Show HN: I built an native macOS app to clean junk files from USB drives

1 xmasterdev 0 8/15/2025, 4:36:04 PM cleanmyusb.app ↗

I built CleanMyUSB to solve a problem: macOS leaves hidden files all over USB drives, causing issues when using them with Windows PCs, car stereos, cameras, and other devices.

Real problems it solves: - USB drives not playing music in car stereos (thanks .DS_Store!) - Windows users complaining about "junk files" when sharing - SD cards showing "file error" in cameras - Can't delete Spotlight indexes on exFAT drives

What it cleans: - .DS_Store files: The culprit behind "USB not recognized" in car stereos - Spotlight indexes (.Spotlight-V100): Wasting space and useless on other systems - AppleDouble files (._): Resource forks that clutter Windows folders - System junk: .Trash, .fseventsd, .Trashes hidden folders - Temp files: .tmp, .cache, .log and various temporary files - Cross-platform conflicts: Thumbs.db, desktop.ini, System Volume Information

Technical approach: - Real-time USB/SD card detection with auto-cleanup prompts - Smart file recognition to protect important data - Special exFAT filesystem handling

Why I built this:

  Got tired of manually cleaning USBs before giving them to Windows users. Got tired of
  troubleshooting why car stereos won't read my USB. This tool eliminates these annoying
  little frictions.

Pricing & Availability: $9.99 one-time purchase, 7-day free trial.

Important Note: Due to App Store sandbox restrictions, the Mac App Store version cannot clean certain system files (.Spotlight-V100, .fseventsd, .Trashes). The direct download version from our website has full functionality. If you previously purchased the App Store version and need the full functionality, please contact me and I'll provide you with a free license for the direct version.

Website: https://cleanmyusb.app Would love your feedback!

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Show HN: I built an native macOS app to clean junk files from USB drives

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