Phila Clear

Install Guide

For first-time Mac users · takes about 3 minutes

New to installing apps from outside the App Store? No problem. Follow these steps in order. Each one has a picture of what you'll see.

  1. Check your Mac
  2. Download
  3. Drag to Applications
  4. Open it the first time
  5. Allow Full Disk Access
  6. Your first clean

1Check your Mac

Phila Clear needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later.

  1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Choose About This Mac.
  3. Look for macOS Tahoe 26 (or a higher number).
Older version? Open System Settings → General → Software Update to update macOS first.

2Download

Click the button below. A file called PhilaClear.dmg is saved to your Downloads folder. It's about 3 MB, so it only takes a few seconds.

Download Phila Clear
Can't find it? Click the Downloads arrow at the top of Safari or Chrome, or open Finder and choose Downloads in the sidebar.

3Drag it into Applications

  1. Double-click PhilaClear.dmg. A window like the one below opens.
  2. Drag the Phila Clear icon onto the Applications folder, then let go.
  3. Wait a second for it to copy. Then close the window.
Phila Clear
Phila Clear
Applications

Drag the icon on the left onto the folder on the right.

Tidy up (optional): on your Desktop or in the Finder sidebar there's now a “Phila Clear” disk. Click the ⏏ eject button next to it. You can then delete PhilaClear.dmg from Downloads. The app stays installed.
Important: always open the app from Applications, not from inside the DMG window.

4Open it the first time

Phila Clear is free and isn't distributed through the Mac App Store, so macOS asks you to confirm it once. This is normal for independent apps.

  1. Open Finder → Applications and double-click Phila Clear.
  2. A message says Apple could not verify the app. Click Done.
“Phila Clear” Not Opened

Apple could not verify “Phila Clear” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.

DoneMove to Trash

Click Done, not Move to Trash.

  1. Open System Settings (Apple logo → System Settings).
  2. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar, then scroll down to Security.
  3. Next to “Phila Clear” was blocked…, click Open Anyway.
  4. Enter your Mac password or use Touch ID. When asked again, click Open Anyway.
Privacy & Security
Security
“Phila Clear” was blocked to protect your Mac.Open Anyway

You only need to do this once. After that, Phila Clear opens like any other app.

Advanced: do it with Terminal instead

If you're comfortable with Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal), paste this line and press Return:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Phila Clear.app"

5Allow Full Disk Access recommended

This lets Phila Clear see caches that macOS normally hides, such as Mail downloads and iPhone backups. Without it, those are skipped and you'll get less space back. Phila Clear still never removes anything you haven't ticked.

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.
  2. If Phila Clear is in the list, turn its switch on. If it isn't, click +, choose Applications → Phila Clear, then click Open.
  3. Enter your password if asked, then quit and reopen Phila Clear (⌘ Q, then open it again).
Full Disk Access
Terminal
Phila Clear

Switch Phila Clear on, then reopen the app.

6Your first clean

  1. Click Scan. The categories in the sidebar light up one by one as they're measured.
  2. Click a category to see exactly which files are inside. Nothing is ticked for you. Tick what you want to remove, or click Select Recommended for the safe choices.
  3. Click Clean and confirm. The items go to your Trash.
  4. Changed your mind? Open the Trash, right-click an item and choose Put Back.
Asked for your password? That happens only when you clean system-wide items (like /Library/Caches) or use System Data tools. Phila Clear never installs a background helper.
Tip: keep a backup (for example with Time Machine) and look carefully at categories marked Review and at Large Files. These can contain your own documents.

Updating & uninstalling

To update: download the new DMG and drag Phila Clear into Applications again. Choose Replace when asked.

To uninstall: quit Phila Clear, then drag it from Applications to the Trash. It leaves nothing running in the background.

Troubleshooting

There's no “Open Anyway” button

The button appears only for about an hour after you try to open the app. Double-click Phila Clear in Applications again, click Done, then go straight back to Privacy & Security.

“Phila Clear is damaged and can't be opened”

The download was probably interrupted. Delete the app and the DMG, then download again. If it still happens, use the Terminal command in step 4.

“This app requires macOS 26 or later”

Your Mac is running an older macOS. Update in System Settings → General → Software Update, if your Mac supports macOS 26.

Some categories show nothing or seem small

Give the app Full Disk Access (step 5), then quit and reopen it. If you rebuilt or replaced the app, switch Full Disk Access off and on again.

I cleaned something by mistake

Open the Trash in the Dock, find the item (or the PhilaClear-… folder) and choose Put Back. Items deleted permanently, or anything removed after you emptied the Trash, can't be recovered. Restore those from your backup.

Still stuck? Contact Phila through phila.in.th.