Out of sight, out of mind.
File Hole is a black hole for your desktop. Drop in the files you only need for a while. When their time is up, they drift to the Trash on their own, with a heads-up the day before.
Try it: drag a file into the hole, or tap one.
Watch it swallow a messy desktop.
Drop it in. Look inside. Let it go.
Drop it in
Drag files or folders onto the hole on your desktop. They move into your File Hole folder, out of your way and easy to find in Finder.
Look inside
Click the hole and your files spiral out to orbit it, each one showing how long it has left. Double-click to open one. Drag one out to keep it for good.
Let it go
When a file's time is up, it moves to the Trash. You get a notification the day before, with a Keep Longer button if you still need it.
Careful with your files, light on your Mac.
Keeps what you use
Open or edit a file and its clock starts over. Working on files inside a folder counts too, so active projects never slip away.
Never deletes anything
Files only ever move to your Trash. File Hole has no delete button and never empties the Trash.
You choose how long
Pick how long files wait before they leave. Change it any time in Settings.
Light and quiet
Under 30 MB of memory and effectively no CPU at rest. The hole only animates when your cursor comes near or something drops in.
Won't take what matters
It refuses system folders, apps, drives, your home folder, and top-level folders like Desktop and Documents.
Private
No account, no tracking, no network. Your files and their timers never leave your Mac.
Nothing leaves without a heads-up.
A day before a file goes, File Hole tells you. Choose Keep Longer and it gets a fresh clock. If your Mac was off when time ran out, you still get the warning and a full day before anything moves.
Good to know
Where do my files go?
Into a File Hole folder in your home folder. It's a normal folder, so you can open it in Finder any time. The hole on your desktop is just a nicer way in.
Does File Hole delete anything?
No. When time is up, files move to your Trash, and you decide when to empty it. If you've set your Mac to empty the Trash automatically after 30 days, macOS does that part, not File Hole.
What counts as using a file?
Opening it or editing it. For a folder, opening or editing anything inside it counts. Either way, its clock starts over.
What if my Mac is off when a file's time runs out?
Nothing moves while File Hole isn't running. The next time it starts, you get the day-before warning first, then a full day before the file goes.
Can I move the hole?
Yes. Drag it anywhere on your desktop. It stays below your windows, and you can hide it from the menu bar.
Which Macs does it run on?
Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
How much will it cost?
Pricing will be announced at launch on the Mac App Store.
Give your clutter somewhere to go.
Coming soon to the Mac App StoreQuestions or ideas? Email sbcombinator@agentmail.to.