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Batch renaming: preview, patterns and undo
- Open Rename Files and add files or supported folders. Folder imports run in the background; review the imported list before continuing.
- Build the new-name pattern with literal text and the offered tokens. Configure numbering and any literal find-and-replace or filename case transformation.
- Review the complete batch preview. Check extensions and proposed names for conflicts before starting.
- Run the rename and review completed and skipped items. Use Stop to request cancellation.
Named rename presets can be saved, renamed, updated and deleted for later batches. Extension-preserving settings keep a filename change from accidentally changing its file type.
Use the last-batch Undo operation when offered to restore completed names. Undo checks for conflicts; it cannot assume that a destination is still free or that a file remains unchanged. Completed rename results and Undo information remain available when later items fail.
Folder import skips hidden files, packages, links and aliases. Incomplete or cancelled imports retain the previous list. GPS-based tokens depend on valid location metadata; they do not create missing metadata.
Browsing JSON and exporting source
Open a JSON file to browse its objects, arrays and values in a searchable tree. Select a node to inspect its details, copy its path or copy its value.
Use search to find content without manually opening every branch. JSON object keys containing quotes, escapes or Unicode remain part of their actual tree path rather than being treated as a different key.
The source view lets you inspect original or formatted JSON alongside the tree. Export original source when you need the loaded file's original bytes; choose formatted source when you want a more readable representation. Formatting produces a different representation and should not be mistaken for a byte-identical original.
Use Open in Text Editor to work with source as text. Browsing a tree does not edit the original JSON file. Opening, parsing, formatting, search and export work in the background, with errors and cancellation reported rather than silently replacing the source.
Browsing XML and exporting source
Open an XML file to inspect its structure in a searchable tree. Select elements and other nodes to review their details and use the available path and value copy actions.
Use the source view to inspect original or formatted XML. Original-source export uses the same loaded file snapshot as the browser. The original bytes, encoding declaration and whitespace are retained for that export; a formatted export is a separate presentation.
Open source in Text Editor when you want to edit a text copy. The XML tree is an inspection tool rather than a direct XML editor. Save deliberate text changes separately and reopen the result to check its structure.
Parsing, search, branch preparation, formatting and exports run in the background. Invalid or unreadable XML reports an error. A failed parse or export is not a successful conversion, so inspect the result before replacing anything important.
Cleaning application caches and logs
Use the cache and log tools, or the corresponding categories in Recent Activity, to review accessible application and system items. Scan first, compare sizes and dates, and select the items you want to clear.
Caches are temporary working data that applications may recreate. Logs can be useful when diagnosing a problem, so keep relevant logs until you have finished troubleshooting. Clearing these categories does not guarantee a particular amount of recovered space or a performance improvement.
Close affected applications when requested. MacMagic checks recognized application state and rechecks scanned file identity, size, dates and approved locations before clearing. Files that changed after the scan, links, packages and unsafe folders are not treated as the original clearing targets.
Review scan issues if an expected application is absent or a result cannot be cleared. Repeat the scan after correcting access or application-state problems; do not assume that an incomplete scan covered every location.
Combining, rotating, extracting and splitting PDFs
- Open Combine PDFs and import supported PDFs or images. Enter a password when a protected document requests one.
- Review the page list and preview. Reorder pages as needed; removing a page from this workspace does not delete the original document.
- Select pages directly in the list. Use the rotation controls to rotate the selection.
- Export the combined workspace, extract selected pages, or split pages into individual PDF files using the offered export action.
The exported PDF reflects the page order and rotation in the workspace. Supported images can become PDF pages. Original source files remain separate from the new output.
Page import, password handling, previews and export preparation run in the background. Use Stop to request cancellation and let the current operation settle before closing. An incomplete import is not a completed addition of every requested page.
A password prompt is an access requirement, not a password-removal tool. If a source is unavailable, unsupported or cannot be opened, correct the source or access problem and review the import report before exporting.
Compressing PDFs and comparing output sizes
Open Compress PDFs, add documents and choose a compression preset or the available custom image and quality settings. Review the output location and filename options, then start compression.
Compare original and output sizes in the results. Compression is content-dependent: an already optimized document may not become smaller. Enable the option to skip results that are not smaller when you want to avoid keeping such outputs.
Reducing image resolution or quality can affect photographs, diagrams and small text. Inspect the completed PDF before using it in place of an original. Compression does not promise identical appearance or a fixed saving.
File preparation, password requests and compression run in the background. Stop requests cancellation; completed outputs remain separate from unfinished work and are not removed merely because a later item or cleanup step fails. Review the final report and any password or access issue before retrying.
Creating and reading QR codes
Choose the QR content type: Contact Card, Event, E-Mail, Location, Message, Plain Text, Web/Social Link or Wi-Fi. Complete the applicable fields and review the live preview and any validation explanation.
Choose an offered image size, then save the generated code as PNG or copy its image to the clipboard. Copy Payload gives you the underlying encoded text, which is different from copying the QR image. Contact cards support the offered vCard or MeCard format; review the chosen fields before sharing.
To read an existing code, select an image, drop a supported image into the reader or use the clipboard-image action. Review decoded results before opening a link or using a network configuration. A failed read is reported and recorded in the standard Debug Log.
Very long content can exceed QR capacity or become difficult to scan at small sizes. Shorten the payload or choose a suitable image size, and test the exported code with the device that will scan it. A QR code does not keep its payload secret.
Erasing .DS_Store files
The Erase .DS_Store Files tool removes Finder's .DS_Store metadata files from the selected folder scope. These files can store folder presentation information such as icon positions and view choices.
Choose the intended folder or folders and review the scope before starting. Removing this metadata does not remove the ordinary documents in those folders, but Finder may return to default presentation settings and can create .DS_Store files again later.
Review the result and any command or access error. Protected folders, unavailable volumes and changed paths may not be processed. This tool is not a general deletion of every hidden file, and it is not intended to remove application documents or other metadata formats.
File access and protected locations
MacMagic needs access to files and folders used by the selected tool. Choose the actual source or destination in the file dialog when prompted. Access to a shortcut, alias or saved entry does not necessarily make its target available.
For protected locations, follow MacMagic's access explanation and the relevant macOS Privacy & Security settings. Some maintenance scans need Full Disk Access to inspect additional locations. A scan can be incomplete when access is denied; review its reported coverage instead of treating missing results as an empty location.
Reconnect external drives and make cloud-hosted files available locally before trying again. If an input changes, disappears or cannot be verified during an operation, the tool can skip it or stop with an explanation. Choosing a destination does not authorize overwriting an original input.
Administrator authorization is separate from ordinary file access. Protected system content can still be unavailable. Review the specific operation and requested permission rather than granting unrelated access.
File in Use: finding processes using a file
Open File in Use for a file that cannot be moved, replaced, deleted or ejected because another process may be using it. Select the target and let MacMagic inspect open files and processes in the background.
Review the processes associated with the target. Use the available Finder actions to inspect file locations. When appropriate, choose Quit App to request a normal application quit. Force Quit is a separate action and can lose unsaved work; use it only after reviewing the confirmation.
MacMagic verifies process identity before acting. A process may exit or change while results are displayed, so stale results are not permission to act on a different process. Use the scan and Stop controls as needed.
A partial or failed inspection does not prove that no process is using the file. If a drive is involved, check files inside mounted disk images as well as the image file itself, then try ejecting again after the relevant application has closed.
Finder, desktop icons and hidden files
Use the Finder commands to quit Finder without immediately relaunching it, or restart Finder when you need a fresh instance. Save unrelated work and allow any active Finder operations to finish before restarting it.
Show Hidden Files changes whether Finder displays hidden items. Hide Desktop Icons controls whether icons appear on the desktop. These visibility choices do not delete the underlying files.
The file-specific Make Visible and Make Invisible tools change visibility for selected files or folders. They are different from globally showing hidden items in Finder, and they do not make sensitive content encrypted or private.
Use the relevant command again to reverse a visibility choice. A file can still be inaccessible because of permissions, an unavailable drive or a different hidden-file convention. Review the selected target and reported result instead of assuming that visibility changes override access controls.
Force Delete and Force Empty Trash
Use Force Delete only after checking the selected targets. It attempts removal with the required authorization and is not a recoverable substitute for an ordinary move to the Trash. Keep a copy of content you still need before confirming deletion.
Force Empty Trash operates on the current account's Trash. It preserves the Trash folder's ownership and permissions rather than removing or recreating that container. Review its confirmation before removing the contents.
Administrator authorization does not make every protected or unavailable item removable. System restrictions, read-only volumes, missing drives and files used by other processes can still prevent an operation.
If an item remains, read the reported error and use File in Use or inspect its permissions as appropriate. Do not repeatedly confirm a destructive operation without reviewing which targets remain and why the previous attempt failed.
Getting started with MacMagic 2.0
MacMagic brings file tools, media conversion, PDF utilities, text editing, data browsers and selected maintenance tasks together in one Mac app. Version 2.0 requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. Use an earlier compatible release from the website if your Mac cannot run this version.
- Install MacMagic in your Applications folder and open the installed copy.
- Open Home from MacMagic to find tools and your saved shortcuts. Search by tool name or category, or choose a category to browse.
- Open a tool and choose its input files, or drop supported files into its window where offered.
- Review its preview and settings, choose the output location when requested, and start the operation.
Use the progress and Stop controls while work is running. A stopped batch may already have completed some outputs; review its results before starting again. File access and administrator authorization are requested only for operations that need them.
The manual describes MacMagic 2.0. Available system utilities and access to protected locations depend on your Mac and its permissions.
Home, shortcuts and favourites
Home is the launch area for MacMagic tools and your own file and folder shortcuts. The search field matches tool names, shortcut names and categories. Choose All MacMagic Tools for MacMagic commands; built-in macOS utilities are listed separately under System Tools.
- Search or select a category, then open the item you want.
- Use a tool or shortcut's contextual menu and choose Add to Favorites to include it in Favorites. The same menu can remove it from Favorites later.
- Use Home's add controls to add files or folders as shortcuts. Removing a shortcut from Home does not delete the original file or folder.
- Use the contextual sorting choices to organize items by name or kind, or use manual ordering.
Home also supports keyboard navigation. An unavailable shortcut still requires its original file or drive to be accessible. Searching Home finds launch items; it is not a search of every file on your Mac.
Image conversion, resizing and previews
- Open Image Converter and add the images you want to process.
- Choose an offered output format, or Same as original when suitable.
- Choose the resize mode and dimensions, and set rotation and other available conversion options.
- Compare the before-and-after preview before converting the batch.
- Choose the destination and start Convert. Review completed results and any skipped files.
Resize choices include maximum or minimum width and height limits, individual width or height limits, and stretching. Proportion-preserving scaling and stretching produce different results. Final maximum dimensions are checked after rotation.
Save useful settings as named image presets. Presets can be updated, renamed, imported and exported. A preset contains conversion settings; it is not a copy of the source images.
Available formats depend on the installed conversion support. For animated, multipage or unverified inputs, MacMagic asks before proceeding with only the first image. Inspect that choice before flattening a source. Output extensions follow the format actually produced.
Launching built-in macOS System Tools
Open System Tools from MacMagic to find supported utilities installed with macOS. Examples can include Screen Sharing, certificate-related utilities and other tools normally buried in system folders.
System Tools is its own Home category rather than part of All MacMagic Tools. Discovery runs in the background and updates available results without requiring you to repeat the current Home search.
The available list depends on the macOS version and installed software. A utility that is missing or disappears during discovery is skipped; MacMagic does not claim to install that utility for you. Launching an external tool also does not grant it extra permissions.
Use the launched utility's own documentation for its operations. Some developer utilities require additional Apple software. If a particular utility is not available, check its installation rather than assuming a similarly named item is an equivalent replacement.
Locking and unlocking files and folders
Use Lock Files or Unlock Files for the selected files and folders. Folder operations can apply recursively; check the selected scope before starting.
A file lock is a file-system flag that can prevent ordinary changes or deletion. It is not encryption, an account password or a substitute for appropriate access permissions. Unlocking a file does not give your account permission to read or change content it otherwise cannot access.
Review any authorization request and the final result. If an item cannot be changed, check its permissions, drive state and whether another application or system protection is involved. An unavailable or protected item is not proof that every selected item failed or succeeded.
Keep track of which items you changed so you can apply the opposite operation when needed. Use File in Use for process-related problems instead of assuming that a lock flag is the only reason a file cannot be changed.
Opening WhatsApp with a number
Choose Open WhatsApp with Number from Home or the tools menu. Enter the person's international phone number, including its country code. A leading plus sign and ordinary number formatting are accepted.
You can add an optional message to prefill the conversation. MacMagic opens the installed WhatsApp application when it is found; otherwise it opens the WhatsApp link in your browser.
Review the destination and message in WhatsApp before sending. MacMagic opens the conversation; it does not press Send for you. The destination number still needs to be usable with WhatsApp, and any sign-in or service requirement is handled there.
Photo Map: photos, videos, search and CSV
- Open Photo Map and add photos or videos containing supported GPS metadata.
- Review imported locations and any skipped-file issues. Media without usable coordinates cannot be placed accurately from that file alone.
- Search or filter the media sidebar and select an item to synchronize its location with the map.
- Use Fit All to frame the currently included locations, or select an individual location.
The top map choices include Standard, Hybrid, Satellite and Google. Google provides an embedded map with clustered locations and synchronized selection. Use the map's available style controls when choosing the view. Online map content requires a working connection; use Retry Google after correcting a load failure.
Use the offered location-copy actions or export locations as CSV. Review the selected or filtered scope shown by the export action. The sidebar search finds imported media; it does not add location metadata to the originals.
Coordinates can reveal private places. Inspect the locations and CSV contents before sharing them. MacMagic reads the source metadata for this tool rather than rewriting the media's geotags.
Progress, cancellation and troubleshooting
MacMagic 2.0 performs long scans, conversions, imports, queries and exports in background work. Use the status and progress controls to see the active operation. A disabled action can mean that its required input or selection is absent, or that the tool is finishing another operation.
Use Stop to request cancellation and allow the worker to finish safely. Closing a window or quitting can wait for active work, file publication or process inspection to settle. Cancellation does not reverse outputs or renames that already completed; inspect the final result and use a tool's explicit Undo feature where offered.
For an error, check the selected input, output location, drive availability, file permissions and the operation's explanation. Retry only after correcting the cause. For Text Editor work, save to another accessible location or restore an available recovery copy when appropriate.
Use MacMagic's standard Debug Log when collecting details for support. Include the MacMagic and macOS versions, the tool and operation, the full error message, and what you expected to happen. Inspect logs and filenames before sharing sensitive information.
Recent Activity: scan, select and clear
Recent Activity groups accessible activity by application and category. Use its options to include recent lists, logs, caches and, when wanted, device backups separately. Optional minimum ages include Any age, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days and 1 year.
- Choose the categories and age limit you want to inspect.
- Start a scan and review application groups, individual results, selected sizes and scan issues.
- Select only the items you intend to clear. Review explanations for cookies, saved state, sessions and backups before confirming.
- Clear the selection and review the completion report. Use Stop to request cancellation during background work.
Partial scans can show verified accessible results. Older unverified results remain read-only instead of becoming a clearing selection. The Only recognized apps option also limits preference-backed recent lists from unrecognized applications.
Clearing can remove saved sessions or restore information for the selected categories. Device backups are optional; inspect them carefully. Eligible regular files captured by the scan are moved to the Trash after rechecking their identity and location. Newly created or changed files and unsafe locations are kept.
Recovering unsaved text after an interruption
Text Editor can keep recovery copies of unsaved edits. Enable or change text recovery in Settings; changes take effect while MacMagic is running.
After an interrupted session, open Recover and review the available documents. Choose Restore to reopen the recovery content, then save it to the location you want. If its original drive or folder is unavailable, MacMagic can restore the content as an unsaved document so you can choose a new destination.
Use Discard only for a recovery copy you no longer need. Read the confirmation and check the selected document. Large recovered documents may require an additional confirmation before opening.
Recovery is local working-document protection, not a backup or synchronization service. It does not guarantee that the last keystroke before an interruption was captured, and it does not replace saving your work. Normal line-ending-only changes are tracked as edits too.
Settings and the global Home shortcut
Open MacMagic's Settings and use General to configure startup and the optional keyboard shortcut for Home. Choose the offered modifier combination and key, then enable the launcher shortcut.
When enabled and registered successfully, the shortcut opens Home while another app is active. If a shortcut is unavailable or conflicts with another app, choose another combination and check the status shown in Settings. Disabling the option removes MacMagic's registration.
Login-item controls manage opening MacMagic at login. Check the reported status and any macOS approval request rather than assuming the app has been added. Update and Debug settings are separate from General.
Text recovery is also configurable in Settings and can be changed while MacMagic is running. See the text recovery article before removing recovery copies you may still need.
SQLite CSV exports: results, record and database
- Export Results: export the table's matching records, or the current query's results, as CSV.
- Export Record: export every field of the currently displayed record. This is independent of the selected field and includes full values rather than shortened display previews.
- Export Database: choose a destination folder to export tables as separate CSV files.
The current record's contextual menu also offers Copy Field Name, Copy Value, Copy Record as CSV and Export Record as CSV. Choose the action for the data you actually need.
Exports run in the background with progress and Stop. Review any replacement prompt and the completion result. The database and its journal files are protected from being selected as output replacements.
CSV is a data export, not a complete restorable SQLite backup. It does not preserve the database's indexes, triggers, constraints or full database structure. Keep the original database when you need those features.
SQLite databases: tables and individual records
Open a SQLite database with Database Viewer. The database is opened read-only; this tool is for inspection and export rather than editing the database.
- Choose a table from the table list.
- Review its Structure information.
- Read the first record in the Records area. Field Name is the first column and Value is the second; each displayed row is a field of this one record.
- Use the segmented previous and next arrows to move through records. The status indicates your position and the available record count.
Records are not displayed as one large spreadsheet. Clicking the Field Name or Value header does not reorder database records. Where offered, use the record-order controls instead.
Long or binary values can have shortened display previews. Use Copy Value or record export when you need the complete available value. Empty databases show a no-tables state. Protected, damaged or unsupported files report an error rather than becoming editable databases.
SQLite filtering and record order
Use the table search field and its column selector to filter a table. Choose All columns or a particular column, and choose the case-sensitive option when needed.
The filter is evaluated across the table's records, not just the record currently displayed. Review the matching count, then use the record arrows to move through matches. Clear the search to return to the unfiltered table.
Use the offered record-order controls to choose the column and direction. The Field Name and Value headers describe the current record and are not sorting controls. MacMagic uses stable ordering for record navigation, including primary-key ordering where appropriate for WITHOUT ROWID tables.
Filter and navigation requests run in the background. Let the current request finish, or use Stop before starting a different operation. A zero-match result is different from a query error; review any error explanation and the Debug Log when a table cannot be read.
SQLite read-only SELECT queries and specifications
Use the Database Viewer toolbar's Query action to enter one read-only SELECT statement for the open database. Run the query, review its result and use Stop to request cancellation if needed.
The query tool is deliberately limited to supported read-only SELECT statements. It does not provide database editing, schema changes, arbitrary PRAGMA execution, attached-database management or extension loading. Use a suitable database administration application for those tasks.
Use valid SQLite quoting for names containing spaces or punctuation. Quoted, Unicode and dollar-sign identifiers are supported in otherwise permitted queries. An error is reported with its database message; the standard Debug Log retains details useful for support.
Use Specification to inspect the selected table's definition and associated information. Export the specification when you need a separate copy. The original database remains the source; inspecting or exporting a specification does not apply it to another database.
Text cleanup, statistics and line endings
Use Text Editor's cleanup and statistics controls to inspect and normalize a document. Available cleanup choices address gremlins, whitespace and line endings; use only the transformations you intend.
Find & Replace edits matching text. Word and character statistics describe the current text. Line numbers and Go to Line help navigate a large document, while invisibles make otherwise hard-to-see characters easier to inspect.
Line-ending conversion changes how lines are separated on disk. That is a real edit even when the visible words do not change. MacMagic tracks such changes for saving and recovery. Cleanup preserves consistent line endings, and final-newline handling is separate from removing trailing whitespace.
Review the resulting document before saving, especially when it is a source file or structured data. A plain-text cleanup operation is not validation of a programming language, JSON document or XML document. Use the corresponding data browser to inspect those formats.
Text Editor: opening, editing and saving
Open a text file in Text Editor, or start with an empty document. The editor offers Find & Replace, line numbers, invisible-character display, word wrap, statistics and Go to Line.
MacMagic preserves supported text encodings, byte-order marks and line-ending information when opening files. Choose the offered output encoding when you need a different one. Check that the destination format can represent the document's characters before confirming a conversion.
Opening and saving run in the background with progress and Stop. A save uses the document state captured for that save; edits made after it starts remain unsaved rather than being incorrectly marked as saved.
A failed or cancelled save does not mean the edited document has been written. Keep the window open, correct the destination or permission problem, and save again. If the original drive is unavailable, save to another accessible location. See the recovery article for interrupted sessions.
Video conversion, preview and trim points
- Open Video Converter and add videos to its queue.
- Select a job and choose its offered output type, video and audio settings, sizing and other options.
- Use the frame preview to inspect the source and set trim points when needed.
- Review warnings about additional tracks or chapters and the tracks selected for conversion.
- Choose the output location, start the queue and review each result.
Each job keeps its own settings. Named video presets can be saved and managed, and preset files can be imported or exported. Portable preset exports do not carry saved access to an output folder on another Mac.
The queue is restored on the next launch. An unavailable source remains available for repair rather than silently disappearing; use the offered source-location action to reconnect it. The queue does not replace or back up the original media.
Conversion runs in the background with progress and Stop. Completed outputs remain reviewable after a later error or a missing source. Portrait orientation and rotated output dimensions are checked during conversion. Review the result before removing any original.
Wi-Fi, DNS and the Disk Cache tool
Disconnect WiFi leaves the current wireless network without turning the Wi-Fi hardware off entirely. Expect the active connection to be interrupted; automatic joining and other network behaviour remain subject to macOS settings.
Clear DNS Cache requests a DNS-cache flush so names can be resolved again. It does not change your configured DNS servers, fix every connection problem or erase a browser's history. Review any authorization request and the result.
Disk Cache runs an authorized memory-cache flush in a dedicated progress window. It is different from deleting application cache files or documents from storage. It does not promise to free a fixed amount of disk space or improve every workload.
The cache flush runs in the background. Closing or quitting waits for an active flush to finish. Save network-dependent work before disconnecting and choose the maintenance action that matches the problem you are investigating.
