What is deleted?

You might spot a process called deleted in Activity Monitor. The name looks worrying, but it has nothing to do with deleting your files.

What does it do?

deleted is a macOS daemon that manages purgeable disc space. When your Mac starts running low on storage, deleted quietly removes cached files, old Time Machine snapshots, and other data that macOS has marked as safe to remove.

This is the process behind the "Optimised Storage" feature Apple brought in with macOS Sierra. It works in the background to stop you running out of disc space without warning.

What kind of files does it remove?

• Local Time Machine snapshots
• Cached iCloud files that can be downloaded again
• Old system logs and caches
• Other files macOS has flagged as purgeable

It will never delete your personal files, documents, or anything you made yourself. Only data that macOS knows it can safely get back, or that is no longer needed.

Why is it using CPU or disc?

If deleted is busy, it usually means your disc is getting full and the daemon is clearing space. It can also run after a macOS update or when you download a large file. Once it finishes, it goes quiet.

Should you worry?

No. It is a normal system process. If it seems stuck or uses too many resources for a long time, a restart usually fixes it.

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