? Open Mac Health and look at Startup Items: every launch agent, daemon and background helper that starts on its own, with the app it belongs to and leftovers of apps you already deleted. Turn Off moves the item to the Trash, so you can put it back. Apple’s own items and security tools are never offered. ### Does Peekaboo work with Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive? Yes. Cloud Drives finds Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and iCloud Drive from their folders on your Mac and lists them in the sidebar and in search, with Download Now and Remove Download. There’s nothing to sign in to, and nothing downloads unless you ask. ### Can Claude or other AI apps use Peekaboo? Yes. Settings › Advanced › Use with AI apps copies the setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP apps. They can search your files, see what’s using space and what Clean Up would free, and show files in Peekaboo. They can’t open, move or delete anything, and files holding keys or passwords are never listed. What the AI app does with the results is up to that app. ### What is Space Map? An interactive map of your disk. Every category and folder is sized by how much space it uses. Click to drill in, and send anything you don’t need to the Trash right from the map. ### How does the free trial work? Download Peekaboo and use every feature for 14 days, no account and no card. When the trial ends, buy a license to keep going; your library and settings stay as they are. ### Is it a subscription? No. You pay once and keep it. A license is $24.99 one-time (launch price $9.99 until Nov 13) for one Mac, yours for good, with updates included. ### Can I get a refund? Yes. Ask within 7 days of buying, by replying to your license email, and you get the full amount back, no questions asked. ### Which Macs are supported? macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon and Intel: one universal app, about 26 MB. Almost everything works on every supported Mac; the download page lists the few extras that need a newer macOS or Apple silicon. ### Can I install Peekaboo with Homebrew? Yes: brew install --cask vishvavariya/peekaboo/peekaboo. It’s the same signed app as the download, with the same free trial, and it keeps itself up to date. ### Why does it ask for access to my folders? macOS asks you to approve access to Desktop, Documents and Downloads. Peekaboo needs it to show and search the files inside them. Nothing leaves your Mac. ### What doesn’t Peekaboo do? It isn’t a full Finder replacement: no column view, no network drives or servers yet, and no editing of Finder tags. It doesn’t search files that live only in iCloud (on purpose, so nothing downloads). And it never deletes your files permanently: they go to the Trash. Items that can’t (simulators, Homebrew packages, local Time Machine snapshots) are removed only if you turn on permanent removal in Settings › Cleanup. ### Will it slow my Mac down? The first index of a typical home folder takes a minute or two. After that Peekaboo listens to file-system events, so there’s no background rescanning. Text recognition runs at low priority in the background. ### Can I move my license to a new Mac? Yes. Choose “Deactivate this Mac” in Settings, then activate on the new one with the same key.