Declutr

Declutr is a Mac app that tidies your Desktop, Downloads, or any folder you choose in one click. It sorts files into folders by file type — Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Archives, Code & Scripts, 3D Models, and Other — so a directory that was one long flat list becomes a set of clearly named folders you can browse in Finder. Declutr is built for Mac users who want a tidy machine without writing automation rules or building workflows first. Its purpose is deliberately narrow: one click to organize a folder, and one Undo button to put every file back exactly where it was. The problem Declutr solves is the quiet accumulation of clutter. Files arrive in Downloads, get saved to the Desktop, and stay there — screenshots, PDFs, ZIP archives, installers, voice memos, code scripts, 3D models. Over months, a working folder turns into a flat list where nothing can be found by name alone. One reviewer described having a very messy desktop and documents folder for years; another noted that as someone with ADHD, keeping a Mac organized had always been a struggle before finding the app. The alternatives each ask for effort up front: Hazel requires you to write rules before anything gets sorted, the tools built into macOS mean building Automator or Shortcuts workflows yourself, and AI organizers ask you to describe what you want while an AI model guesses — often without keeping files on your Mac, and often on a subscription. Declutr's first and central feature is one-click sorting by file type. You choose a location — Desktop, Downloads, or a custom folder — then choose which categories to use, tapping any category you want to leave those files where they are. Declutr reports how many items it found to sort, organizes them into category folders, and shows an "Organization Complete!" screen with Undo Changes and Start over options. The site's walkthrough uses a Downloads folder holding 16 items as its example, ending with separate folders for Images, Documents, Videos, Audio, Archives, Code & Scripts, 3D Models, and Other. Each folder gets its own icon, so you find it in Finder without reading the name. Ten categories work out of the box, which means the first cleanup is a single click rather than an afternoon of rule-writing. The second feature group is the safety net and the manual controls. On the final screen, an Undo button puts every file back where it was, so no cleanup is permanent — the content notes that after a sort of 57 items, Undo is still available. Before a folder that looks sensitive, Declutr stops and asks first rather than acting on its own. Smart Rules handle the files that don't fit the default categories: you match files by name, extension, age, or size, combine conditions with AND/OR, and then either send matching files to a folder you name or tell Declutr to leave them alone. Rules run before the categories, so your own decisions take priority over the automatic file-type buckets. Pro adds the automation layer that keeps folders tidy after the first cleanup. Watched folders sort new files the moment they land, so a Downloads folder stays clean as you work instead of becoming messy again, and a schedule lets Declutr clean up every day while you work. Pro also lets you shape the category system itself: add an extension, move one to another category, or create your own category with its own icon. A File types screen lists the extensions inside a category, each removable, so the logic that classifies your files is visible and editable rather than hidden. Together these turn organization from a task you remember to run into something that happens in the background. Declutr's approach is deliberately rule-based rather than AI-based. It sorts by file type and by the rules you set — name, extension, age, size — and it never opens a file, never uploads one, and requires no account. That design choice is the product's core methodology: because Declutr only works from file metadata rather than file contents, it can organize a folder instantly and predictably, and nothing about your documents leaves your Mac. The site sets this against three alternatives — Hazel (rules you write, $42 once), AI organizers (an AI model guesses, files often don't stay on your Mac, often a subscription), and what's built into macOS (workflows you build in Automator or Shortcuts, free) — positioning Declutr as a one-click first cleanup that still keeps every file local. The benefits follow directly from that design. Sorting happens in seconds rather than through manual dragging; reviewers describe years of mess sorted in seconds and call it a huge time saver since they no longer have to sort everything themselves. Finding files gets easier, because pics, music, dmg files, and documents end up in separate folders you can recognize by icon, and one reviewer noted it is now easier to find what they need. Because Undo sits on the final screen, trying a cleanup carries no risk: if the result isn't what you wanted, every file returns to its original location. And because there is no account and nothing is uploaded, using Declutr doesn't require trusting a third party with the contents of your Mac. Use cases described in the content include the classic messy Downloads folder, where installer files, PDFs, images, archives, audio, and scripts pile up together; a Desktop that has become a chaotic sea of docs; a Documents folder left unmanaged for years; and custom folders a user wants tidied by their own rules. The site's simulated walkthroughs show folders holding boarding passes, bank statements, contracts, receipts, project proposals, spreadsheets, screen recordings, photos, ZIP and tar.gz archives, config files, stylesheets, and 3D model files, all split apart at once. With Pro, the recurring case is maintenance rather than cleanup — a watched folder that sorts each new file as it arrives, or a daily scheduled cleanup that keeps a working folder tidy while you work. Smart Rules cover the edge cases, such as routing files that match a particular name, extension, age, or size to a specific folder, or explicitly leaving them where they are. Declutr 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. It is free to download and use for sorting: organizing your Desktop, Downloads, or any folder, files sorted by type into category folders, and undo of any cleanup in one click. Pro is a single in-app purchase of $8.99 in the US — no subscription, no account, and it stays unlocked — adding scheduled cleanups, Smart Rules that run on their own, watch folders, and your own categories and extensions. US pricing is shown on the site, while the App Store displays the price in your currency. The site also offers a guide on how to organize files on a Mac, a comparison of the best file organizer apps for Mac, and a free tool that shows what's in your Downloads folder. The takeaway is that Declutr trades configuration-first automation for a one-click result. If your Mac's Desktop, Downloads, or working folders have drifted into a flat pile of mixed file types, Declutr turns that pile into labeled folders in a single click, keeps it that way with watched folders and daily cleanups if you want them, and lets you undo the whole thing if you change your mind — all without opening, uploading, or reading a single file.