Get started. Know the scope.

Install or update

Download Hushtrail 0.1.3 from the official release page. Unzip and drag Hushtrail.app into Applications. The app is Developer ID signed and notarized. For updates, quit Hushtrail and replace the app with the new download. There is no automatic updater.

Requires macOS 27.0 or later. The download includes Apple silicon and Intel code; initial real-machine acceptance was on Apple silicon. Finder capabilities no longer have an exact OS-version gate; actual storage format, file metadata and safety checks determine availability. Do not bypass a macOS security warning; download a fresh official copy or contact support.

App Cleanup

Add apps, choose which to check, then review the detected history types. Hushtrail remembers the selection but does not scan on launch. Apps must quit normally and stay closed for their history cleanup. Standard system recent lists and app-owned histories are separate; some apps can recreate their own recent lists.

Permissions

If App History Access is needed, use the in-app guide to open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access. Add the installed Hushtrail app and enable it yourself, then quit and reopen if macOS asks. Existing development-build permission may not transfer to this signed release.

System recent-document cleanup may separately request an administrator password through macOS. The optional Complete Component Checks action can request read-only access to specific service metadata. No privileged helper is installed. Cancelling leaves the affected check or cleanup unconfirmed; check again before retrying.

Finder

Recent Folders cleans Finder’s Go → Recent Folders list and normally reopens Finder. Close all windows and tabs and finish file operations first; windows are not restored. It is different from the Recents sidebar.

Recents in Chosen Folders is a separate experimental feature, with at most eight remembered local folders and bounded checks. It temporarily moves eligible files to update Spotlight, then verifies and returns them. Save and close files first. Cloud/sync folders, packages, links and other disks are excluded. Follow the recovery prompt if an operation is interrupted.

Leftovers

Click Scan to inspect standard app locations. Candidates are not proof that an app was uninstalled or that its data is no longer useful. Review the identity and type. Bulk actions separately select caches/logs or data/settings; Application Support can contain personal data and needs exact-directory confirmation.

Selected items go to system Trash. Hushtrail does not make backups, restore items itself or empty Trash. You can inspect Trash in Finder. Changed identities, uncertain ownership, protected files and unsupported structures are kept with a reason. Drivers, services, full containers, shared groups and unidentified folders are not removed.

Language and appearance

English and Simplified Chinese are available. The Language menu guides you to macOS per-app language settings; reopen afterward. Appearance offers Follow System, Light and Dark without rescanning.

Contact

Email me@jaminzhou.com or use the English feedback form. Public bugs can be reported in GitHub Issues. Do not post private paths, documents, history or credentials.

The in-app contact sheet shows which version/app metadata accompanies a form or editable email draft. Sending is your choice. See the privacy policy.