Keeping your Mac running in tip-top shape is important. If you use your computer for work, you are going to want it running as fast as possible. Apple actually has all kinds of hidden Mac options for keeping things running smoothly, but many of them are tucked away in places you would never think to look.

OnyX is a fantastic program that makes it easy to get access to all kinds of functions that keep your Mac running at its best. It does require some knowledge, and if you are not familiar with some of the more advanced aspects of your Mac, you are going to want to spend some time reading the help section of the app, so you don't mess anything up.

OnyX performs a lot of functions, most of which are already available on a Mac. However, many of them are buried away in places that are just not convenient to find. It allows you to perform all kinds of useful tasks that will keep your Mac running as smoothly as possible without having to go and dig through the preferences and options hidden away in the unused trenches.

Using The App

hidden mac options

When you first launch the application, it will run through a couple of checks to make sure your disks are functioning properly. These should only take a couple of minutes, and once finished you will be able to jump into the program and use all of the cool features.

hidden features on mac

Everything in OnyX is divided into sections, each of which are designed for a specific purpose. All of them have the ultimate goal of making your Mac run more efficiently and faster, which is of course, a good thing.

The first section is called Verify. This is where you will see the results of the processes that occur when the program runs the first time. There is not much to be done in this section, but if you decide you want to run those tests again, you can do so from here.

hidden features on mac

The next section is called Maintenance. From here you have the option of running various scripts and adjusting some options for your Mac.

hidden features on mac

Cleaning is where you will come to clear unnecessary files from your Mac. You can clear the cache for System, Users, Browser, and more from this section. You can check and uncheck certain options so you are in control of what gets deleted and what remains on your Mac. You'd be surprised how much space you can save on your hard drive deleting all these useless files.

hidden settings on mac

Utilities is where you will come to access many of the lesser known utilities on your Mac. You can access all of these outside of OnyX, but they are hard to find, and OnyX puts them all in one easy to access place. The last page tab, called Applications, features some really cool programs like Screen Sharing, Network Diagnostics and more.

The rest of the panels feature some more advanced functions, so make sure to take the time to read the Help sections to familiarize yourself with them.

hidden settings on mac

The next sections is called Automation. In here, you can quickly check off many of the functions within in the app and run them at one time. Not everything is here, as many of the functions in OnyX require a good amount of tuning, but the more basic functions can be checked off and launched in here in batches.

It makes running some of the scripts and functions a much quicker process than it would be going through them individually.

hidden settings on mac

Parameters allows you to adjust many settings on the Mac. You can tweak options for Finder, Dock, Quicktime, Safari, Mail and more. The list of options for each thing is massive, so there is plenty of customizing and tweaking you can do. Like all sections, you are going to want to take your time and understand what each item actually does.

hidden mac options

The last section is called Info, and in here is where you will come to see more data on your Mac hardware. You can view your HDD and RAM from here. You can quickly purge your inactive memory to speed up your Mac. You can also view the protection page to see the possible malware on your Mac.

Conclusion

The list of things you can do with OnyX is massive. The best thing to do is play around with it and see what interests you. You can really fine-tune the performance of your Mac in a way that most other programs simply cannot offer. It's easy enough to use, but there is a learning curve for some of the more advanced functions. It's free, and definitely work installing on your Mac.