I upgraded to CleanMyMac 3 and it has a new feature where it shows how much RAM is currently being used and then you push a button and it "frees up" more RAM. It seems to work. Just wondering if anyone knows how this works. Is it freeing up RAM from apps that are closed or running in the background? Somehow else?
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CleanMyMac freeing up RAM
- Thread starter dagdagdag234
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OS X manages memory quite well without needing any interference from 3rd party apps, especially one with such a bad reputation.
Read the Memory section of How to use Activity Monitor
I would not recommend using CleanMyMac or any of its variants, based on the number of complaints that have been posted in this forum and elsewhere. As an example: CleanMyMac cleaned too much. Here's a recent example. While you may not have experienced problems yet, enough people have that it's wise to avoid it, especially since there are free alternatives that have better reputations, such as Onyx.
Read the Memory section of How to use Activity Monitor
I would not recommend using CleanMyMac or any of its variants, based on the number of complaints that have been posted in this forum and elsewhere. As an example: CleanMyMac cleaned too much. Here's a recent example. While you may not have experienced problems yet, enough people have that it's wise to avoid it, especially since there are free alternatives that have better reputations, such as Onyx.
You don't need "cleaner" or "maintenance" apps to keep your Mac running well, and some of these apps can do more harm than good. Most only remove files/folders or unused languages or architectures, which does nothing more than free up some drive space, with the risk of deleting something important in the process. These apps will not make your Mac run faster or more efficiently, since having stuff stored on a drive does not impact performance, unless you're running out of drive space. In fact, deleting some caches can hurt performance, rather than help it, since more system resources are used and performance suffers while each cache is being rebuilt. Many of these tasks should only be done selectively to troubleshoot specific problems, not en masse as routine maintenance.
Mac OS X does a good job of taking care of itself, without the need for 3rd party software. Among other things, it has its own maintenance scripts that run silently in the background on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, without user intervention. 
What GGJstudios said is correct.
You don't need and will be better off without a "RAM cleaner." It's desirable for an OS to keep RAM as active as possible-- far better than to flush RAM (which is what cleaners do) and force its contents to be re-loaded from storage when needed.
RAM is fast. Storage is slow. Ergo, keep stuff in RAM whenever possible. OS X does this very efficiently.
Interesting. Thanks for the tips. I've been using CleanMyMac for awhile to uninstall things etc... Is it safe to use in this minimal way?
Like all other app removal software, CMM doesn't do a thorough job of finding and removing files/folders related to deleted apps. For more information, read this and this. If you just want to delete the app, drag the .app file to the trash. No other software needed. If you want to completely remove all associated files/folders, no removal apps will do the job.
The most effective method for complete app removal is manual deletion: I recommend using those instructions to completely remove CMM from your Mac(s).
There is no right or wrong answer to that question. It is true that CleanMyMac can help with removing obsolete files that are left by applications you’ve deleted, such as preferences. Typically, these are left in place in case you want to reinstall the app in the future. However, some apps can leave quite substantial files and it may add up over time. There are also plenty of people who argue that the system doesn’t need to support all these languages, especially if you only ever use one system language. Linux systems handle this much better and only install the languages you actually use.
There is generally no harm in letting CleanMyMac point you in the right direction in that case. However, the problem with CleanMyMac and comparable apps is at least threefold: (1) they encourage inexperienced users to take potentially destructive or at least harmful actions with little to no benefit, (2) they conceal their actions behind fancy user interfaces and (3) they may pose at worst security risks when developed sloppily or with malice, especially when they are overly interested in root access.
GGJstudios also suggested Onyx, but I can’t unconditionally recommend that app either. It should not be used lightly and there isn’t even a need to use it regularly. I also read that still Onyx uses custom prompts for gaining root access, which should at least raise some suspicion as to the professionalism associated with the development.
Bottom line:
(1) The system has a maintenance schedule of its own that should be left alone. It will deal with logs, caches files and other things.
(2) There is no need to delete every tiny bit of data after removing an application, but if you want to, I suggest using a tool from the App Store that is approved by Apple (these generally have no root access). I personally use TrashMe, which gives me a detailed list of files it suggests to delete, which I review with care.
(3) Removing unnecessary language files should be considered carefully. If you want this, I recommend the tool Monolingual.
Just to be clear, I didn't recommend OnyX, but only pointed out that it has a better reputation than CMM. I agree such apps are best left alone unless a user knows exactly what they're doing and they're quite familiar with both the app and the ramifications of deleting certain items. Generally speaking, OS X doesn't need user or 3rd party app interference to maintain itself.
Agreed. But it’s still astonishing how many people are persuaded by these kinds of apps. I like to think that this is in part the result of wrong or old thinking associated with Windows. Sometimes people simply overlook that OS X and iOS are designed for easy usage without constant maintenance.
Yes, I agree that a lot of this is old "Windows mentality", thinking that a user has to "tinker around under the hood" to keep optimal performance. One of the reasons I switched to OS X is I got tired of manually cleaning the Windows registry, which is a joke. OS X doesn't have those limitations, and while not perfect, it does a much better job of taking care of itself than Windows did.
Most of the functions of even reputable apps such as OnyX should not be used as routine maintenance, but rather for very targeted and specific troubleshooting. Too many Mac users will reset the SMC or NVRAM or repair permissions without even understanding what those things do and don't do.
Hello!
May I kindly ask you to send us email on support@macpaw.com that we can explain you in more detailed way about "Free Up" memory feature in CleanMyMac 3?
Regards,
MacPaw Support Team.