See what's eating your disk. Delete it safely.
ZerX finds the dev caches, build artifacts and hidden folders Finder never shows — node_modules, DerivedData, package caches, simulator images — and lets you tick what goes to the Trash. Nothing else.
Coming to the Mac App Store · macOS 13 or later · Apple Silicon and Intel
Built for people who have a node_modules problem
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Sees what Finder hides
Hidden dev folders, package manager caches, DerivedData, worktrees left by AI agents, Docker images, simulators. A full 250 GB home folder scans in about 15 seconds.
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Trash first, never past it
Everything you delete goes to the Trash by default. Keychains, Mail, Photos, iCloud, SSH keys and system files are off-limits at the architecture level, not just hidden in the UI.
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Knows which projects are alive
Projects with recent commits or edits are never pre-selected. If you pick something inside one, ZerX tells you before it moves.
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No telemetry, no account, no network
The app never phones home. Updates arrive through the App Store; the direct-download version, when it comes, checks zerxapp.com for updates only if you turn it on.
Four steps, no wizard
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Pick your home folder
On first launch macOS shows the standard folder dialog. Choose your home folder once; that's the only place ZerX can read or delete.
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Scan
Your home folder plus system caches, sized like Finder does it. Numbers tick while it runs.
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Review and tick
Dev caches and old build artifacts are pre-selected when it's safe. Everything else is your call.
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Delete to Trash
Empty the Trash when you're sure.
Three layers between you and a bad day
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Scope allowlist
Only the folder you granted, normally your home folder, can be touched. The rest of the disk is shown for the picture, not for deletion.
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Hard blocklist
Keychains, Preferences, Application Support, iCloud, Messages, Mail, Photos, Safari, .ssh, .gnupg, .aws, .kube, shell rc files. Any folder containing a protected path is protected too.
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One gate
Every deletion passes through a single checkpoint that normalizes the path and re-checks it after resolving symlinks. A symlink into a protected folder doesn't get through. Covered by tests.
FAQ
Will there be a version outside the App Store?
Yes, later. A direct download signed and notarized by Apple is planned after the App Store release, with extras that need Full Disk Access, such as deleting local Time Machine snapshots.
Is it safe?
Deletion goes to the Trash by default. Personal data and system files are on a blocklist that the deletion layer enforces, and that layer is covered by tests. The full list of protected folders is on the Safety page.
What access does the app ask for?
On first launch ZerX asks you to pick your home folder in the standard macOS dialog. That's the only folder it can read or delete in. Nothing it reads leaves your Mac.
Can it clean "System Data" from Settings → Storage?
It shows what's inside that number — caches, logs, local Time Machine snapshots — and lets you remove the parts that are safe to remove.
Does it cost anything?
ZerX 0.x is free.
How do I uninstall?
Drag ZerX.app to the Trash, or delete it from Launchpad.
