What Spotless can access, and why

Full Disk Access (optional)

macOS protects some folders, such as Mail attachments, the Trash and other apps' data. With Full Disk Access, Spotless can measure them and include them in its results.

To allow it, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Full Disk Access and turn on Spotless. Spotless shows this explanation on first launch, with a button that opens the right page.

If you don't allow it, Spotless still works: it scans everything else and simply skips the protected folders. Spotless never uploads your files, file names or scan results.

Nothing runs in the background

Spotless installs no LaunchDaemons, LaunchAgents, login items, system extensions or privileged helper tools.

Two optional parts can keep running while you use them:

• The menu bar item, which shows CPU, memory and temperature. While it's on, closing the window keeps Spotless in the menu bar. Turn it off on the Performance page, or choose Quit Spotless from its menu.
• The widget, which macOS only runs if you add it to your desktop or Notification Center.

Removing files

Spotless shows exactly what it will remove and waits for you to confirm. Everything goes to the Trash, so you can put it back from History until you empty the Trash.

System locations (such as /System, /usr and the top-level structure of your home folder) are never moved as a whole.

Apple Intelligence settings (optional)

This feature is off by default and hidden until you turn on Settings › Show Apple Intelligence settings. It lets you turn off Apple Intelligence features you don't use.

It uses a configuration profile, the official macOS mechanism for settings that apps can't change directly. Before creating one, Spotless explains what it does and asks you to confirm. It then saves the profile to your Downloads folder and opens it. Nothing is installed until you approve it yourself in System Settings › General › Device Management (macOS 15 and later) or System Settings › Privacy & Security › Profiles (macOS 14), which asks for your password.

The profile is called “Spotless – Apple Intelligence Settings”, its organization is REISTUDIO, and it is signed by REISTUDIO. It contains only:

• settings that turn off the features you chose, from: Siri, ChatGPT and AI extensions, Writing Tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Mail summaries & Smart Reply, notification, Messages, Safari and Notes summaries, inline predictions, Spatial Photos, Photos Clean Up and Xcode predictive completion
• only if you also tick that option: a setting that stops the AI models you removed from downloading again
• a small marker in Spotless's own settings, so the app can show what is turned off

What the profile never contains

No VPN, proxy, DNS or web-filter settings, no certificates, no device management (MDM) enrollment, no accounts, passwords or login items. The profile can't be used to watch or control your Mac.

Removing the profile

In Spotless, click Remove Profile on the Apple Intelligence page. It opens System Settings with the steps, and Spotless shows “No profile installed” once it's gone.

Or do it yourself: open System Settings › General › Device Management (or Privacy & Security › Profiles on macOS 14), select “Spotless – Apple Intelligence Settings” and click the minus button. Every setting goes back to how it was. Uninstalling Spotless reminds you to remove it first.

Contact

Questions? Email us at support@reistudio.dev.