Mac comes with plenty of features, but not all users are able to utilize them. This could be because they never knew such a feature exists on their device, or the feature is hidden so deep inside the Settings that it’s difficult to access it. Such users can use the third-party software, called OnyX, which will help them to access hidden features in Mac.
What is OnyX?
OnyX is software from Titanium Software, and it was first released in 2002. This software is primarily used as a tool for Mac maintenance and optimization. Moreover, it also provides users with a nice and clean user interface. This software also has several menu items, such as maintenance, clearing, utilities and more, giving users information on the tasks that they should perform.
It will also, from time to time, recommend users to keep their Mac clean and optimize the performance. The software also automatically restarts the computer once you perform an optimization activity, such as clearing font caches.
Additionally, if you don’t want to perform every task manually, then OnyX has an option to automate things as well. Many of the features that this software offers are available in other apps or system services as well. However, the advantage with OnyX is that it brings all those features into one place.
It must be noted that all the features that OnyX offers are already there in your Mac, the software just makes it very easy to access and use them. OnyX software is available to download free of cost from Titanium Software’s website. There is, however, a donation option on the website.
You will find all versions of OnyX’s software listed on the site and all are freeware. Make sure you download the correct version of the software for the macOS or OS X version you have on your Mac.
How to use OnyX
After you have installed OnyX on your device, and launched it, it will verify your Mac’s startup disk structure. It may take some time before it verifies the structure and allows you to use OnyX. It will do the verification each time you use the software. You can, however, cancel the verification option if you want.
If you want, you can schedule the verification for some time later. This you can do from within the software, or with the help of Disk Utility. After you are done with the verification, OnyX will open as a single-window app. There will be a toolbar at the top, including features that the app offers, such as Utilities, Parameters, Cleaning, Automation, Maintenance and more (discussed later).
“OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the structure of the system files, to run miscellaneous maintenance and cleaning tasks, to configure parameters in the Finder, Dock, Safari, and some of Apple’s applications, to delete caches, to remove certain problematic folders and files, to rebuild various databases and indexes, and more,” says the official description of the software.
Now that you know what OnyX is and how to use it, let’s discuss its features that help you access hidden features in Mac.
OnyX offers several functions, but some of the most important ones are discussed below:
Info and Logs – this is similar to the “About This Mac” menu item. In addition to basic information about the device, the feature also provides you with the list of malware which Mac’s built-in malware detection system has been able to protect your computer from. It does not give any more information on the malware, like information (if any) it shared with hackers. The log also informs when the last update was performed and the time-wise detail of all the tasks performed by OnyX.
Maintenance – this is one of the most important functions and gives users access to maintenance tasks that can help optimize the performance of the Mac. For example, Mac users can use this to run maintenance scripts, cache files, repair file permissions, rebuild services and verify Mac’s startup drive.
Cleaning – this system helps you to delete system cache files, and this, in turn, could help boost the system’s performance. Moreover, you can also use this to empty trash, delete large log files or delete specific files safely.
Automation – as the name suggests, it helps you to automate routine tasks. For instance, if you regularly clear caches, you can automate this task. Once you automate it, you will no longer have to clear the cache files manually. Also, you can add more than one task to single automation. For example, along with clearing caches, you can add deleting large log files to the automation as well.
Utilities – this is one function that truly helps you to access hidden features in Mac. The features that are hidden deep inside the Settings will be accessible from this function. For example, you can access Terminal’s manual pages (without opening the Terminal app), change file and disk visibility and more with just a click of a button. You can access hidden Mac apps as well, such as Color Picker, Wireless Diagnostics and more.
Parameters – this again allows you to access hidden features in Mac. Using this, you can change the look of the Mac and customize the interface as well.
You can refer to the below video as well:
