CleanMachine's File Shredder overwrites file contents with zeros and random data before deleting — making recovery impossible for most threat models. Available in 3-pass (fast) and DOD 7-pass (thorough). Drag-and-drop interface, no Terminal required.
macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon & Intel · Honest about APFS + SSD limitations
On modern Macs with APFS (Apple File System) and SSD storage, file shredding has a fundamental limitation that most shredder apps don't tell you about — but CleanMachine does.
APFS uses copy-on-write semantics: when you modify a file, the new data is written to a different location on the SSD, and the old location is marked as free. This means even if CleanMachine overwrites a file's current location, the previous version may still exist at the old physical location.
Additionally, SSDs use wear-leveling technology to distribute writes across the NAND flash. This means the OS doesn't have direct control over which physical cells receive which writes — making it impossible to guarantee that an overwrite reaches the original NAND cell containing the sensitive data.
For most realistic threat models, CleanMachine's shredder is effective:
For true forensic resistance, FileVault full-disk encryption is far more effective than file shredding on APFS/SSD. When FileVault is enabled:
CleanMachine's FileVault view checks your encryption status and opens directly to the FileVault settings pane if it's off.
3-Pass: zeros → random data → zeros. Fast and sufficient for most use cases. Works well on mechanical hard drives (where it is effective) and provides a reasonable layer of protection on SSDs against basic recovery tools.
7-Pass DOD: follows the DoD 5220.22-M standard with 7 passes of alternating data patterns. Slower and causes more SSD wear — appropriate for high-sensitivity compliance scenarios.
Download CleanMachine free to explore all features. The File Shredder (and every other cleaning feature) unlocks with the one-time $19.99 purchase.
macOS 13+ · No subscription · 30-day money-back guarantee
For the vast majority of use cases — deleting sensitive documents you don't want casual recovery of — 3-pass is more than sufficient. The 7-pass option is for users with specific compliance requirements or higher security needs who accept the additional SSD wear.
If you're selling or passing on a Mac, use macOS "Erase All Content and Settings" (System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset). This erases the FileVault key, making all data on the encrypted volume cryptographically irrecoverable — and it's much faster and more thorough than shredding individual files. File Shredder is for targeted deletion of specific sensitive files on a Mac you're keeping.
Yes — you can drag any file to the shredder regardless of which volume it's on. Note that the APFS/SSD limitations discussed above apply only to internal APFS-formatted SSDs; external mechanical hard drives don't have these limitations and benefit fully from file shredding.