Downloads Folder Analyzer: Clean Up Downloads on Mac
See what is actually clogging your Downloads folder: type breakdown, biggest files, screenshot piles, old files, and duplicates. Runs entirely in your browser.
Drop your Downloads folder here
or choose a folder from your computer.
Every file is listed; only text notes and small text files are read. Nothing is uploaded. Files are read entirely in your browser.
Overview
A Downloads folder analyzer reads every file's name, size, type, and modified date locally in your browser, then reports what is actually inside: a type breakdown, the biggest space hogs, screenshots, files untouched for 6 or more months, and clusters of duplicate-looking names like report.pdf and report (1).pdf. It ends with a one-folder-per-type plan you can copy and act on.
How it works
- 1Drop your Downloads folder onto the tool, or choose it with the folder picker. Nothing is uploaded; every file is read locally in your browser tab.
- 2The tool uses only each file's name, extension, size, and last-modified date; file contents are never used in the analysis.
- 3Files are bucketed into types (images, video, audio, archives, installers, docs, code, data) and a running total is kept per type.
- 4Screenshot-shaped filenames (Screenshot, Screen Shot, Bildschirmfoto, CleanShot, or a .png whose name still carries an "at H.MM.SS" timestamp) are counted separately from other images.
- 5Files whose modified date is more than 6 months old are flagged as untouched, and files with the same name apart from a rename suffix, like invoice.pdf and invoice (1).pdf, are grouped into duplicate clusters.
- 6Review the dashboard: total size, the biggest files, the oldest files, and the duplicate clusters.
- 7Copy the suggested one-folder-per-type plan and use it as a checklist while you actually move files in Finder.
Worked example
A 12-file Downloads folder
A folder holding an Xcode installer, a screen recording, two receipts, a duplicated resume, two screenshots, and a handful of small files (12 files, 12 GB total) gets diagnosed instantly. The largest file is the 11.2 GB Xcode-Installer.dmg. Three files, including an 810.6 MB screen recording, have not been touched in over 6 months (7.5, 8, and 9 months respectively). Two screenshots are found: one named in the English "Screenshot ... at 10.23.45.png" pattern, one in the German "Bildschirmfoto ... um 09.12.03.png" pattern. invoice.pdf and invoice (1).pdf cluster as one duplicate, and resume.pdf and resume-copy.pdf cluster as another. The tool suggests 8 folders, one per file type actually present, each labeled with its own file count.
Methodology & privacy
Every file is classified into a type bucket (images, video, audio, archives, installers, docs, code, data, or other) by its extension alone; file content is never used in the analysis. A filename counts as a screenshot when its basename starts with "Screenshot", "Screen Shot", "Bildschirmfoto" (German macOS), or "CleanShot", or when it is a .png whose name still contains an "at <digit>" timestamp fragment even after a rename. Staleness is measured as (now minus last-modified time) divided by an average Gregorian month (365.25 divided by 12 days); a file counts as old once that figure passes 6 months. Duplicate-name clusters group files whose name, after stripping one trailing " (n)" or "-copy" suffix and lowercasing, and keeping the extension, is identical to another file's; this is a filename heuristic, not a byte-for-byte content comparison, so a cluster is a prompt to check by hand, not a guarantee. The foldering plan lists one folder per type bucket that actually has files in it, each with its match count.
- Source: Reddit r/minimalism: How do you clean up your messy Downloads folder?
- Source: Reddit r/mac: Any Mac app or tips for organising files?
- Source: Reddit r/macapps: How do you all keep your Downloads folder clean?
- Source: Reddit r/declutter: How to deal with screenshots
Everything runs 100% in your browser. The analysis uses only file names, sizes, dates, and types; contents are never used and nothing is uploaded to a server. Closing the tab clears everything.
FAQ
How do you clean up a messy Downloads folder?
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Drop the folder into this tool first to see what is actually in it: a type breakdown, the biggest files, and anything untouched for 6+ months. One Reddit thread described a Downloads folder with 492 files as "really overwhelming"; diagnosing what is there before you start moving things is what makes a cleanup feel manageable instead of endless.
How do I organize files in my Downloads folder on Mac?
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macOS dumps every browser download, email attachment, and AirDrop file into one system folder by default and expects you to sort it yourself. This tool reads that folder locally and groups its contents by type (images, docs, installers, archives, and more), then gives you a one-folder-per-type plan you can copy into Finder.
How do you keep your Downloads folder clean?
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Most people only notice the mess after personal, legal, and tax files have piled up for months. Running this analyzer periodically shows what has accumulated since your last pass, including files you have not touched in 6+ months, so you can archive or delete them before the folder grows unmanageable again.
What do I do with thousands of screenshots?
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Screenshots are usually the single biggest offender in a messy Downloads or Desktop folder. This tool recognizes screenshot filenames automatically, English "Screenshot" and "Screen Shot", German "Bildschirmfoto", and CleanShot exports, and reports a count separate from your other images, so you know how much of the clutter is screenshots before deciding what to do with them.
How does this tool find duplicate files?
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It compares file names, not file contents. Names that are identical except for a rename suffix your OS or browser added automatically, like "report (1).pdf" or "report-copy.pdf" next to "report.pdf", are grouped into a cluster so you can check whether they are true duplicates and delete the extras.
Does this tool delete or move my files automatically?
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No. It only reads file names, sizes, types, and modified dates to build a report; it never touches your files. The foldering plan is a checklist you copy and act on yourself in Finder, nothing happens automatically.
Is this Downloads folder analyzer actually private?
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Yes. Everything runs in your browser tab using the local file picker or drag-and-drop; no file name, size, or byte is ever uploaded to a server. Closing the tab clears everything, and there is no account or install required.
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