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Avast One Cleanup - Getting Started

This article is about the Avast Cleanup in the new version of Avast One. For information about using the standalone version of Avast Cleanup, refer to the following article: Avast Cleanup - Getting Started.

Avast Cleanup Premium is an optimization tool that includes a range of scans designed to detect unnecessary items and performance issues. These scans help free up disk space and improve your system's speed.

This article assumes that Avast Cleanup Premium has been activated on your device through Avast One. For detailed instructions, refer to the following article: Installing and Activating Avast One apps.

Scan your Windows device

To scan your Windows device for the first time using Avast Cleanup:

  1. Open Avast One, hover your cursor over the side menu and select Cleanup.
  2. Ensure that Status is selected, then click Scan now to perform a general scan.
  3. The scan results are shown on the main dashboard. To perform subsequent general scans, click Rescan.
  4. When the scan is complete, follow the instructions for each found issue.

The general scan looks for junk items that can be cleaned and ways to improve system performance. For detailed instructions about each category, refer to the sections below.

Free up disk space

Avast Cleanup Premium scans for and safely deletes system junk and web browser data to free up disk space.

  1. There are four features that can help you free up disk space: Browser Cleaner, Broken Shortcuts, Broken Registry Keys, and Disk Cleaner. Select the category that you want to clean, such as Disk Cleaner.
  2. Choose your preferred Cleaning mode.
    When you clean your browsers, if you select the Full mode, Browser Cleaner will delete the auto-fill data saved in your selected browsers.
  3. Click Clean.
    If you are cleaning your browsers and your browsers are open, close them, then click Continue.
  4. When cleaning is complete, click Back to Dashboard or Keep cleaning.

The selected file categories are now cleaned.

Enable Auto-Clean

Auto-Clean runs silently in the background with no actions required from you and frees up space on your Windows device by removing dispensable items, such as broken shortcuts and registry items.

To enable Auto-Clean:

  1. Select Auto-Clean.
  2. Click the red (OFF) slider so that it changes to green (ON).
  3. Optionally, use the menu to specify the frequency of scans.
  4. Optionally, select the file types you want Avast Cleanup Premium to remove during automatic cleaning. The file types that Avast ticks automatically are safe to clean without losing crucial data.

Auto-Clean is now enabled.

Manage applications

Avast Cleanup Premium scans your Windows device for outdated or unused applications, then allows you to easily update, sleep, or uninstall them. This helps ensure that your applications are running optimally and frees up resources on your Windows device.

Put applications to sleep

Certain applications slow down your system by running silently in the background. Avast Cleanup Premium scans for these applications, then allows you to safely put them to sleep and boost performance.

  1. Select Sleep Mode ▸ Scan now.
  2. The Sleep Mode screen shows applications that are running unnecessarily in the background and slowing down your Windows device. To put an application to sleep, click the green (ON) slider next to an application, so that it changes to red (OFF).
If you use an application on a daily basis, we do not recommend putting it to sleep. Additionally, certain applications need to run in the background to offer full functionality. For example, if you put WhatsApp to sleep, you may miss incoming calls or messages.

The selected applications are now sleeping. You can open and use sleeping applications as normal. After you close the application, Avast Cleanup Premium automatically returns its status to sleeping.

To turn on a sleeping application, click the red (OFF) slider next to an application so that it changes to green (ON).

On devices with Windows 10 and higher, the Sleep Mode feature supports applications installed through the Microsoft Store. The relevant applications are installed in a Sleep state by default.

Preview app removal

Avast Cleanup can provide a secure simulated environment to practice removing software, without the risk of losing essential programs. To simulate uninstalling an app, refer to the steps below:

  1. Select Uninstall Simulator.
  2. Choose an application you want to preview uninstalling, and click Simulate.

A secure simulated environment is created to help you check the effect of removing the app from your Windows device.

Click Restore next to an application to restore it.

Uninstall unused applications

  1. Select App Uninstaller.
  2. Choose an application you want to uninstall, and click Uninstall.
  3. Select Uninstall to confirm the unistallation of the application.

The application is now uninstalled.

To change the duration after which applications should be categorized as unused, click Settings (the gear icon) on the App Uninstaller screen, then choose your preferred duration using the drop-down menu under Unused programs.

Update applications

  1. Select Software Updater.
  2. Find the application you want to update, and click Update.

The application is now updated.

Undo changes

Undo Center helps you to review and undo recent changes made by Avast Cleanup:

  1. Select Undo Center.
  2. Click the drop-down arrow beside the date a backup was made.
  3. Click Undo next to changes you wish to reverse.

The changes are now reversed.

Scan your Mac

To scan your Mac for the first time using Avast Cleanup:

  1. Open Avast One and select Cleanup Premium in the side menu.
  2. Ensure that Status is selected, then click Start scan to perform a general scan.
  3. The scan results are shown on the main dashboard. To perform subsequent general scans, click Rescan.
  4. When the scan is complete, follow the instructions for each found issue.

The general scan looks for junk items that can be cleaned and ways to improve system performance. For detailed instructions about each category, refer to the sections below.

Clean your browsers

The Browser Cleaner option allows you to easily remove cookies and other browsing data from your web browsers. The following options are available:

  • Run a manual scan and specify which data you want to remove.
  • Configure Avast Cleanup Premium to run automatic scans.
  • Add allowed websites that are always exempt when Avast Cleanup Premium clears cookies and other browsing data.
  • Import bookmarks to stay signed in to your saved websites, even after Avast Cleanup Premium deletes cookies.

Run a manual scan

  1. Select Browser Cleaner ▸ Start scan.
  2. For each browser, use the drop-down menu to select the items you want to remove.
  3. Click Clean to remove the selected data.
  4. Click Done to return to the main Avast Cleanup Premium screen.

Schedule automatic scans

  1. On the Browser Cleaner screen, click Settings (the gear icon).
  2. Click Change under Automatically scan your browsers.
  3. Use the drop-down menus to specify how regularly you want Avast Cleanup Premium to scan the browser for cookies and browsing data.
  4. Select the relevant browsers, then click Save.
  5. Under Website History, choose the frequency of the automatic scan.

Automatic scanning is enabled for the selected browser.

Add allowed websites

  1. On the Browser Cleaner screen, click Settings (the gear icon).
  2. Add a website using either Option A or Option B below:
    • Option A: Enter a website (for example, example.com) into the text box, then click Add.
    • Option B: Select a website from the Choose from popular websites drop-down menu, then click Add.

The selected website is now excluded from cookie clearing.

Import bookmarks

To import your browser bookmarks and stay logged in even after cleaning cookies:

  1. On the Browser Cleaner screen, click Settings (the gear icon).
  2. Click Import bookmarks.
  3. Select the relevant browsers, then click Import.

Clear disk space

The Disk Cleaner option scans your Mac for unnecessary files and allows you to select which files are deleted to clear disk space. To run a scan and remove files:

  1. Select Disk Cleaner ▸ Start scan.
  2. Select the files you want to remove, and click Clean.
  3. If prompted, enter the password that you use when you start your Mac, and click OK.
  4. Click Done to return to the main Avast Cleanup Premium screen.

Remove duplicate files

The Duplicate Finder option scans your Mac for duplicate files. To run a scan and remove duplicate files:

  1. Select Duplicate Finder ▸ Find duplicates.
  2. Tick the location(s) you want to scan for duplicate files. To add additional folders or external drives, click Add folder, and select a folder or drive.
  3. Click Scan for duplicates.
  4. After the scan completes, select the files you want to remove.
  5. Optionally, click …. The following options are available:
    • Keep oldest files: Automatically selects the newest version of each file for removal.
    • Keep newest files: Automatically selects the oldest version of each file for removal.
    • Diselect all: Deselects all files and allows you to manually select files for removal. Tick each file that you want to remove. After you tick a file, Select none becomes Custom selection.
  6. After selecting the files you want to remove, click Delete.
  7. If prompted, enter the password that you use when you start your Mac, then click OK.
  8. Click Done to return to the main Avast Cleanup Premium screen.

Identify bad or similar photos

The Photo Cleaner option scans your Mac for photos that are blurry, badly lit, or similar. To run a scan and review bad or similar photos:

  1. Click Photo Cleaner ▸ Look for photos.
  2. Tick the location(s) you want to scan for photos. To add additional folders, external drives, or specific photos, click Add folder, then select the folder, drive, or photo.
  3. Click Scan.
  4. After the scan completes, click Review under either Bad photos or Similar photos to see the photos that Avast Cleanup Premium has identified.
  5. Select the files you want to remove. Optionally, click … and choose Select recommended.
  6. After selecting the photos you want to delete, click Delete selected.
  7. Click Yes, delete to confirm deletion of your selected photos.
  8. Click Done or Review and repeat steps 4-7 above to continue reviewing and deleting photos.

Uninstall apps you no longer use

The App Uninstaller option allows you to easily find and remove applications you no longer use, to keep your Mac tidy and free up space. To uninstall apps you no longer use:

  1. Click App Uninstaller ▸ Scan for apps.
  2. Tick the box next to an app to select it, then click Uninstall
  3. Click Uninstall to confirm removal of the selected apps from your Mac.
  4. If prompted, enter the password that you use when you start your Mac, then click OK.
  5. Click Done to return to the main Avast Cleanup Premium screen.

Manage startup items

The Manage Startups option allows you to turn off unnecessary processes that launch automatically when you start up your Mac, preventing issues like slowness or long loading screens. To manage your startup items:

  1. Click Manage Startups ▸ Manage startup items.
  2. Click the green (ON) slider next to a startup item, so that it changes to red (OFF).
  3. To view additional details and options, click the arrow next to the relevant startup item.
  • Avast One
  • Avast Cleanup
  • Windows and macOS


Updated on: 22/10/2025

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