We’ve all seen photos of Mac desktops covered with unorganized document icons, folders sprawling across the screen, and file names that are virtually unclickable because they’ve been buried.

Equally bad is a cluttered menu bar — with the addition of each new icon, you get unnecessary notifications, clutter at the top of your screen, pop-ups, and other annoying features that you probably don’t want.

This can be particularly frustrating when you thought you had already deleted an item, uninstalled an app, or have icons you actually want in the menu that are being buried by third-party apps.

Here’s how to remove those pesky icons once and for all!

Restart your Mac. To do so, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and then click Restart. When your computer restarts, you shouldn't see any MacKeeper announcements or advertising on your Mac's desktop or within the Safari browser. Jan 21, 2019  First, go to “Settings” by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left of the menu bar and choosing “System Preferences”. Next, pick “Users and Groups” from the grid. It should be near the bottom, and feature a silhouette logo. Now choose “Login Items”.

Why Do Third-Party App Icons Show up on Mac Menu Bar?

By default, the menu bar doesn’t contain very many icons. You’ve got the stand clock, internet connection indicator, and battery tracker to start. If you’ve customized a bit, you might also have Bluetooth, Time Machine, or AirPlay turned on as well.

However, certain applications will come with menu bar integrations that automatically launch every time you open your Mac computer, regardless of whether or not you’re currently using its associated program. This can be great if it’s something you actually want to see — but if it’s not, you need to do some digging to turn this capability off.

Sometimes programs will leave behind their plugins even if you’ve already uninstalled the application. For example, Adobe’s Creative Cloud software doesn’t uninstall the launch agent, even if you delete all of the programs associated with it. In order to get rid of it, you have to actually uninstall the software using the built-in uninstaller — not just dragging it to the Trash.

Finally, third-party icons may show up in your menu bar simply because they don’t offer a built-in way to be removed. In these cases, you can use a program like CleanMyMac X to forcefully and completely erase them from your computer.

We’ll go over the solutions to all three types of icon issues below, so don’t worry if you feel lost!

1. If the App Launches on Login: Disable via System Settings (Login Items)

Is the offending menu bar icon showing up every time you log in to your Mac even if you haven’t opened the associated application?

If you’re still interested in keeping the icon/application but just don’t want it to start up without your permission, you need to change a few settings.

First, go to “Settings” by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left of the menu bar and choosing “System Preferences”.

Next, pick “Users and Groups” from the grid. It should be near the bottom, and feature a silhouette logo.

Now choose “Login Items”.

Lastly, use the “+” and “-” buttons to disable any applications that you don’t want automatically starting, or to add the ones that you do want to.

You should notice a difference the next time you log out and log back in.

2. If It Has an Uninstaller: Remove with the Uninstaller

Although it’s less common on macOS than Windows, some programs have custom uninstallers that must be used if you want to get rid of all the associated files. These programs are usually pretty hefty in size, and the uninstaller is capable of finding all the dispersed parts — whereas simply dragging it into the Trash only removes the main chunks.

As we mentioned, Adobe Creative Cloud is one such app. It uses menu bar integration to help you manage your account, but even after you remove the actual programs this icon will remain.

You’ll need to locate the uninstaller in Finder, which you can do by selecting “This Mac” for your search, and either searching the program’s name, or for “uninstaller”.

When you find the uninstaller, double-click to run it. Every app will have different instructions, but you’ll likely be asked to confirm the uninstall, enter an administrator password, and then wait while the uninstaller removes all relevant files and then itself.

3. If It Has No Uninstaller: Use CleanMyMac (Optimization > Launch Agents)

Some apps are trickier — or more poorly developed — than others. Often for security reasons (for example, preventing users from exploiting free trials), they don’t ever completely remove all of the data from your Mac, including integration with the menu bar.

Since these apps don’t have their own uninstallers like Adobe, and the program files are usually buried in obscure folders you could never find manually, you’ll need a Mac cleaner app in order to disable or remove them.

Here’s how to do it:

First, download CleanMyMac X and install it on your Mac. Open the app and go to Optimization > Launch Agents.

Note: a Launch Agent is usually a small helper or service application of the app. Many app developers set helper applications to autorun when you start your Mac, but often this is not necessary. In most cases, you can disable or even remove the helper app.

Select the agents you no longer need, and CleanMyMac will completely erase them for you.

Keep in mind this is will completely remove the icon, so if you just want to disable it, check the settings of the parent app or disable the “launch at login” option we mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

Icons can be incredibly annoying, but luckily they’re simple to remove regardless of the program they come with. When tossing the main application in the trash doesn’t do the trick (or if you only want to get rid of the icon but not the app), there are several ways to prevent clutter on your menu bar.

With all the extras out of the way, you can make room for the tools you use on a regular basis, reduce the load on your Mac, and streamline your day-to-day activities. All these methods should take no more than a few minutes to successfully execute, and once you do, you’re well on your way to a more enjoyable Mac experience.

Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand. When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically. Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it. Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.

* If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. This is an overview of available storage space on your Mac, as well as the space used by different categories of files:

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below. (The Manage button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.)

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Face Changer Swap helps to swap faces found in any two pictures. This Face Changer Software provides an easy to use interface for easy editing of pictures. Swap or copy faces, heads, hair styles and create a new picture with the help of this software which is specially designed for Mac users. The Crazy Face Swap app by AlphaPlugins lets turn any group photo. App and significantly improve your mood. The Crazy Face Swap exchanges faces on photo. It can exchange not only human faces but also faces of pets like cats or dogs or even. Christmas Swap for Mac OS v.1.0 The latest great puzzle game from TacoLamp! Featuring challenging puzzles that will test your brain as well as your reflexes, Christmas Swap is a blast! It features great remixed Christmas carols and beautiful graphics. Fruit Swap for Mac OS v.1.0 Fruit Swap is a fun and exciting new puzzle game! You must help. Face Swap on PC (Windows / MAC) Download and install BlueStacks or Remix OS Player. Open the installed BlueStacks or Remix OS Player and open the Google Play Store in it. Now search for “Face Swap” using the Play Store. Install the game and open the app drawer or all apps in the emulator. If you want to actually swap a face you need to go into the options and change it to swap instead of copy. For an app called Auto Face Swap the default setting of copy seems kind of odd. Starting with a good posed picture with even light on both faces also helps the results look better. Face swap software for mac.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

• Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  
• Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  
• Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button, then choose from these options.

• Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
  
• Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
  
• Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you to identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.

Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
• In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
• In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
• In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

• Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
• Reminds you to delete used app installers
• Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
• Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

• Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
• Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
• Move files to an external storage device.
• Compress files.
• Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Learn more

• When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
• If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.