/apps/zeroit
Zero It
Local free-space zeroing with a classic defrag map — used packs left, free consolidates right, then wipe. Menu bar on Mac, system tray on Windows, AppImage on Linux. iOS cleans free space in-app (sandbox only). No accounts. No cloud.
Mac Windows Linux iOS Drive picker
On this page
How it works
Runs entirely on your machine. Settings stay on-device. Optional links to this site are only for downloads and policies.
Downloads
Mac
Apple Silicon DMG PKG (removes old → installs new) Intel DMGPrefer PKG for a clean upgrade. Gatekeeper: right-click → Open once.
Linux
Linux Setup wizard AppImage onlyWizard uninstalls previous Zero It, then installs AppImage + menu entry.
ios/ZeroIt.xcodeproj). The App Store build is not hosted as a download on this page — it cleans free space inside the app sandbox only.
Install & first launch
- Download the installer for your platform from above.
- Install — Mac: prefer PKG (removes old Zero It, then installs). DMG also available. Windows Setup wizard. Linux: run the Setup wizard tarball (or chmod +x the AppImage).
- Launch Zero It. Accept Terms & Privacy on first run.
- Pick a drive in the control rail, then Start. Pause anytime.
Welcome to Zero It
Clears residual data in free space on folders you permit. Never opens raw disks. Never phones home.
Ready
Drive selected · schedule idle · local only
Drive picker
Choose which volume to Zero It. The wipe scratch files are created only on that drive. Other disks (external drives, secondary volumes, system siblings) are never written.
| Platform | What you select |
|---|---|
| Mac | Mounted volume (e.g. Macintosh HD, external APFS/HFS+) |
| Windows | Drive letter / volume |
| Linux | Mount point — scratch is locked to that mount |
| iOS | App sandbox only (no cross-volume moves) |
What Zero It does (and does not)
Does
- Overwrite free / unallocated space with temporary fill files
- Delete those files after each pass (and on clean shutdown)
- Show progress on a used-left / free-right disk map
- Stay local — no accounts, analytics, or required network
Does not
- Delete or open your existing files
- Raw block-device / firmware access
- Touch drives you did not select
- Guarantee physical sector overwrite on SSDs with TRIM / wear-leveling
Schedule & options
Desktop builds can arm a schedule so free-space cleaning runs when you want — not only when the window is open.
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Start at login | Launch with the OS (menu bar / tray) |
| Resume after reboot | Continue an interrupted wipe after restart |
| 7× / day (or set count) | Fixed number of runs per day |
| Always on | Cycle with a rest interval between passes |
| Custom windows | Weeknight / weekend / night time ranges |
| Year-round / date range | Limit active months or a from–to window |
iOS
The iPhone app fills and deletes free space inside its own sandbox (Caches). It does not move files across volumes, does not run on a timer, and does not clean the whole device like the desktop build.
- Open
ios/ZeroIt.xcodeprojon a Mac with Xcode. - Sign with your Apple ID / team, select your device, Run.
- Tap Run once — watch the map and wipe % update every chunk.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Check |
|---|---|
| Mac won’t open the app | Right-click → Open once (Gatekeeper). Prefer Apple Silicon DMG on M-series Macs. |
| Wrong disk being written | Confirm Drive to Zero It before Start. Change the picker — other volumes stay untouched. |
| Progress looks stuck early | v1.1 updates the map every chunk; large free space still takes time — watch PASS and %. |
| Linux AppImage won’t run | chmod +x Zero-It.AppImage; install FUSE if your distro needs it for AppImages. |
| Leftover huge temp files | Quit cleanly or reopen Zero It — it cleans orphan scratch on the selected drive. |
| iOS free space barely changes | Expected: sandbox-only. Desktop builds clean the selected volume’s free space. |
Privacy & terms
Zero It does not collect, transmit, or sell personal data. Settings and acceptance timestamps stay on the device. Optional outbound links open only this public site when you tap Privacy / Terms / Downloads — nothing phones home in the background.