A Mac diagnostic that shows its work.

How we build: principles

These are rules in the code, not slogans. Each one has tests, and the safety ones have a test for every refusal.

1. No placebo

   A Mac does not get faster because a button emptied its file cache. Apps just reread those files from disk. So Hedroom has no such button, and no scan that invents a count to scare you with.

   In the app: If nothing needs fixing, it says "All good." and stays quiet.

   What Hedroom never does

2. Pressure, not "used RAM"

   A Mac that uses all its memory is working as designed. What hurts is memory pressure and swap growing. Every memory judgment in Hedroom is based on those two.

   In the app: It names the one app that has grown to several times its usual size and stayed there, and shows its reasoning.

   Memory pressure vs "used RAM"

3. Apple's processes are off limits

   macOS needs its own processes. Hedroom explains them in plain words but will not pause, demote or quit anything signed by Apple.

   In the app: The one exception is an Apple app you use yourself, such as Xcode, which you can relaunch or quit with a click. Rules never touch it.

   The full refusal list

4. You decide

   Nothing is quit, paused or changed without you. Quitting asks the app to quit, as ⌘Q does. Force quit needs a second, separate confirmation.

   In the app: Rules ship switched off, and each one goes through the same safety checks as a click.

   Fixes, with your consent

5. Everything can be undone

   A paused app resumes when you switch to it, and in any case within 60 minutes. Cleaned files go to the Trash, and startup items are turned off, not deleted.

   In the app: If Hedroom crashes mid-pause, a small guard process resumes the app.

   Storage cleanup

6. Every action gets a receipt

   After an action Hedroom compares readings from before and after, and says what it can show. If it cannot measure an effect, the receipt says "No measurable effect."

   In the app: It would rather miss a small win than claim one it cannot show.

   Receipts

7. Nothing leaves your Mac

   Process names, paths, usage and receipts stay on your Mac. Hedroom goes online only to check your license, look for updates, fetch a signed process library, and send feedback when you press Send.

   In the app: Version 1.0 has no analytics and no crash-reporting service.

   Privacy

8. Cheap to run

   A tool that diagnoses slowness must not cause it. Hedroom has a budget of under 0.5% of one core and under 80 MB of memory on average.

   In the app: We publish what we measured, including the numbers that missed.

   Requirements and measured footprint

9. Never deleted without your permission

   Every deletion, even of a file you selected yourself, needs your confirmation of that exact list, each time. There is no "don't ask again". No rule, notification or schedule can delete anything.

   In the app: Test runs of Hedroom are blocked from touching real files, so the tests cannot delete your data either.

   What Hedroom never does

The same rules, written as promises: What Hedroom never does. How the privileged helper and the browser companion are limited: Security and Trust.

What we've built so far

Facts you can check against the features and requirements pages. Nothing here is a user count, because Hedroom has no users yet.

Status: not yet released. The signed, notarized build, the private beta and runs on 8 GB and 16 GB Macs are still ahead. See the roadmap for what is built, what is verified and what is planned.