Recipe · Clean up
Clear old .dmg and .pkg installers out of Downloads
Omaculate finds .dmg and .pkg installers that have been in Downloads for more than 30 days and offers to move them to the Trash. You approve the list first.
Why it helps
Every app you download leaves its installer behind. After a month you've either installed it or forgotten why you wanted it, and a few of them can take up gigabytes.
What it matches
- Disk images (.dmg) and installer packages (.pkg)
- Added to Downloads more than 30 days ago
What it leaves alone
- Installers from the last 30 days, in case you still need them
- Files that are still downloading (.download, .crdownload, .part)
- Anything you untick in the list before approving
- Trash rows always ask first, even when the recipe is set to Just handle it.
An installer in Downloads, older than 30 days, goes to the Trash.
Set it up in Omaculate
- Open Omaculate from the menu bar and go to Recipes.
- Under Suggested, choose Old app installers. It's ready to save, on Downloads.
- Look over the files it would touch, then press Save.
- Press Tidy now, check the list, and approve it.
Change anything by tapping its words, for example: change 30 days to a week or three months; add zips, if you never keep them; turn it around to leave out one app ("isn't named Xcode*").
Or by hand: find old installers in Finder
- Open Downloads in Finder and press ⌘F.
- Set the search to "Downloads", not "This Mac".
- Choose "Kind" is "Other…", then type "Disk Image". Add a second rule with + for "Date Added" "is before" a date a month ago.
- Select what you no longer need and press ⌘⌫ to move it to the Trash.
Save the search with "Save" to keep it as a Smart Folder in the sidebar. It finds them, but you still move them yourself.
Questions
Can I delete .dmg files after installing an app on a Mac?
Yes. Once the app is in your Applications folder, the .dmg is only the box it came in. Eject the disk image first if it is still mounted, then move the file to the Trash.
Does Omaculate empty the Trash?
No. Omaculate only moves files to the Trash. You decide when to empty it, so anything can be put back until then.
Why 30 days?
People often come back to an installer a few weeks later to reinstall. A month leaves room for that, and you can change it in the recipe.
Related recipes
Let Oma trash old app installers.
Free for one folder. Everything free for 3 days, then Grand Oma is $14.99, once.