Declutr

Declutr is a Mac app that organizes your Desktop, Downloads folder, or any folder you pick into folders by file type in one click. It sorts files into categories such as Images, Documents, Videos, Audio, Archives, Code & Scripts, 3D Models and Other, so a cluttered folder turns into a structured one without any manual dragging. The app is designed for Mac users who want a tidy Desktop or Downloads folder but do not want to build their own automation. It runs on any Mac with macOS 13 Ventura or later, on both Apple silicon and Intel, and it is distributed through the Mac App Store, where it holds a 5.0 rating. Download folders and Desktops fill up with things people did not mean to keep there: screenshots, invoices, installers, exported videos, spreadsheets and code files all land in the same place. Cleaning that up by hand means opening the folder, judging each file, creating folders, and dragging items one by one, which is work that is easy to postpone. Existing options each ask something first: Hazel requires you to write rules before anything happens, AI organizers take a description of what you want but often do not keep files on your Mac, and the tools built into macOS mean building Automator or Shortcuts workflows. Declutr's premise is that the first cleanup should take one click. At its core, Declutr moves files into category folders inside the folder you selected. The categories cover Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Archives, Code & Scripts and 3D Models, plus an Other folder for anything that does not match. In the on-site demo, a Downloads folder containing Invoice_2026-09.pdf, IMG_7851.HEIC, design-files.zip, clip-export.mov, Resume_final_v4.docx, config.json, podcast-ep42.mp3, hero-banner@2x.jpg, Raycast.dmg, phone-stand.stl, tutorial-part1.mp4, calendar.ics, logo-final-FINAL.png, index.html, site-export.tar.gz and desk-lamp.usdz is sorted into Images, Documents, Audio, Archives and Code & Scripts. Each category folder gets its own icon, so you can spot it in Finder without reading the name. Every cleanup can be reversed. The final screen of the flow shows what happened, for example the number of items processed, with Undo available, and includes an Undo Changes button that puts every file back where it was. Declutr does not delete anything; it moves files into folders inside the folder you picked, so undo simply reverses those moves. There is also a safety behaviour: before a folder that looks sensitive, Declutr stops and asks first. That combination makes the one-click sort low risk, because a mistake costs one click to fix rather than a manual recovery effort. Pro adds automation on top of the manual cleanup. Watched folders sort new files the moment they land, which suits a Downloads folder that constantly receives new items, because nothing accumulates when each arrival is filed immediately. Alternatively, a schedule can run a cleanup every day while you work, so the folder is tidied on a routine rather than only when it becomes unbearable. Both options keep working after the first click: the initial sort is a one-off action, while watching and scheduling turn Declutr into an ongoing habit that maintains order in the background. Smart Rules exist for the files that do not fit the default categories. A rule matches a file by name, extension, age or size, and conditions can be combined with AND/OR logic. When a file matches, Declutr can send it to a folder you name, or skip it and leave it alone. Rules run before the default categories, so a rule always takes precedence over the built-in grouping. You can pin receipts or invoices to a named folder, push installers aside, or protect files you want to keep in place. The New Rule sheet in the app shows this pattern directly: a Name contains condition followed by a Move to folder or Skip action. Categories are editable rather than fixed. Declutr ships with ten categories out of the box, and you can add an extension to an existing category, move an extension from one category to another, or create an entirely new category with its own icon. That means the sorting logic can follow the way you actually work: a designer can give 3D model formats their own home, a developer can group scripting languages together, and anyone with an unusual file type can stop it falling into Other. The file-types settings screen lists the extensions inside a category and lets you remove any of them. Declutr's approach is deliberately rule-based rather than AI-based. It sorts by file type and by the rules you set, covering name, extension, age and size, and it never opens a file, never uploads one, and there is no account to create. Because the work happens on your Mac, nothing leaves the machine. The site contrasts this with alternatives: Declutr decides using file type and your rules, keeps files on your Mac, reaches a first cleanup in one click, and costs nothing or $8.99 once; Hazel decides by rules you write, also keeps files local, requires rules before the first cleanup, and costs $42 once; AI organizers rely on a model to guess and often do not keep files on your Mac; and macOS built-ins need workflows you build yourself. The stated benefit is time and mental overhead saved. Reviewers describe a desktop and documents folder that had been messy for years being sorted in seconds, and one review from a user with ADHD describes a chaotic sea of docs becoming organized, calling the app a total game-changer. Others highlight speed, ease of use, clear categories and the visual result of folders that feel neat and accessible, and note that finding pictures, music and dmg files in Downloads is much easier afterwards. Because files stay on the Mac and nothing is deleted, the payoff comes without a trade-off in privacy or risk. The clearest use case is the Downloads folder: it receives PDFs, images, audio, archives and installers constantly, and Declutr can either clear it on demand or keep it tidy automatically with a watched folder or a daily schedule. The Desktop is the other primary target, useful for anyone whose screen fills with screenshots and working documents. Any custom folder works too, so a project folder or an archive of mixed files can be organized with the same flow. Smart Rules cover edge cases such as receipts, invoices or installers that should go to a named folder instead of a category, or files that should be skipped entirely. Declutr is aimed at Mac users who want their files organized without configuring automation. It is available for free on the Mac App Store and requires macOS 13 Ventura or later on Apple silicon or Intel. Free covers organizing the Desktop, Downloads or any folder, sorting files by type into category folders, and undoing any cleanup in one click. Pro is a single in-app purchase of $8.99 in the US, with no subscription and no account, and it adds scheduled cleanups, Smart Rules that run on their own, watch folders, and your own categories and extensions. The App Store shows the price in your local currency. Declutr reduces Mac file organization to a single click on a folder, with an Undo button that makes the action safe and optional automation for people who want the tidy state maintained. It sorts by file type and user-defined rules, keeps everything on the Mac, and offers a one-time Pro upgrade: a simple, private answer to messy Desktops and Downloads folders.