Clear inactive memory

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Works with any MacWorks with any Mac running macOS/OS X on Intel or Apple Silicon.

• macOS onlyThis script improves your privacy on macOS
• Single actionThis page belongs to a script, containing basic changes to achieve a task.
• Impact: Minimum

  System Functionality / Data Loss Risk: Low

  This action improves privacy with minimal impact when you run the recommended script.

• Bash (Shell script)These changes use macOS system commands to update your settings.
• Administrative (sudo) access requiredThis script requires privilege access to do the system changes
• Fully reversible

  You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using this website.

  The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

Overview

Missing Good Quality Documentation

This page does not yet meet PrivacyLearn's documentation standards. The script/action is stable and verified by community. Here are some options for you to understand its functionality:

Computer-generated docs ^(PREVIEW)

This documentation may be low quality but still useful.

Read computer-generated explanation

This documentation is automatically extracted from the code implementation.

User configuration for macOS users: clear inactive memory to protect your data using system privacy measures.

Authentic self-expression without judgment flourishes under cyber privacy maintenance. Manage control for personal data privacy management enhanced through this alteration and choose the step that makes sense. Take a moment to reread if you're unsure about something. Understanding each step fully will save you time and stress later.

References

• What is sudo (su 'do')?
• privacy.sexy's source code for macOS
• CIS Apple macOS Benchmarks
• sudo (Wikipedia)

Technical Details

To be able to minimize cyber data handling risks, this script configures elevated access to reach secure privileges.

Explore similar guides

Gives more context about the goal of the changes

Scroll to guide list

Review code

Requires technical knowledge about Bash (Shell script)

Scroll to code

Edit this page to improve

Requires technical knowledge about YAML and Git

Edit this page

Safe for General Use

All actions in this script is recommended for all users. This is recommended for all users to improve without any noticeable impact on the system functionality.

Apply Now

Choose one of three ways to apply:

Download script

Download and run the script directly

• No app needed
• Offline usage
• Free
• Open-source

Apply protection

Help

How to apply or restore "Clear inactive memory" using script

• ≈ 3 min to complete
• Tools: Web Browser
• Difficulty: Medium
• ≈ 5 instructions

1. 1

   Download

   Download the script file by clicking on the   Apply protection  button above.
   Use   Undo protection button above to restore changes.
2. 2

   Keep the file

   If warned by your browser, keep the file.
3. 3

   Open

   Open the downloaded file.
4. 4

   Exit

   Once it's done, press any key to exit the window.
5. 5

   Restart

   Restart your computer for all changes to take effect.

Apply with privacy.sexy

Guided, automated application with safety checks

• Recommended for most users
• Includes safety checks
• Free
• Open-source
• Popular
• Offline/Online usage

Open privacy.sexy

Help

How to apply or restore "Clear inactive memory" using privacy.sexy

• ≈ 3 min to complete
• Tools: privacy.sexy
• Difficulty: Simple
• ≈ 4 instructions

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily with more advanced options.

1. 1

   Open or download

   Open or download the desktop application
2. 2

   Choose script

   1. Search for the script name: Clear inactive memory
   2. Check the script by clicking on the checkbox.
3. 3

   Run

   Click on ▶️ Run button at the bottom of the page.

   This button only appears on desktop version (recommended). On browser, use 💾 Save button.

Run commands

Copy and run commands manually Requires technical knowledge

Apply

Apply changes

sudo purge

Revert

Restore changes

bnVsbA==

Help

How to apply or restore "Clear inactive memory" using commands

• ≈ 2 min to complete
• Tools: Terminal app
• Difficulty: undefined
• ≈ 3 instructions

1. 1

   Open terminal

   Open Terminal app.
2. 2

   Copy code

   Copy the code:

   Copy Apply Code Copy Revert Code
3. 3

   Paste & run

   Paste the code into Terminal and press Enter to run.

   Some changes require a system restart to take effect

Similar Guides

Wider Goal

The guide below includes this guide to achieve a wider goal.

See other more general settings that includes this one as one of its actions.

These plans combine multiple privacy settings, including this one, for stronger protection.

This specification: privacy cleanup — lays out a systematic approach to how to lock down private information as part of sensitive data privacy protection on macOS...

— Privacy cleanup

Same Goal

Other guides in Privacy cleanup 

See settings that are in the same category as this guide.

Using other actions in the same category may help you achieve your goal better.

See all 12 guides

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Empty trash on all volumes

Clear system cache

Clear Xcode's derived data and archives

Clear DNS cache

Remove Guest User

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About the Creators

These people have authored this documentation and written its scripts:

• 

  undergroundwires

  • Certified security professional
  • 7+ years experience securing banks
  • Open-source developer since 2005
  • EU advisor, Public Speaker, Moderator
• Open-Source Contributors

  • Hundreds across the globe
  • Testers, reviewers, developers
  • Companies, military agencies
  • Community since 2017

About Us

Reviewed By

This guide has undergone comprehensive auditing and peer review:

• Expert review by undergroundwires

  • Verified technical accuracy and editorial standards
  • Assessed system impact and user privacy risks

• Public review by large community

  • Privacy enthusiasts and professionals peer-reviewed
  • Millions of end-users tested across different environments

History

We continually monitor our guides, their impact and all other privacy options. We update our guides when new information becomes available. On every update, we publicly store who made the change, what has been changed, why the change was made and when the change was made.

Review Change History Our Change Process