MacManagerthe Mac control centre
Everything Finder won't tell you, in one window.
MacManager is a native file explorer and control centre for macOS. It shows you where a file really is, whether its bytes are actually on the machine, why a search matched, and exactly what an operation will do before it does it — then hands you the real system tools in the same window.
It refuses to guess, and it refuses to pretend.
Where a sensor is unavailable, MacManager says so rather than estimating a number. Where the operating system will not permit an action, it explains the boundary instead of failing silently. Every long operation writes to a durable local journal you can read afterwards.
What it does
A file manager that also replaces four utilities.
Browsing, search, cloud truth, system telemetry, disks, keys and migration — without leaving the window.
High-density browsing
List, grid and gallery views with path navigation, hidden-file control, Quick Look thumbnails, an exact metadata inspector, and copy, cut, paste, rename, duplicate and Trash.
Search that explains itself
Streaming, deterministic search with quoted terms plus ext:, type:, path:, size:, cloud: and is: filters — and every result can show you why it matched.
Honest iCloud state
Cloud-only, queued, downloading, downloaded, stale, uploading, conflict and error are distinct states, not one ambiguous badge. Download Now and a safe Remove Download are one click away.
A real Activity Monitor
Live process and thread inventory with CPU, memory, energy and disk/network rates, historical charts, and Apple SMC temperature and fan telemetry that reports unavailable sensors rather than inventing them.
Disk Utility and System Information
Native workspaces backed by diskutil, hdiutil and system_profiler, with guarded confirmation on external-disk erase and partition, and searchable, exportable reports.
Keychain Access
Built on Security.framework: metadata browsing, authenticated secret reveal, add and delete controls, iCloud Keychain support and certificate import.
A verified Migration Assistant
Resumable transfer from a Mac, an import folder, a Time Machine folder or a network share, with SHA-256 verification, collision handling, symlink preservation and idempotent resume.
Storage, duplicates and a disk map
See what is actually consuming the volume, find true duplicates, and navigate a visual map of where the space went.
Inside the app
The actual application, not a mockup.
Every screenshot below is the shipping macOS build running on a real machine.
File Explorer
Item counts, writable state, exact modified dates and cloud residency for every row.
Activity Monitor
448 processes, 1,715 threads, and a Thermal Center that says "no exposed sensor" instead of guessing.
Precision Search
Quoted terms plus typed filters, streaming results as they are found.
Disk Utility
Volume management with guarded confirmation before anything destructive.
Storage & duplicates
Where the space actually went, and which files are genuinely identical.
Disk Map
A visual map of the volume, so large directories stop hiding.
Keychain Access
Browse metadata freely; reveal a secret only after you authenticate.
Migration Assistant
Verified and resumable, with SHA-256 checks and honest collision handling.
Access Center
Every permission the app holds, why it holds it, and how to take it back.
The product promise
Five things it makes unusually clear.
Most file managers answer the first question. MacManager is built around all five.
Where an item really is
Path, provider, volume, owner, permissions, file identity and link target — not a prettified alias.
Whether its bytes are local
Cloud-only, queued, transferring, stale, current, conflicted or errored, stated plainly.
Why a result matched
Every search hit can show the matching name, metadata, extracted text or visual similarity.
What an operation will do
Destination, collision policy, download cost, required permission and undoability — known before you commit.
What macOS will not allow
Unavailable actions explain the platform boundary rather than failing quietly.
And what it did afterwards
A durable local operation journal records every bulk action so you can audit it later.
Private by design
Your file system is nobody else's business.
Browsing, indexing, search, intelligence and operation history all stay on the machine. There is no account, no server and no file telemetry — the status pill in the corner of the app says exactly that, and it is true.
- No required account and no backend of any kind
- Nothing about your files is uploaded, indexed remotely or sampled
- Unavailable sensors are reported, never estimated or interpolated
- Destructive actions are guarded with explicit confirmation
- A durable operation journal you can read after the fact
- Developer ID signed and notarized, distributed directly
- Works on
- macOS 14 or later
- Built with
- Native Swift 6 under strict concurrency
- System tools
- Activity Monitor, Disk Utility, System Information, Keychain Access
- Transfer
- Verified, resumable migration with SHA-256
- Privacy
- Local-first, no account, no file telemetry
Support the project
Support the project and download MacManager.
This is the full, directly distributed edition — the one with the system tools, the migration pipeline and the Mail Center included, not a restricted store build. Donate what you like and download it straight away. Each download link works once.
MacManagerNative MacFull edition. No account. No telemetry.
Get the software
Support the project and download a build.
Donate what you like, pick your product, and download it right after checkout. You always receive the complete, fully activated app. Each download link works once and expires after a while.
FAQ
Common questions about MacManager
Is MacManager a Finder replacement?
It is a Finder alternative for the work Finder does poorly: exact metadata, real search filters, truthful iCloud residency, and durable bulk operations. Finder stays on your Mac; MacManager is where you go when you need to know precisely what is happening.
How is this different from the App Store version?
This is the directly distributed, Developer ID signed and notarized edition. Because it is not sandboxed for the store, it keeps the capabilities a sandbox forbids — the real Activity Monitor, Disk Utility, System Information, Keychain Access, the verified Migration Assistant and the Mail Center.
Does it upload anything about my files?
No. Browsing, indexing, search, intelligence and operation history all run on device. There is no account and no server component.
Why does it say a sensor is unavailable?
Because it is. Many Macs do not expose GPU, enclosure or fan channels to third-party software. MacManager reports what the hardware actually publishes and marks the rest unavailable rather than estimating a plausible-looking number.
What does it run on?
macOS 14 or later, built natively in Swift 6 under strict concurrency.