The quick version: CleanMyMac runs fully native on Apple Silicon, no Rosetta 2 translation involved, since MacPaw added M1 support back in 2021 and has kept pace through M2, M3, and M4. One genuinely useful feature specific to Apple Silicon owners: CleanMyMac can identify and strip unused Intel code, called Universal Binaries, out of other apps on your Mac, reclaiming space those instructions will never actually run.
Native support isn’t new or uncertain
MacPaw added native Apple Silicon support to CleanMyMac shortly after the first M1 Macs launched in late 2020, rebuilding the app’s under-the-hood architecture specifically to run on Apple’s ARM-based chips rather than relying on Rosetta 2’s translation layer. That native foundation has carried forward through every subsequent generation, M2, M3, and M4, without CleanMyMac needing another architectural overhaul each time a new chip arrives. If you’re on any current Apple Silicon Mac, you’re running CleanMyMac exactly as MacPaw built it, not through an emulation layer.
Why native matters here specifically
Rosetta 2 does a genuinely good job translating Intel-only software to run on Apple Silicon, well enough that most people never notice a meaningful slowdown for everyday use. But a maintenance and security tool is a slightly different case: it’s doing continuous background work, scanning files, monitoring for malware, tracking system resources, and running that through a translation layer rather than natively adds overhead to exactly the kind of task where efficiency matters most. Native support means CleanMyMac’s own scanning and monitoring isn’t adding translation overhead on top of what it’s already doing.
The Universal Binaries feature: a genuinely Apple Silicon-specific win
This is worth understanding on its own, since it’s not something Intel Mac owners have any use for. Many Mac apps ship as what’s called a Universal Binary, a single app package containing separate compiled code for both Intel and Apple Silicon architectures, so developers can distribute one download that works on either kind of Mac. Once installed on an Apple Silicon Mac, though, that Mac will only ever execute the ARM portion of the code. The Intel portion sits there taking up disk space without ever running.
CleanMyMac’s Cleanup module includes a Universal Binaries option specifically for this, identifying the unused Intel code inside apps you have installed and letting you remove it in a few clicks, reclaiming space that architecture alone made permanently unusable on your specific Mac.
Is it actually safe to remove that Intel code?
Yes, with one narrow caveat. If you genuinely never plan to use these apps on an Intel Mac and don’t have some specific reason to force an app to run under Rosetta on your Apple Silicon Mac, which is possible but unusual, removing the unused Intel portion doesn’t affect how the app runs for you at all. The app continues launching and behaving exactly as it did before, since the code being removed was never the code your Mac was executing in the first place.
What this doesn’t do
Worth being clear about the limits here. CleanMyMac’s own native performance and its Universal Binaries cleanup are both real, useful things, but neither one turns an Intel-only app you’re actively using into a native Apple Silicon app. If you’re running genuinely Intel-only software that has no universal or native version, that software still relies on Rosetta 2 to function at all, and no amount of junk cleanup changes that underlying architecture question. CleanMyMac can help you identify and manage those apps as part of its broader Applications module, but converting them to native code isn’t something any cleanup tool can do.
Getting the most out of CleanMyMac on your Apple Silicon Mac
Beyond the Universal Binaries cleanup, there’s nothing special you need to configure to get CleanMyMac running natively, it simply does by default on any M-series Mac. Running a Smart Care scan periodically will surface Universal Binaries opportunities alongside its usual junk and cache findings, so it’s not a separate step you need to remember, just another category the same scan already covers. You can download the CleanMyMac app for macOS and run a free scan to see how much space, if any, unused Intel code is taking up on your own Apple Silicon Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Whether you’re using CleanMyMac for macOS to free up space or optimize performance, the native Apple Silicon support means every scan runs at full speed. If you haven’t tried CleanMyMac on your M-series Mac yet, the Universal Binaries cleanup alone can recover gigabytes of unused disk space.
Does CleanMyMac run natively on M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs?
Yes. CleanMyMac added native Apple Silicon support starting with the M1 in 2021 and has continued running natively across every generation since, without relying on Rosetta 2.
What are Universal Binaries and why does CleanMyMac flag them?
Universal Binaries contain code for both Intel and Apple Silicon in one package. Since an Apple Silicon Mac only runs the ARM portion, CleanMyMac can identify and remove the unused Intel code to reclaim disk space.
Is it safe to remove Intel binaries from apps on an Apple Silicon Mac?
Yes, as long as you’re not planning to use the app on an Intel Mac or need Rosetta compatibility for a specific reason. Your Apple Silicon Mac never executes that code anyway.
Does CleanMyMac work with Intel-only apps through Rosetta 2?
CleanMyMac itself runs natively, so it doesn’t need Rosetta. It can still scan and manage other Intel-only apps you have installed, which continue running through Rosetta independently.