CleanMyMac offers junk removal, malware protection, speed boosts, and app management in one tool.

The new version 5 brings a fresh UI and brings back Space Lens for visual storage analysis.

Some overlap with built-in macOS tools, but more powerful and user-friendly.

It’s a paid tool from $39.95/year — you get 10% off with code THESWEETBITS.

It’s a popular myth that Macs don’t slow down. However, most people realize this idea is wrong after using a Mac for more than a year. Like other devices, macOS devices also slow down, and part of it is software. It’s really a let-down that you cannot easily upgrade your RAM or storage as this happens.

So, what do you do when you have an old, slowed-down Mac? CleanMyMac claims to deal with this issue.

About CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac from MacPaw is a fully-fledged Mac cleaning and optimization suite. It lets you get rid of junk and problematic elements from your Mac and speed up real-world performance.

You get multiple modules to manage different aspects of your Mac, such as Cleanup, Protection, Performance, Applications, etc.

This way, CleanMyMac aims to get your Mac working at full speed so that you can avoid a pricey upgrade.

Features Highlight:

• Detect and remove junk, temporary files, universal binaries, and other avoidable stuff from your Mac.
• Use the Moonlock engine to detect and remove malware from your Mac and schedule scans.
• Speed up your Mac, including the startup time and multitasking experience.
• Monitor, remove, and update the apps you installed on your Mac.
• Visualize how the storage space on your Mac is used through interactive methods.
• Get rid of large, duplicate, and unnecessary files from your SSD.
• Keep track of your Mac and its health, thanks to on-time notifications and quick overviews.

The Latest Version: CleanMyMac 5

CleanMyMac X became CleanMyMac in October 2024. This version offered a redesigned interface and added features like Duplicate Finder and Mac Health Score, but got rid of some, like File Shredder and Space Lens. It also made macOS 11 Big Sur the minimum required version to run the optimization suite.

As of June 2025, however, CleanMyMac 5.1 has reintroduced Space Lens, an interactive way to visualize how your Mac utilizes storage space. We loved this change and have been testing it out to see if it works better.

From the Founder

“Having developed macOS software for over 16 years, we’ve learned that every Mac holds a unique universe within. To help our users to gain more control over their digital world, we’ve transformed CleanMyMac into a comprehensive Mac care solution.

The new CleanMyMac 5 introduces the most significant change we’ve made in the last six years, offering a fresh, modern design more attuned to users’needs. This is more than just a visual refresh, though, it’s the foundation for the product’s future.”

– Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder & CEO of MacPaw

Our Hands-on CleanMyMac Review

MacPaw projects CleanMyMac as one of the must-have macOS apps for everyone. It is indeed so if you use your Mac for more than browsing the web and Word/PowerPoint.

We’re specializing in the Apple ecosystem, so we take full advantage of our MacBook Air for testing and multitasking. At any given time, we’re testing a number of apps that we have to write about. Among other things, this situation results in a lot of temporary files and junk. We often have to install apps that are not available on the App Store as well.

By these standards alone, our situation allows us to check whether all the modules on CleanMyMac work as they claim to. We can also help you understand the real-world impact of the tool by comparing how snappy our Mac is after using CleanMyMac 5 for weeks.

We’ll also tell you whether CleanMyMac can replace the many utilities you may need to speed up your Mac.

Installation and Setup

Installing and setting up CleanMyMac is a simple process for the most part. The installation is effortless, and the app does not ask for unnecessary permissions. Instead, individual modules will ask for respective system permissions when you open them. It’s a nice touch to see from a privacy standpoint. You also get to choose whether CleanMyMac runs in the background. You can also launch the app whenever necessary.

User Interface

CleanMyMac has had a great UI design from the beginning. However, the latest update has brought a sense of simplicity to the game. The entire app is easy to navigate, and the user does not have to choose between too many options. Instead, we felt the UI improved the overall workflow.

When you get started, you can either go for Smart Scan or choose a specific module. Either way, you would need to wait for a few seconds as CleanMyMac scans your Mac. After these scans, you get a bunch of steps that you can review and execute. As we said, you may need to provide the permissions or quit some apps.

Smart Scan is a great option when you want to do everything to speed up your Mac. You get an overview of actionable data through a single click. CleanMyMac lets you review every step, and this feature makes a lot of sense when you want to remove apps/files or control what changes are made. After the review, you can sit back and relax while CleanMyMac does its job.

In a few seconds, you will have a faster, cleaner Mac. We feel the UX design is as straightforward as it gets.

Core Features Evaluation

Here’s what we thought about the core features of CleanMyMac.

• Cleanup

The Cleanup module of CleanMyMac searches your entire Mac to find potential elements that slow down performance and take up storage space. It does not address user files. Instead, you get an idea about things like system junk, caches, trash bins, additional binaries, document versions, etc. CleanMyMac also gives you an estimate of how much space you can save with each element.

This module does a great job of shrinking the System Data folder, which you may have seen. It has been a space-saver from day one. Whenever we feel the storage space is low, we run the module, and it almost always lets us save a couple of GB of space.

• Protection

The Protection module on CleanMyMac can protect your Mac from malware consistently. You get to choose between three scanning modes: Quick, Balanced, and Deep. Your option depends on how effective you need the scan to be and the time you want to spend. But the Protection module does more than detect malware.

It conveniently provides data such as the number of apps with mic and camera access, temporary files, and recent items. You can easily revoke these permissions and restore your peace of mind. We cannot provide our experience here, as my Mac has remained malware-free most of the time.

However, given how Macs are becoming the new target of malware attacks, it does not hurt to scan your Mac once in a while. We loved the options to configure the Scan Mode, Scan options, and the preferences for malware monitoring.

We’re better off knowing that the malware monitoring system will be scanning the DMG files and attachments we come across.

• Performance

The Performance module essentially recommends maintenance tasks that can speed up your Mac and boost its multitasking performance. Sure, you can do all these tasks manually, but that process would take more than a few minutes. Instead, you can use the module to run maintenance tasks, select login items, and get rid of background items.

We always find the interface better than the macOS Preferences page. This module perhaps has the most significant role in speeding up your Mac. This module probably has the highest success in speeding up an old Mac.

• Applications

The Applications module of CleanMyMac will scan your Applications folder and suggest options for removal and updates. It can also help you remove unused applications and application leftovers. We use this feature the most because we end up installing too many apps but forget to remove them. This module offers a quick overview of what needs to be done.

It’s further impressive that you can update apps that you installed from non-App Store sources. This feature is a real time-saver for many. We often use this module to remove application leftovers and installation files that stay on our Mac.

• My Clutter

My Clutter is another super-useful module of CleanMyMac. This single module can help you get rid of large, duplicate, and similar files from your Mac. We recommend using this module more frequently if you deal with photos or other media formats. This core feature is quite effective in finding duplicates even if you have used different names and file sizes.

Overall, This module is great for reclaiming storage and tidying up scattered files.

• Space Lens

We found the newly re-introduced Space Lens to be better than previous versions. It integrates the new UI that CleanMyMac debuted in October 2024. Like other modules, Space Lens starts with a thorough scan of your Mac’s hard drive. You can also choose to scan a specific folder if you wish.

In a second, CleanMyMac will show a visual representation of how the storage space is used. On the right-hand side, you can see bubbles that represent directories and the space they consume. The left-hand side shows a list of folders based on their size.

You can click on these bubbles to explore subfolders and directories. This interactive method makes it easy to understand the storage space hogs on your Mac. For instance, our Application Support folder takes up lots of space, and we need to do something about it. It is easier since we can select and delete many folders at once.

During testing, Space Lens quickly flagged our Application Support and MobileSync/Backup folders as massive space hogs—these are areas even power users often forget. We appreciated how the zoomable map allowed us to drill down and remove unwanted device backups from long-gone iPhones.

A Word on CleanMyMac Menu

If you don’t want to shift back and forth between an app and CleanMyMac, you can have CleanMyMac run a menu bar widget. It’s called CleanMyMac Menu and offers quick access to common tasks, such as freeing up RAM and clearing up storage. It also provides some quick info, such as network speed, battery life, and a list of connected devices.

We recommend checking out this feature if you like a quick-and-easy way to keep track of your Mac’s specs as well as performance.

Performance Impact

As we mentioned, different modules of CleanMyMac have different impacts on the performance of your Mac.

It’s up to you whether you want to keep CleanMyMac running in the background. However, we have formed a habit of launching the app whenever we find our MacBook Air a little sluggish. Almost every time, a thorough scan using the app makes things better, too.

Countless reviews of CleanMyMac also reveal the same idea. This is particularly the case when you have an old and low-configuration Mac at your disposal. In these situations, you have a better chance of getting rid of junk and speeding up the performance.

In most cases, you’d notice the performance impact of CleanMyMac on your Mac. However, it may not be the case if your system has an overkill configuration with more than enough RAM and processing power.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive cleaning tools effectively free up disk space.
• User-friendly interface accessible to all technical levels.
• Performance optimization enhances system responsiveness.
• Simplifies application uninstallation and updates.
• Privacy protection features maintain user confidentiality.

Cons:

• No real-time antivirus scanning like traditional security software.
• The performance boost may be minimal on newer Macs.
• Some tools overlap with what macOS already offers.

Pricing and Value

CleanMyMac is a paid tool, and you can get a license starting at $39.95 per year. A one-time payment option is also available for $119.95. MacPaw provides discounts when purchasing multiple licenses.

For TheSweetBits readers, MacPaw is offering an exclusive 10% discount. Simply use the coupon code THESWEETBITS at checkout here.

If you’d like to try the app first, a 7-day free trial is available, providing access to all features. MacPaw also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to request a refund if CleanMyMac doesn’t meet your expectations.

Alternatively, CleanMyMac is also available through a Setapp subscription, which includes over 200 other apps.

Value Proposition

Let’s say that you have a relatively older Mac. Of course, not everyone can upgrade to the latest chip when it is out. It means you need to find ways to salvage the best out of it. In such an instance, it makes sense to get a CleanMyMac license and use the app now and then.

Even if your Mac isn’t particularly slow, using this cleaner-optimizer utility can improve the experience with macOS. So, we’d say it offers pretty great value.

And if you’re wondering about the company behind it — MacPaw was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2025, a recognition that underscores the team’s dedication to building smart, user-focused software that stands the test of time.

Tech Specs

System Requirements:

• Operating System: macOS 11 Big Sur (or later)
• Processor:Intel or Apple Silicon processor
• Minimum Free Disk Space: 320 MB
• Minimum Display Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels

Supported macOS Versions:

• Sequoia 15
• Sonoma 14
• Ventura 13
• Monterey 12
• Big Sur 11
• Catalina 10.15 (Not Supported)

Note Regarding Mac App Store Version

The Mac App Store version of CleanMyMac offers various cleaning and optimization tools, but it has limitations due to Apple’s App Store guidelines, which restrict certain features:

• Smart Scan: The Speed scanner is replaced with a Large & Old Files scanner.
• System Junk: Categories like Xcode Simulators, System Logs, and Language Files are unavailable.
• Privacy Features: Management of Wi-Fi Networks and Safari Cookies is restricted.
• Optimization Tools: You can view Launch Agents and Login Items, but enabling or disabling them is not permitted.
• Uninstaller Limitations: It cannot remove binaries of App Store applications but can reset them.
• CleanMyMac Menu: Certain hardware monitoring features and real-time malware monitoring are unavailable.

For full access to all features, consider purchasing CleanMyMac directly from the MacPaw Store or Setapp.

Security FAQs

Is CleanMyMac safe to download and use?

Absolutely. CleanMyMac is safe to download from reputable sources such as the MacPaw website or the Mac App Store. It has been verified by Apple and has a solid track record of reliability among users.

Is it safe to give CleanMyMac Full Disk Access?

Yes, granting CleanMyMac Full Disk Access is completely safe. The app is notarized by Apple, which ensures it is from a trusted developer and free from malicious code. This access allows CleanMyMac to perform essential cleanup tasks effectively while keeping your data secure.

What safeguards are in place during cleanup?

CleanMyMac employs a comprehensive Safety Database that contains rules and exceptions tailored to different macOS versions and applications. This database is continuously updated to prevent accidental data removal, ensuring that only unnecessary files are targeted during cleanup.

Can I trust CleanMyMac with my important files?

Yes, CleanMyMac is designed to keep your important files intact. By default, it only suggests removing automatically generated system or app-related data, ensuring no personal files are deleted unless you explicitly choose to do so.

How does CleanMyMac protect my privacy?

MacPaw respects user privacy and does not transfer personal data beyond your Mac. While it collects analytic data to improve the app, this is done in accordance with GDPR and a strict Privacy Policy. You can use the Protection module to erase unwanted traces of your online activity without affecting your actual files.

Is CleanMyMac effective against malware?

Yes, CleanMyMac features robust malware protection powered by the Moonlock Engine. This tool scans for various types of malware, including viruses and adware, ensuring your Mac remains secure. Regular updates to its malware database help protect against emerging threats.

Final Notes

While it has some minor shortcomings, CleanMyMac is a significant investment that all Mac users should use. As it combines the multiple aspects of performance optimization and protection, you don’t need to keep two apps running at the same time. We also like that the developers behind MacPaw keep adding new features to the package.

Explore more about CleanMyMac on the official Macpaw website.

<p>The post CleanMyMac: A Revamped Power Tool for Your Mac (2025 Review) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

TL;DR Summary

CloudMounter mounts major cloud services and FTP/SFTP into Finder like local drives.

It saves space by streaming instead of syncing files.

Its optional client-side encryption keeps data secure.

Great for devs, freelancers, remote teams, and power users.

Pricing starts at $29.99/year or available via Setapp — includes a 7-day free trial.

Limitation: Advanced SFTP features like chmod/chown are not supported.

What is CloudMounter?

CloudMounter is a Mac app that lets you mount cloud services—like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and even FTP—as local drives in Finder. No more bouncing between apps or eating up space with sync folders. You simply connect and manage them like external storage. Some key features are:

• Mount Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3, pCloud, Backblaze B2, WebDAV, etc.
• Encrypt files and folders for enhanced security.
• Access cloud files via Finder as if they’re local.
• Connect to FTP/SFTP servers.
• Work Offline by caching files locally.
• Seamless integration without needing background sync clients.

CloudMounter is available for both macOS and Windows, but the Windows version has fewer features.

CloudMounter Review

As you can see, the claims from CloudMounter are great enough to leave an impression.

We wanted to check how CloudMounter performs in real life. We happen to be the desired customer base for the utility as well, since we deal with multiple cloud storage spaces and cloud accounts. So, we decided to test the CloudMounter app on our M2 MacBook Air, running the latest version of macOS Sequoia.

CloudMounter vs. Cloud Sync Apps

Feature	CloudMounter	Google Drive App	Dropbox App
Mount in Finder	Yes	No	No
Uses Local Storage	No	Yes	Yes
Work Offline	Yes (selectively)	Yes	Yes
Multiple Accounts	Unified	Limited	But separate apps
FTP/SFTP/Remote Drive Support	Yes	No	No
Encryption (Client-side)	Yes	No	No

Setup, UI, & Navigation

We installed the latest version of CloudMounter from Setapp, and the process took less than a minute. It is impressive that a multipurpose tool like CloudMounter takes up only around 100MB of storage space.

It does not take up a lot of system resources while running in the background, either.

Because CloudMounter is designed to integrate with Finder, the app does not have a full window-based UI. Instead, you can access all the options from the menu bar widget.

As you can see above, CloudMounter shows the list of cloud storage drives you have added. When you hover over the drive, you can find options like Unmount, Encrypt, Show in Finder, Edit, Delete, etc. CloudMounter lets you change the content refresh interval as well.

Overall, getting started with and navigating through CloudMounter is effortless.

Mounting Storage Drives

The first thing you should do when you start using CloudMounter is mount the cloud storage drive to your Mac. The process is easy and can be done in a minute.

The New Drive button from the menu bar widget lets you choose the type of drive you want to mount. You can choose between options like FTP & SFTP, Amazon S3, Backblaze, OpenStack Swift, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, MEGA, WebDAV, and pCloud. Different services require different setup processes.

We tried to set up a MEGA account, and we could mount the drive by entering the account (email) and the password. However, you need to enter the Google account credentials and sign in if you want to mount your Google Drive storage.

As you can guess, CloudMounter offers customization options for FTP & SFTP connections. You can choose between options like Anonymous logins, simultaneous connection limit, and connection Mode. You get to access the drive without issues once you have connected it via CloudMounter.

Integration & Security

After you mount a cloud storage drive to CloudMounter, the drive almost becomes like a local folder on your Mac. We really love how integrated the system is.

Earlier, moving a file from Google Drive to Dropbox meant we had to download the file from one place and upload it again. Now, we can easily drag and drop the file from one place to another. This kind of integration comes in handy when you want to move many files from one cloud storage to another.

More importantly, because macOS treats these files as local files, you can use all options from the right-click menu. It means opening a document using other programs, duplicating, compressing, or using all extensions you have installed on Finder in the first place.

In terms of security, CloudMounter does not disappoint. Because it uses a secure route for connection, the transactions you do via CloudMounter are safe. However, if you want, you can set up additional encryption for each drive you have mounted to make your files extra safe.

Performance & Workflow

We already told you that CloudMounter uses minimal system resources while running in the background. Of course, depending on the size, the app may take a few seconds or minutes to download the file from cloud storage and open it.

However, as we said, you have an option to keep all files offline. This way, even if you add a new file from another device, CloudMounter will keep it ready on your device. You also get to decide how often the app will fetch data from cloud servers.

Download/Upload Speeds

We did not find any impact on download/upload speeds, either. We uploaded the same file to Google Drive using a web browser and the CloudMounter app. Both took the same time with the upload speeds capped at 20 Mbps.

Note that there will be a few seconds’ delay when modifying an existing file. CloudMounter works by making a copy of the file, where you make the changes. Then, this file would replace the actual file. It does not cause any sharing-related issues, though.

Stability

We also noticed that the CloudMounter app is surprisingly stable. Your Mac would thank you for using this single app instead of multiple dedicated apps from cloud storage providers. The limitation here is that you cannot use additional functions like backup.

Then again, you can use another backup solution (like Get Backup Pro) to store the backup files in one of the cloud storage folders. If you want synchronization instead of scheduled backup, you can find macOS apps to do so.

Potential Use Cases

We believe there are many potential use cases for CloudMounter for Mac.

Storage Extension

Getting built-in storage on your Mac is an expensive affair. CloudMounter has become an easy way to extend storage space by connecting cloud storage options. Because you can connect as many accounts as you need, you can use multiple storage drives to expand storage for free. Thanks to Finder integration, the process is seamless.

Cross Cloud Management

As we said, we use CloudMounter to manage files across multiple cloud storage providers. This is easier and quicker than the download-copy-upload routine you usually do. While at it, you also save yourself from the ordeal of managing multiple web browser tabs.

In our workflow, we need to manage multiple Google Drive accounts: our personal drive, work drive, and the department drive. We used to rely on the Spaces feature of Arc Browser to deal with this situation. However, with CloudMounter, we can access convenient folders from the Finder sidebar. So, unless there is a need to share something, we don’t need an extra tab open.

SFTP/FTP Connections

CloudMounter is particularly useful for developers and IT pros who frequently interact with SFTP or FTP servers. With support for mounting SFTP as a local disk, it eliminates the need for dedicated apps like Cyberduck—streamlining workflows right from Finder.

Who CloudMounter is for

• Remote workers or Web admins managing remote servers
• Freelancers juggling personal and client cloud accounts
• Developers needing SFTP/FTP access
• Digital nomads minimizing storage bloat
• Agencies handling multiple client assets in the cloud
• Content creators automating remote backups

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Eliminates the need for multiple cloud storage clients.
• Integrates cloud storage directly into Finder for seamless access.
• Saves disk space by not syncing all files locally.
• Regular updates providing ongoing support and improvements.

Cons

• Occasional need to remount drives to see server-side changes.
• You cannot use the sharing functions with the drives.
• Does not support advanced SFTP operations like changing file permissions (chmod) or ownership (chown).

Pricing & Value

The 7-day free trial is available, and you can get CloudMounter via the Setapp subscription as well.

Considering the different ways it can improve your digital lifestyle, the price you pay for CloudMounter is reasonable. If you use the right strategy, you can save several hundred dollars that you may spend on storage expansion options like portable SSDs or paid subscriptions. We should also count the convenience it offers.

FAQs

Does CloudMounter sync files locally?

No, CloudMounter does not sync files locally by default. It streams files directly from the cloud, saving disk space. However, you can enable Work Offline mode to cache specific files on your Mac.

Is the encryption truly secure?

Yes. CloudMounter offers client-side encryption, meaning your files are encrypted before they’re uploaded to the cloud. Even your cloud provider can’t access the content—only you hold the decryption key.

Can I access files without an internet connection?

Yes, but only if you’ve enabled Work Offline for that drive. This feature stores a local copy of the cloud files so you can access them without a connection.

Can it replace Dropbox/Drive official apps?

Yes, for basic file access and management via Finder, CloudMounter works well. But it doesn’t support native features like file sharing, selective sync, or real-time collaboration.

Can I use CloudMounter alongside official cloud apps?

Yes, CloudMounter can work alongside apps like Dropbox or Google Drive. Just note that some duplication in access or syncing might occur if both are running simultaneously.

Conclusion

After using CloudMounter for a month, it’s clear: this is a sweet utility if you deal with multiple cloud services on your Mac. It saves time, simplifies access, and even helps you reclaim local storage. Whether you’re a casual user or a power user juggling work and personal accounts, CloudMounter just works.

<p>The post CloudMounter: The App Mounts and Uses Cloud Drives From Your Mac’s Finder first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

One such tool we came across – MacKeeper – a comprehensive app designed to keep your Mac both clean and secure. We’ve tested it extensively, and here’s what you need to know.

What is MacKeeper?

Developed by Clario Tech, MacKeeper is much more than just a Mac cleaning tool. It’s an all-in-one suite designed to improve your Mac’s performance while protecting your data and privacy. With its latest version, MacKeeper 7, it now boasts native support for Apple Silicon (M1+ chips) processors, ensuring optimized performance and energy efficiency for modern Macs.

As the Clario team puts it:

“Our purpose is to create a safe digital environment for Mac users and to help them get the most out of their hardware. In other words, we want people to enjoy their Macs without a single worry.”

Getting Started with MacKeeper

Installing MacKeeper is quick and straightforward. We downloaded it from the official website, and within minutes, we had the app up and running. Note that MacKeeper requires macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later to function.

The setup is intuitive, and for most users, it’s a plug-and-play experience. It asks for only the necessary permissions—such as scanning important folders—making the setup process hassle-free. Once installed, the app works seamlessly in the background, sending you timely reminders to scan for issues or perform maintenance.

Beyond its intuitive interface, MacKeeper 7 delivers an even faster and more sustainable user experience, optimizing system resources to ensure smooth operation without draining your battery.

For instance, if you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you’ll get a prompt to activate the built-in VPN. Scanning reminders are frequent, ensuring that your Mac stays free from threats like spyware and ransomware.

There’s also a menu-bar interface for quick access to the features you’ve enabled, allowing you to monitor your system’s health in real-time.

Our Experience with MacKeeper

We tested every feature of MacKeeper to see how it could improve the performance and security of our Mac. The app’s dashboard, called Find & Fix, is where everything starts. This section offers a one-click solution to scan your Mac for issues, and then allows you to fix those issues immediately.

The best part? It’s simple. With just one click, MacKeeper does the following:

• Enables antivirus protection to scan for malware.
• Cleans junk files and residual items to free up space.
• Optimizes the system for a noticeable performance boost.
• Checks for privacy issues like potential data breaches.

We love how this single button gives a quick overview of our Mac’s health and security. While exploring subsections in detail is great, the all-in-one dashboard does the job for most users.

# Security

When it comes to security, MacKeeper doesn’t cut corners. It offers two key features:

• Antivirus: You can manually scan for potential threats or enable real-time protection, which is designed to use minimal system resources—so your Mac won’t slow down.
• Adware Cleaner: We tested this by installing potential adware on our Mac, and it successfully removed the malicious apps without any issues.

The real-time antivirus protection is particularly valuable, as it keeps your Mac safe from malware without noticeable system lag.

# Cleaning

MacKeeper offers several utilities to help you declutter and optimize your Mac:

• Junk Cleaner: It scans for log files, caches, mail attachments, and other unnecessary files, including a new category of Installation Files (DMG, PKG, etc.), all of which can accumulate over time. We were surprised by how much junk it found, even after using other cleaning tools.
• Smart Uninstaller: Completely removes apps and their leftover files. This feature is handy for those who want to get rid of unwanted software without leaving any trace behind.
• Duplicate Finder: Frees up space by removing unnecessary duplicate files—whether images, documents, or videos. Going beyond macOS’s built-in photo management, it not only detects exact copies but also visually similar images, identifying duplicates based on content, not just file name or metadata. This helps you declutter while preserving the best versions.

# Performance

To ensure optimal performance, MacKeeper offers several performance utilities:

• Memory Cleaner: Instantly frees up memory by closing apps that are hogging RAM, helping speed up your system.
• Login Items Manager: Lets you control which apps start when you power on your Mac, improving boot-up speed.
• Update Tracker: Alerts you when apps installed from non-MAS sources need updating, with MacKeeper 7 offering a more varied and comprehensive app update tracker to help you stay on top of security updates and new features.

During our testing on an M4 MacBook Air, we noticed a significant performance improvement in both speed and system responsiveness.

# Privacy

MacKeeper goes beyond traditional cleaning tools with several features designed to protect your privacy:

• Private Connect (VPN): Built into the app, this VPN lets you browse securely on public networks. MacKeeper 7 features a redesigned Private Connect tool, offering an even more intuitive and personalized experience, providing peace of mind when connected to Wi-Fi hotspots.
• StopAd: An ad blocker that works across Safari and Chrome. While it might not be as powerful as some dedicated ad blockers, it gets the job done for basic protection.
• ID Theft Guard: This feature notifies you if your personal information has been involved in a data breach, keeping you aware of potential security threats.

These privacy features make MacKeeper stand out, providing an extra layer of protection that’s often overlooked in other Mac cleaners.

Customer Support

We were consistently impressed by MacKeeper’s customer support. You can reach their tech support team through multiple methods, including live chat and an international toll-free number. Crucially, you can be assured you’re talking to a real person at the other end – a fact we rigorously tested and confirmed.

Beyond standard support, MacKeeper offers a ‘Premium Services’ section within the app itself. If a ‘Find & Fix’ session doesn’t resolve your issue, this feature allows you to schedule a one-on-one appointment and get personalized solutions for your Mac.

We tried this, and MacKeeper’s tech support was remarkably quick to transfer our chat to a live technician. It’s impressive to chat with an expert directly from within the MacKeeper app. The expert also offered to set up a remote connection to analyze our Mac better and fix issues.

While the remote connection was helpful, we personally prefer the support team to listen to the user’s initial problem description more thoroughly before initiating a remote access request. However, the overall responsiveness and efficacy of the support were highly commendable.

Trustworthiness

Now, let’s address MacKeeper’s reputation, which is a slightly different story.

In the past, MacKeeper faced accusations of aggressive marketing and questionable practices regarding pricing and subscriptions. However, based on our weeks of extensive testing in 2025, we can confidently state that the current version of MacKeeper has shed this legacy.

The app is legitimately up-to-date, transparent, and designed with user privacy and security in mind. We also cross-referenced numerous other user and expert reviews, all of which corroborate that MacKeeper is now an entirely trustworthy and effective Mac optimization software utility.

So, if you’re asking whether MacKeeper is legit in 2025, the answer is a resounding Yes. It remains one of the most legitimate and effective ways to clean and secure your Mac. It’s truly time to move past its historical reputation and assess the tool based on its current performance.

Pricing and Subscriptions

MacKeeper offers a free plan with basic features, including malware scanning and real-time protection for one month. To access premium features like the VPN, ID Theft Guard, and priority support, you’ll need a paid plan.

Here’s a breakdown of the standard pricing:

• 1-month plan: $10.95
• 12-month plan: $5.95/month
• 12-month plan for 3 Macs: $7.45/month

And, don’t forget the MacKeeper Deal:

Right now, you can save up to 40% on MacKeeper’s premium plans with a special coupon code! This limited-time offer allows you to experience the full power of this all-in-one app at a significant discount. Time is running out, so grab this deal before it ends!

Even at its regular price, the value MacKeeper offers is reasonable. You get a well-rounded suite of tools for performance and privacy protection, which makes it a great deal for Mac users. The current special offer makes it an even more compelling choice.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• All-in-one solution for cleaning, optimization, and security.
• Easy setup and minimal system impact.
• Comprehensive privacy tools (VPN, ad blocker, ID theft protection).
• Affordable pricing for premium features.
• Responsive customer support with live chat and remote help.

Cons:

• Legacy reputation due to past controversies with pricing.
• No system info tracker in the menu bar (meaning you can’t quickly monitor live resource usage without opening the main app).

FAQs

Is MacKeeper safe to use?

Yes, MacKeeper is completely safe and highly trustworthy to use. Our extensive testing confirmed it poses no security risks to your Mac. To further back this up, MacKeeper boasts several key certifications and achievements, including notarization by Apple, and certifications from App Esteem and AV-TEST, ensuring it meets rigorous security and compliance standards for security apps.

Is MacKeeper a virus?

No, MacKeeper is not a virus. While it faced historical reputation challenges, it has undergone a significant transformation. MacKeeper’s code has never contained anything malicious designed to replicate or damage your system. Instead, it offers robust security features like real-time antivirus protection against actual viruses, malware, and adware. Its legitimacy is further confirmed by Apple’s notarization and certifications from independent labs

Does MacKeeper work? Do I really need it for my Mac?

Yes, MacKeeper works effectively. While macOS has built-in features, a dedicated tool like MacKeeper offers a more thorough and automated approach to maintenance. It saves you time and effort by efficiently finding and removing junk, optimizing performance, and providing essential security features. It’s not strictly “obligatory” in the sense that your Mac won’t function without it, but MacKeeper is a highly beneficial tool that makes keeping your Mac clean, fast, and secure significantly easier than manual efforts.

Final Words

MacKeeper is a powerful, all-in-one solution for keeping your Mac clean, fast, and secure. With robust privacy features like a VPN and ID Theft Guard, as well as effective cleaning and optimization tools, it’s a standout choice for Mac users in 2025.

Though it carries some baggage from its past, MacKeeper is now an up-to-date and legitimate Mac optimization tool. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to improve your Mac’s performance and protect your data, MacKeeper is definitely worth considering.

For more details, visit official MacKeeper site.

<p>The post MacKeeper: Features, Privacy, Price & Full Review (2025 Edition) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Aiarty Image Matting, an AI-powered image matting suite, is an exception here, though. It claims to bring all the power of accurate and reliable image matting without requiring advanced-level expertise. The next time you want to remove the background of an image or do advanced alpha matting, this tool may be an option.

About Aiarty Image Matting

Aiarty Image Matting is an image manipulation software like Photoshop, Luminar, or GIMP. However, unlike these all-in-one suites, Aiarty Image Matting focuses on tasks like image matting, background removal, etc. More so, it uses powerful AI engines and algorithms to make the distinction between multiple layers of the image.

“Traditional free background removers often struggle with intricate details such as hair strands, shadows, or transparent elements, leaving users frustrated.

With Aiarty Image Matting, we’ve trained our AI models on over 320,000 diverse images, enabling our free image background remover to deliver unmatched precision and reliability – even in challenging scenarios.

Our goal is to make professional-grade image background removal accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.”

— Gary Lee, Development Director at Aiarty

Aiarty Image Matting is not for those common instances when you need a fancy-style profile picture. On the other hand, the tool deals with images in such a way that your end products look as professional as possible. From graphic designers to photo editors, most professionals can benefit from what Aiarty Image Matting offers.

Core Features

• Use AI engines to remove the background from images and optimize the content for various purposes like portraits, e-commerce photography, product photography, and UI design.
• SOTA-class Alpha Matting for optimizing images and background for different contents like hair, fur, and animals, thanks to AI.
• Choose between multiple matting/background removal options for complex images, such as contrast and low-light scenarios.
• Built-in upscaling options to improve the quality of images to a new extent, and Aiarty Image Matting also offers multiple effects.
• A variety of customization tools, including eraser, brush, dodge, burn, alpha mask inversion, and AI-manual detection.

Tech Specs

• Windows 10+ or macOS 10.15+ (Apple Silicon supported)
• 8 GB RAM minimum; AI acceleration available for M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs.
• Input: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, HEIC, WebP, AVIF, JFIF, JP2, plus RAW formats (CR2, NEF, ARW, RAF, etc.)
• Output: PNG (8/16-bit), JPG

Aiarty Image Matting Review (TheSweetBits Take)

We were really impressed by the claims that Aiarty Image Matting software makes. But we wanted to check how these claims translate into the real-world experience.

Therefore, we decided to use the software for background removal and alpha matting on some images that we came across. These included typical portrait photographs, e-commerce photographs, and product images that we had to hand-do as part of our work.

During the testing, we felt it important to test the multiple features and AI engines that Aiarty Image Matting offers. Therefore, in addition to trying the images built into the tool, we threw a few images that are not that common in typical datasets.

About Our Testing: All our testing was done on an M2 MacBook Air running the latest version of macOS Sequoia. We are dealing with 8GB of Unified Memory and 256GB of storage space. Though M2 is better than M1, it is not an AI-optimized chip like M3 or M4.

Setup & User Interface

Setup is simple: download, sign up, and you’re ready to go. The app is snappy and feels lightweight, even on an entry-level M2 chip. Once inside, the UI is clean and intuitive. You load an image, choose your preferred AI engine (SolidMat, AlphaMatting, AlphaStandard, etc.), and generate a matte.

• SolidMat works great for objects and products.
• AlphaStandard is better for human subjects.
• AlphaMatting (experimental) pushes the boundaries for tricky hair and soft transitions.

Depending on the action, you will have to download the AI model from Aiarty Image Matting. This process may take up to a few minutes, depending on your Internet connection. After the app downloads the engine, you need to wait for the interface before you can start editing/background removal/matting.

The UI offers side-by-side previews of your original and masked image, and you can toggle between matting types easily. No clutter, no confusion.

Most of the screen real estate is dedicated to the canvas, where you can see the full preview of an image. On the right side, you can see multiple editing options and the selection between AI engines. The bottom pane is where you can keep all the images and choose between them for easy access.

Our take: We must add that we were not really testing the app on a so-called AIPC. Sure, Apple’s M2 chips are somewhat optimized for AI-based tasks, but they don’t really compare to M3 or M4 chips. What we are saying here is that you can expect better performance if your Mac or PC has an AI-optimized processor.

Background Removal

We should first mention that Aiarty Image Matting does not offer a dedicated background removal tool for images. Instead, this feature is built into the image matting module.

The impressive part is that you can choose one of four AI engines from the developer. Though all four AI models are optimized for intelligent image matting, even the least powerful model can smoothly remove image backgrounds.

In our testing, we used all four AI models to remove backgrounds from images:

• The SolidMat engine works best for images of objects like clothing, phones, etc. It is ideal for e-commerce photography projects.
• The AlphaStandard model is great for images with multiple humans or other objects. We found it to be best for wedding photography or situations requiring selective transparency. It allows finer control when working with detailed elements.

Of course, you can use advanced editing and refinement tools with any engine. But if you just want quick background removal, any AI model will handle the task well right out of the box.

For what it’s worth, background removal tools are everywhere these days. However, if you prefer not to share photos with third parties or need better accuracy and performance, Aiarty Image Matting is the better choice.

Image Matting

Image matting is where you can witness its real potential. It has been built and optimized for professional-grade image matting needs, so it’s unsurprising that you get some great results from the tool. Let’s take a look at everything step by step.

When you open an image, you first need to choose the Image Matting AI options. Here, you can select one of the AI models as well as hardware preferences:

• CPU and GPU
• CPU
• All Units

The Edit subsection helps you enhance, rotate, flip, or crop the image as needed. Aiarty Image Matting also lets you pick one of the three AI Enhance models. You can even enhance and export an image without fully matting it. Here are some observations:

• The Real Photo v3 engine works great with complex photographs containing multiple elements.
• For product photographs, all three models worked well.
• The Enhancement level can be selected between x1 and x2.

We also liked how optimized the Area Select module is. Regardless of the AI model, Aiarty Image Matting distinguishes between Humans, Animals, and Inanimate Objects in a photograph. You will also find specific things like electronics.

This feature really shines when working with photos containing multiple subjects. The option to pick specific objects from an image is pretty awesome, if you ask us.

The refinement options also come in handy more often than we thought. For instance, Outline Emphasis is great when we need to prioritize sharp edges. Similarly, Smooth Processing worked great while matting portrait photographs as well as product images. The Balance Brightness feature also saved us a lot of time that we would otherwise spend in post-processing.

However, the most powerful tool when it comes to editing functionalities would be Mask Alpha. This option lets you control how shadows, midtones, and highlights appear on the photograph. If you have experience with the curve, you won’t have trouble optimizing an image you matted with Aiarty Image Matting. You will also appreciate the built-in effects, such as Feather, Blur, B&W, and Pixel.

Editing Options

Though the AI engines are great, you still need some touch-ups to refine everything. Fortunately, you get to use one of the many editing options, such as Eraser, Brush, Dodge, and Burn. You’d be familiar with all these tools if you have used something like Photoshop before.

Thanks to the simple UI design, using these tools is pretty easy. You can choose aspects like threshold, value, size, and hardness for each tool and optimize the final image before exporting. The workflow was quick and straightforward for the most part, and you can control how each tool behaves on the canvas.

Overall, while they are not comparable to those of Photoshop or Affinity Photo, the editing tools on Aiarty Image Matting do deliver.

Aiarty Image Matting Pricing

Aiarty Image Matting is available for macOS and Windows, and you need to purchase separate licenses.

You can get the lifetime version of Aiarty Image Matting for $75, and this lets you use the app on 3 Macs. If you’d rather stick to a subscription plan, you can get one for $49 per year. The developer also offers a 4-in-1 lifetime bundle for only $129 — you save 62% and get Aiarty Image Enhancer, VideoProc Converter AI, 5KPlayer, and Aiarty Image Matting.

In addition to the free trial, a 30-day money-back guarantee is available. So, if you don’t like what it offers, you can get back what you paid. The company offers new AI model training updates and GPU acceleration options with all versions, which is great.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Accurately handles fine edges and details for complex subjects like hair and fur.
• Supports batch processing of up to 3,000 images for efficient bulk editing.
• Offers 4K resolution support and AI upscaling for high-quality results.
• Provides multiple specialized AI models for different matting scenarios.
• Includes manual editing tools for precise adjustments and refinements.
• Processes images locally, enhancing data privacy and security.

Cons:

• Requires a powerful computer with a high-end GPU for optimal performance.
• Lacks a cloud-based or browser-accessible version, limiting remote accessibility.

The Bottom Line

After thorough testing, we believe you would appreciate Aiarty Image Matting if you have some experience with professional image manipulation tools like Photoshop. In that case, you know that online tools for image background removal don’t really work.

But Aiarty Image Matting does something better without taking up a lot of system resources. Thanks to those high-efficiency AI models, the background removal/image matting process does not take a toll on your Mac, either.

In the end, considering how much you pay for all these features, Aiarty Image Matting is a great investment for professionals out there. If anything, its bulk processing and editing options add more value when you are dealing with hundreds of photographs every day.

For more details, go Aiarty site to get a free trial.

<p>The post Aiarty Image Matting: This AI Tool Goes Beyond Simple Background Removal first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

What is Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered conversational search engine that combines real-time web results with generative responses. Think of it as a hybrid between Google Search and ChatGPT—with a focus on clear, sourced, and interactive answers. Now, it’s evolving into a voice assistant that goes beyond just answering questions—offering actionable, task-based support on your mobile device.

Key Features:

• Natural, human-like conversations that help you accomplish tasks.
• Seamless operation across iPhone, Mac, and select Android devices.
• Integration with popular services like Uber and OpenTable for bookings and orders.
• Real-time, accurate information pulled directly from the web.
• Choice of AI engines: switch between GPT-4o, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, or Gemini 2.5 Pro.

Perplexity AI on iPhone

Recently, Perplexity launched an update to its iOS app that includes voice interaction. You can now activate Perplexity using your voice to:

• Creating calendar events and reminders
• Sending emails
• Playing Apple Music or Podcasts
• Making dinner reservations via OpenTable
• Booking Uber rides
• Searching Apple Maps

It even includes an always-on voice mode, and unlike Siri, Perplexity can summarize complex topics or current events by drawing from multiple sources in real time.

How it works:

To try the voice assistant, simply:

• Download or update the Perplexity AI app on your iPhone or iPad
• Sign in with your email, Apple ID, or Google account
• Tap the microphone icon at the “Ask anything” prompt and speak your request

You can customize your experience in the app’s settings, choosing from several AI voice options and toggling subtitles for accessibility.

Limitations:

Due to Apple’s restrictions, Perplexity cannot send iMessages or SMS texts directly. It also doesn’t replace Siri as the system-level assistant, meaning Siri remains the default for lock screen and system-wide voice commands.

Targeting Android next

Perplexity AI is expanding into Android territory as well. The company has struck a deal with Motorola to preload the assistant on upcoming smartphones, and is in talks with Samsung for a potential partnership. If these integrations go through, Perplexity could become the first serious cross-platform AI assistant to challenge both Google Assistant and Bixby.

This positions Perplexity not just as a Siri challenger—but potentially the first true cross-platform voice assistant built for the AI era.

Why we care

For Mac users seeking smarter alternatives to Siri, especially for research or productivity workflows, Perplexity AI is an exciting development. Its conversational approach is more aligned with the way we naturally communicate, and its real-time answers make it far more useful than traditional voice assistants stuck in a silo.

At TheSweetBits, we focus on sweet tools that enhance productivity without locking you into one ecosystem. Perplexity AI fits perfectly into this vision—whether you’re on macOS, iOS, or Android, it’s a versatile assistant designed for the AI era.

In our tests, Perplexity handled complex research queries with ease, summarizing multiple sources in seconds.

If you juggle multiple devices or want a voice assistant that truly understands context, Perplexity AI is one to watch.

Specs and pricing

Platforms:

• iOS: Available on iPhone and iPad.
• macOS: Dedicated desktop application.
• Android: Pre-installed on Motorola’s Razr and Edge 60 series.​

Pricing:

• Free Tier: Access to core functionalities.
• Perplexity Pro: Enhanced features, including advanced AI models and unlimited file uploads,$20/month.
• Note: New Motorola users receive a complimentary 3-month Pro subscription.​

Ideal For:

• Mac users seeking an alternative to Siri.
• Professionals aiming to boost productivity with AI tools.
• Individuals desiring a cohesive experience across devices.

Bottom line

While it’s still early days, Perplexity AI’s push into mobile devices signals a shift in how we interact with digital assistants. It’s no longer just about asking for the weather or setting a timer—it’s about integrating real intelligence into your daily workflow. And with growing momentum across platforms, Perplexity might just redefine what it means to have an assistant in your pocket.

Stay Sweet: For more curated gems like Perplexity AI, stick with TheSweetBits—your hub for discovering the best non-MAS apps, AI tools, and cross-platform productivity magic.

<p>The post Perplexity AI: The New Voice Assistant Challenging Siri and Beyond first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Sure, you could hire a video editor — but that’s expensive. Or teach yourself editing — time-consuming. And after all that, you still need to optimize for YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms.

FocuSee claims to solve this difficult situation for good!

What Is FocuSee

FocuSee by iMobie is an all-in-one screen recorder, editor, and post-production suite. It lets you record content from your Mac (or Windows) and easily transform it into a tutorial, how-to guide, or launch video.

The best part? You don’t need to be a professional video editor to produce high-quality videos. While your creativity and skills can take your content further, FocuSee is designed for everyone. Whether you’re making podcasts, streams, or any kind of video recording on your PC/Mac, the possibilities are endless.

Since iMobie acquired FocuSee in late 2024, the tool has gained tremendous popularity. A major boost came when Elon Musk recently shared a video created with FocuSee, bringing global attention to its AI-powered capabilities.

“We are thrilled to see FocuSee gaining recognition within the AI creator community.” said Frank Kong, CEO of FocuSee.

“Our mission is to make video editing effortless, allowing users to focus on creativity rather than complexity. With FocuSee’s seamless screen recording capabilities and intelligent auto-editing features, anyone can create professional-quality content in minutes. I’m so delighted to see our commitment now being proven true.”

Read the full interview here

Features Highlight

• Make demos, guides, and promos with minimal editing—FocuSee combines recording and editing in one tool.
• Auto-apply effects like blur, zoom, crop, and mouse clicks, plus AI-powered captions.
• Simultaneous multi-track recording (screen, selfie camera, voiceover)
• Choose from ready-made templates or create your own presets for fast editing.
• Highlight key areas with dynamic spotlight effects to guide your viewers’ attention.
• Choose pre-set sizes for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or create your own designs.
• Adjust volume, mute, and reduce background noise for crisp, clear sound.
• Add quizzes, calls-to-action, and forms directly into your videos for higher engagement.
• Share instantly via cloud links, embed codes, or export in MP4/GIF.

Tech Specs at a Glance

Notes:

• Optimal performance is on macOS 12.3 or later.
• Export to GIF is supported, but MP4 is the primary format for most workflows.
• Separate audio tracks and advanced audio controls are available on macOS 13+ and Windows.

FocuSee Review (TheSweetBits Take)

Now that we know what FocuSee claims to do, we shall see how it performs in real life. We wanted to check how effective FocuSee is when you want to create a video tutorial.

We tried to create a tutorial about a text expansion tool that we regularly use. Editing a tutorial of that sort takes hours using something like iMovie, and our aim was to check whether FocuSee could offer something more cost and time-effective.

All the testing was done on an M2 MacBook Air running the latest version of macOS Sequoia.

# Setup & Getting Started

Setting up FocuSee and getting started with the app is pretty straightforward. You can download the official installer and proceed with the installation. When you open FocuSee the first time, the app will ask you for Accessibility, Camera, and Microphone permissions.

Once you provide these permissions, FocuSee can start its work.

We appreciate that FocuSee for Mac maintains a lightweight footprint despite its rich feature set. It meant we could run FocuSee smoothly even when other resource-hungry apps were on. This is somewhat of a necessity if we want to prepare tutorials for apps that professionals use.

# UI and Navigation

If you have used screen recording/capturing tools before, you can easily get started with FocuSee. The app does not have a fully-fledged interface in the first place. Instead, when you launch FocuSee, you can see the many options for recording the screen.

Here, you can choose between multiple recording modes and device setup. Once you proceed with the setup and complete the recording, you will see the editor interface, which is where most of the magic happens. If you have some experience with editing videos, you won’t have any trouble getting started.

# Screen Recording Experience

The screen recording module of FocuSee is similar to the other screen recording tools we have come across. You have three options: Full Screen, Custom, and Window. Regardless of your choice, FocuSee will add some magical effects to each recording. The smart zoom function is one of them.

Apart from the recording mode, device setup options are also available. These options allow you to choose the webcam, voice, and system audio sources for the content. You can start the recording by selecting the recording mode and pressing the Record button.

You can change the sources right before you hit the Record button, as well. Overall, the entire recording part feels easy.

# Editing Options

As we said, editing is where all the magic happens. This is when that screen recording is converted into how-to guides. When you click the Stop Recording button, FocuSee will take a second or two to process the video and launch the editor interface.

As we said above, by this time, FocuSee will have added basic effects like context-aware zoom to the video. That is, if you were moving your mouse around or clicking on a button, FocuSee would have zoomed in so that your viewer could pay better attention.

However, FocuSee lets you modify multiple aspects of the video depending on what you want to create. For starters, you can add a background, adjust the padding, and choose the right aspect ratio for the video. You get to optimize the video based on where you want to publish it. FocuSee packs an incredible collection of background images/designs, but you can upload files to create custom ones as well.

FocuSee also lets you choose between multiple editing options, such as Cursor, Animation, Camera, Audio Control, Captions, and Watermark. All these features add so much value and let you create an impressive how-to guide or launch video in a few minutes. Let’s see some examples.

The Cursor section, for instance, allowed us to choose an interesting cursor style and highlight options. We really loved the Spotlight and Ring highlight options, which attract the viewer’s attention while keeping the video look professional. The Cursor click sound option is also cool.

The Animation section, on the other hand, lets you change almost every type of movement within the video. For instance, you can adjust the speed for cursor movement and screen blur during the zooming-in process. This way, you have better control over the video, even if you were a little hasty while recording.

FocuSee offers ample control over how the webcam video feed appears on the video. You can choose one of the preset layouts or go for something more customized. As always, you can control how large the camera content is during the zoom function.

Audio Control and Captions sections also add incredible value to FocuSee. Audio Control lets you manage its audio aspect and remove background noise. On the other hand, the Captions module lets you auto-generate subtitles for the video. We could even choose between multiple language models.

The Watermark module lets you apply a watermark before you export the video.

# Exporting Options

You get some standard options when it comes to exporting a video from FocuSee. You can choose between a video and a GIF. MP4 video lets you choose a quality as high as 4K and 60FPS. The GIF function is handy when you want something you can easily share on the web. However, we don’t recommend using GIF if the video is lengthy.

# Timeline Editor

We wanted to add a few words about the Timeline interface of FocuSee and the overall performance we got from the app.

While not as advanced as the ones you see in professional video editing tools, FocuSee packs a decent video editor timeline. You can use this to easily add media content and adjust effects like zoom and blur.

We did a thorough test, trying to edit a 5-minute tutorial, and the experience was pretty smooth. FocuSee handled everything fine, even when dealing with multiple full HD videos from other sources. The drag-and-drop option makes a lot of sense when you want to edit how the video behaves.

Though the Timeline does not support transition drops, you get some standard options. For instance, you’d have the option to crop, clip, and control the audio aspect of the video. We also loved the Spotlight function, which lets you further highlight a part of the video. So, if you think the blur zoom is not enough, FocuSee has got you covered.

# Performance Impact

One great thing about FocuSee is that you only need a few minutes to create an impressive video. In these early minutes, the app is quite resource-efficient. You don’t see much impact on CPU or RAM. However, as we spent more with the editor, playing around with multiple modules, we noticed the system heating up a little.

While it is not a big problem, we would appreciate some optimizations from the developer. Despite all these, using FocuSee is several times more lightweight than relying on something like iMovie or Final Cut Pro. Sure, you may not get all the features, but you will have a decent tutorial/demo video in the end.

Pricing & Value

Straightforward pricing is another reason to love FocuSee from iMobie. You can get the app through a one-time purchase worth $69.99, which lets you use the screen recorder-editor function on 1 device. It could be a Mac or a PC. The 2-computer and 5-computer plans from FocuSee are available for $95.99 and $179.99 respectively.

We must highlight that FocuSee does not have any subscriptions. So, all these features would be available for lifetime access. Considering the features we just analyzed, FocuSee offers incredible value for most users. Sure, the app may not replace your go-to video editor, but having these handy features for as low as $69.99 is a steal.

So, if you ask us, we’d say that FocuSee offers incredible value for all users. In addition to these, iMobie offers an education discount, which is available to students and teachers. The app also offers a fully-fledged free trial with a 4K export option. However, this output will have a watermark, which you can remove by getting the paid version.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• User-friendly interface with intuitive controls
• Automated pan & zoom effects save significant editing time
• Professional-looking video output with dynamic zooming capabilities
• Records both screen and webcam simultaneously
• Pre-set canvas sizes optimized for various social media platforms
• Affordable pricing with a 60-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Slow export times and occasional performance issues on some systems
• Limited video editing functionality compared to dedicated editors
• Poor webcam recording quality reported by Windows users

Users Reviews of FocuSee

Don’t just take our word for it! Here are what some other users and reviewers have said about FocuSee.

Dave Swift, software enthusiast:

“As someone who used to spend hours editing my screen recordings, FocuSee has been a game-changer. The automatic zooming in on critical areas and the intuitive controls helped me produce polished videos in a fraction of the time.”

LinkedIn Pulse:

“FocuSee is ideal for anyone who wants to focus on content without spending too much time on editing. The AI really makes the difference, and the fact that it’s so simple to use is a huge bonus.

AppSumo:

“For the price, FocuSee is a steal. It’s an intuitive tool, but for those who need more in-depth video editing, it might not replace a full editing suite. That said, it’s perfect for quick tutorials and screen recordings.”

FAQs

Is FocuSee suitable for beginners?

Yes, FocuSee is designed with a beginner-friendly interface. Its intuitive UI and straightforward workflow make it easy for users without editing experience to produce polished, professional-looking videos. Quick access to recording modes and editing tools ensures a smooth process from start to finish.

How does FocuSee automate the video editing process?

FocuSee uses AI-driven editing to automatically add effects, captions, and highlights to your screen recordings. The software tracks your cursor, applies dynamic pan and zoom effects, and can generate backgrounds and captions without manual intervention. This automation allows you to focus on your content rather than spending hours on technical post-production tasks.

Who can benefit most from using FocuSee?

FocuSee is ideal for content creators, educators, marketers, and business professionals alike.

What are some alternatives to Focusee for Mac users?

If you’re looking for alternatives to Focusee, you may check out

• DemoCreator—a tool with real-time camera overlays, annotation effects, and AI-powered enhancements.
• Or EaseUS RecExperts, which is great for capturing gameplay, meetings, or tutorials with flexible output settings.
• Alternatively, you can combine CleanShot X for clean, high-quality screen recordings with Final Cut Pro for professional-level editing.

Each tool brings its own strengths, whether you’re after simplicity, power, or more advanced editing features.

Conclusion

FocuSee is a sweet solution for creators, educators, and professionals who want to make polished tutorials without diving into complicated video editors. It won’t replace Final Cut Pro, but for most how-to content, it absolutely gets the job done — quickly, cleanly, and affordably.

If you’re looking for a one-stop tool to record, edit, and share your Mac screen in style, FocuSee is definitely worth a look.

More details, visit iMobie official site to get a free trial.

<p>The post FocuSee: Fast, Focused Screen Tutorial Creation for Mac (& Windows) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>