# Shiny

> Shiny is a tiny, calm macOS menu-bar app that frees up memory and quiets background apps in one tap. Pay $4.99 once, use it on up to three Macs forever. No subscription, no telemetry, no account.

Shiny is built and maintained by Theodore HQ, an independent Mac developer based in the United Kingdom. The app is signed by Apple's Developer ID programme and notarized. It does not use kernel extensions, system extensions, Full Disk Access, Accessibility, or Screen Recording. It works only with running processes and memory; it never reads, writes, or deletes user files.

## Documentation
- [Homepage](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/): product overview, features, pricing, FAQ
- [Privacy policy](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/privacy): plain-English data-handling document
- [Terms of use](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/terms): license, newsletter clause, governing law

## Get Shiny
- [Download](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/download): direct .dmg download (Universal binary, ~9.5 MB)
- [Buy a license](https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_jNiVD0ruwSDk97GJbXGVksXqX0RdywRxSxjZR3xlhat): $4.99 one-time, three-Mac license, processed by Polar

## Blog (the Shiny blog)
The Shiny blog publishes plain-English answers to the questions Mac owners actually ask about memory, performance, and what makes a Mac feel slow. Voice is calm, non-technical, and honest. Categories: Memory explained, Slow Mac fixes, Mac & macOS guides, App memory guides, App comparisons, Honest reviews, About Shiny.

### Category landing pages
- [Memory, explained](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/memory-explained): 13 posts on memory pressure, swap, compressed memory, App Memory, unified memory, and what the words mean
- [Slow Mac fixes](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/slow-mac-fixes): 26 posts diagnosing what's actually slowing a Mac down, calm and non-alarmist
- [Mac & macOS guides](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-macos-guides): 16 posts targeting specific Mac models (M1 Air, M2/M3/M4/M5, Intel 2019) and macOS versions (Sequoia, Tahoe, Ventura, Golden Gate)
- [App memory guides](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/app-memory-guides): 24 posts on RAM-heavy apps (Chrome, Slack, Teams, Zoom, Safari, VS Code, Photoshop, Docker, Cursor, Spotify, WhatsApp, Notion, Excel) and what to do
- [App comparisons](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/app-comparisons): 31 head-to-head and alternatives posts (Shiny vs CleanMyMac, vs MacKeeper, vs Sensei, vs Memory Cleaner, vs iStat Menus, CleanMyMac vs AppCleaner/OnyX/CCleaner/MacBooster, MacBooster vs MacKeeper, MacKeeper vs CCleaner, DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac, etc.)
- [Honest reviews](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/honest-reviews): 12 honest reviews of cleaner suites and utilities (CleanMyMac, MacKeeper, CCleaner, MacBooster, Sensei, App Tamer), concedes safety where warranted, reframes whether you need them
- [About Shiny](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/about-shiny): 5 posts on Shiny's pricing philosophy, no-telemetry stance, and the decisions behind how it's built

### Individual posts
- [Blog index](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/): all posts, categorised
- [Why is my Mac so slow?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/why-is-my-mac-so-slow): the highest-volume diagnostic, plain-English causes and fixes
- [How to free up RAM on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/how-to-free-up-ram-on-mac): step-by-step guide with HowTo schema
- [What is memory pressure on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-memory-pressure-on-mac): cornerstone explainer of the green/yellow/red Activity Monitor graph
- [Is CleanMyMac actually safe to install?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/is-cleanmymac-safe): honest review, concedes safety, reframes whether you actually need it
- [Shiny vs CleanMyMac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-cleanmymac): direct comparison, honest about where each one wins
- [Best memory cleaner for Mac (2026)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-mac-memory-cleaner-2026): ranked list of 5 legitimate options with ItemList schema
- [Are Mac cleaner apps actually worth it?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/are-mac-cleaners-worth-it): honest evaluation of the category as a whole
- [How much RAM do you actually need on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/how-much-ram-do-i-need-mac): plain-English buying guide by use case
- [How to use Activity Monitor on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/how-to-use-activity-monitor-mac): walkthrough with HowTo schema
- [Why is my MacBook so slow?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/why-is-my-macbook-so-slow): laptop-specific diagnostic covering heat, battery, sleep
- [What is swap on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-swap-on-mac): definitional explainer of swap memory and when it matters
- [Why is my Mac freezing?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/why-is-my-mac-freezing): symptom-specific diagnostic covering hung apps and memory pressure
- [How to reduce Chrome's memory usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/how-to-reduce-chrome-memory-mac): step-by-step with HowTo schema
- [Chrome on Mac: why it eats RAM](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/chrome-mac-memory-usage): explanation of Chrome's process-per-tab architecture
- [Does closing apps free RAM on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/does-closing-apps-free-ram-mac): myth-bust on closing vs quitting
- [What is purgeable disk space on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-purgeable-space-mac): clarifies disk vs RAM confusion
- [What does "your system has run out of application memory" mean?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/system-out-of-application-memory-mac): explainer for the iconic macOS error
- [What is the WindowServer process on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-windowserver-mac): explainer with Sequoia/Tahoe leak context
- [Why is my Mac slow after a macOS update?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-slow-after-update): post-update diagnostic with the 72-hour rule
- [How to make an old Mac feel fast again](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/make-old-mac-fast-again): six-step HowTo for older Macs
- [How to fix "your system has run out of application memory"](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/fix-out-of-application-memory-mac): action-oriented HowTo for the error
- [macOS Tahoe slow? Here's what to fix](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macos-tahoe-slow): Tahoe-specific diagnostic, refreshable annually
- [8GB vs 16GB Mac: when does it actually matter?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/8gb-vs-16gb-mac): buying-decision essay
- [Shiny vs MacKeeper](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-mackeeper): head-to-head with honest MacKeeper history
- [CleanMyMac alternatives (free and cheap)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-alternatives): categorised list with ItemList schema
- [Why is my Mac fan running constantly?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-fan-running-constantly): laptop-specific diagnostic for fan noise and thermal throttling
- [Why is my Mac running hot?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-running-hot): heat-specific diagnostic, sister to the fan post
- [How to clear memory on Mac without restarting](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/clear-memory-mac-without-restart): HowTo schema with five non-restart options
- [How to read memory pressure colours on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/read-memory-pressure-colours-mac): practical companion to the memory pressure explainer
- [MacBook Air M1 8GB in 2026: still worth keeping?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbook-air-m1-8gb-2026): model-specific buying/keeping decision
- [Safari memory leaks on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/safari-memory-leak-mac): app-specific guide for Safari memory issues
- [Slack on Mac: 2GB RAM and what to do about it](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/slack-mac-memory-usage): Electron-app explainer for Slack memory
- [Shiny vs Memory Cleaner (Nektony)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-memory-cleaner): head-to-head with the free + paid Nektony app
- [Shiny vs Activity Monitor: do you need both?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-activity-monitor): educational comparison framing them as complementary
- [Do Macs actually slow down over time?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/do-macs-slow-down-over-time): myth-bust with honest hardware/software framing
- [Why does my Mac get slower over time?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/why-does-my-mac-get-slower-over-time): action-focused diagnostic for the four common contributors
- [Why is the spinning beach ball happening so much?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-spinning-beach-ball): the iconic wait-cursor explained
- [How to check RAM usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/check-ram-usage-mac): HowTo schema, Activity Monitor walkthrough
- [How to force-quit apps on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/force-quit-apps-mac): HowTo schema, the three force-quit methods
- [How to stop apps launching at startup on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/stop-apps-launching-startup-mac): HowTo schema, login items audit
- [MacBook Air M2 with 8GB](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbook-air-m2-8gb): M2-specific buying/keeping decision
- [MacBook Air M3 and M4 performance reality](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbook-air-m3-m4-performance): the 16GB-base-RAM story
- [MacBook Pro 2019 i9 in macOS Tahoe](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbook-pro-2019-tahoe): final-Intel-supported MBP guide
- [Microsoft Teams "killing my Mac"](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/microsoft-teams-mac-memory): app-specific Electron-based Teams diagnostic
- [Shiny vs Memory Clean 3](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-memory-clean-3): comparison with FIPLAB's Memory Clean 3
- [What is virtual memory on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-virtual-memory-mac): definitional explainer of the umbrella concept
- [What is kernel_task and why is it using high CPU?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-kernel-task-mac): explainer with the counterintuitive thermal-throttling framing
- [How to disable background processes on Mac safely](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/disable-background-processes-mac): HowTo schema, sister to login items post
- [macOS Sequoia memory leak guide](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macos-sequoia-memory-leak): the WindowServer + iPhone Mirroring + Mail.app leaks and patches
- [Zoom high CPU on Mac during calls](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/zoom-mac-cpu-calls): app-specific guide to Zoom's CPU profile during calls
- [Shiny vs Memory Diag](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-memory-diag): comparison with Rocky Sand Studio's pressure-graph monitor
- [Shiny vs iStat Menus](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-istat-menus): honest "different jobs" framing vs Bjango's monitoring suite
- [MacKeeper alternatives (free and paid)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mackeeper-alternatives): categorised mix-and-match alternatives by job
- [Best free Mac memory cleaner (2026)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-free-mac-memory-cleaner): ranked list of legitimate free options, Shiny disclosed as paid alternative
- [Does sudo purge actually work on Apple Silicon?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/does-sudo-purge-work-apple-silicon): myth-bust on the Terminal command's effectiveness
- [What is compressed memory on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-compressed-memory-mac): explainer of macOS automatic memory compression since Mavericks
- [What is App Memory in Activity Monitor?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/what-is-app-memory-mac): definitional explainer of the App Memory row and why pressure matters more
- [Cached Files vs RAM on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cached-files-vs-ram-mac): clarifies the two cache concepts and when each one matters
- [Mac mini M1 and M2 performance reality](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-mini-m1-m2-performance): desktop-specific buying/keeping guide for the Apple Silicon Mac mini
- [Discord on Mac: how much memory it uses](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/discord-mac-memory-usage): app-specific Electron explainer for Discord memory
- [Figma on Mac: helper renderer explained](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/figma-mac-memory-usage): app-specific Chromium-wrapper guide for Figma desktop
- [Shiny vs OnyX](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-onyx): honest comparison framing the free maintenance utility as complementary
- [Best Mac apps for 8GB RAM](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-mac-apps-8gb-ram): categorised lightweight app recommendations for low-memory Macs
- [Does macOS use all your RAM on purpose?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/does-macos-use-all-ram-on-purpose): myth-bust framing high RAM usage as a feature, not a bug
- [Should you quit apps or leave them open on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/quit-apps-or-leave-open-mac): plain-English answer to the most-asked Mac habit question
- [What is unified memory on Apple Silicon?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/unified-memory-explained): definitional explainer of the M-series shared-memory architecture
- [What is wired memory on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/wired-memory-mac): explainer of kernel-pinned memory and what makes it grow
- [Why is my Mac running slow all of a sudden?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-suddenly-slow): diagnostic for sudden slowdowns, the four most common causes
- [Why is my new Mac already slow?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/new-mac-slow): buyer's-remorse diagnostic for new Macs, with honest Migration Assistant framing
- [Is 8GB RAM enough on Apple Silicon in 2026?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/is-8gb-enough-apple-silicon): head-term buying-decision essay, honest yes/no framework
- [CleanMyMac vs CCleaner vs MacKeeper](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-ccleaner-vs-mackeeper): three-way honest comparison with brief Shiny mention as fourth option
- [CleanMyMac vs MacKeeper](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-mackeeper): two-way comparison with honest verdict that CleanMyMac is the better app
- [Is MacKeeper a scam? An honest history](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/is-mackeeper-scam): history of Zeobit/Kromtech/Clario, scareware era, current state
- [What "no telemetry" actually means](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/no-telemetry-explained): brand essay on Shiny's no-data-collection stance and the trade-offs
- [Why Shiny costs $4.99 once and not $40 a year](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-pricing-philosophy): pricing essay on the one-time-pay vs subscription fork
- [How to monitor memory pressure from the menu bar](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/monitor-memory-menu-bar): HowTo with Stats setup steps, comparing four credible menu-bar tools
- [macOS Sonoma still slow? What still applies in 2026](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macos-sonoma-slow-2026): version-specific diagnostic for users still on Sonoma
- [iMac slow? A guide for the desktop crowd](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/imac-slow): desktop-iMac diagnostic across Intel and Apple Silicon generations
- [Should I buy more RAM or a new Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/more-ram-or-new-mac): buyer-decision essay for the Apple Silicon constraint
- [Xcode memory consumption: a developer's guide](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/xcode-memory-mac): app-specific guide for sourcekit-lsp, SwiftUI Previews, and Simulators
- [VS Code high memory on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/vscode-mac-memory): Electron-extension-process explainer for VS Code memory
- [Setapp vs one-time-purchase Mac apps](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/setapp-vs-one-time-apps): bundle-math comparison with Shiny as one example of the alternative
- [Memory Clean alternatives](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/memory-clean-alternatives): five modern Apple-Silicon-friendly alternatives, ranked by job
- [Best Mac apps with no telemetry](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-mac-apps-no-telemetry): six privacy-first apps across browser, notes, RSS, PDF, memory, and launcher
- [Do Macs need maintenance like Windows PCs?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/do-macs-need-maintenance): honest myth-bust separating cleaner-ad fiction from real Mac habits
- [What is jetsam on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/jetsam-mac): explainer of the kernel-level OOM killer mechanism
- [Why does my Mac stutter scrolling Safari?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-safari-stutter): scroll-jitter diagnostic across page weight, extensions, and pressure
- [Why does my Mac take forever to wake from sleep?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-slow-wake-sleep): wake-from-sleep diagnostic across memory, displays, peripherals
- [How to use sudo purge safely on Apple Silicon](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/sudo-purge-apple-silicon-howto): HowTo for the Terminal command, with honest expectation-setting
- [macOS Ventura performance guide](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macos-ventura-performance): version-specific guide for the macOS 13 holdouts in 2026
- [Photoshop slow on 8GB Mac: what's actually possible](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/photoshop-8gb-mac): honest expectations for Photoshop on a low-memory Mac
- [Lightroom RAM usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/lightroom-mac-ram): app-specific guide including the 23GB anecdote explained
- [Electron apps on Mac: the growing footprint](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/electron-apps-mac-memory): meta-post on Spotify/WhatsApp/Notion/Slack memory category
- [Best one-time-purchase Mac apps](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-one-time-purchase-mac-apps): seven Mac apps you can buy once and use forever
- [Best subscription-free Mac apps](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-subscription-free-mac-apps): seven free, open-source, or one-time-pay Mac apps
- [Best lightweight Mac utilities under 10MB](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/best-lightweight-mac-utilities): seven small, focused Mac utilities, Shiny's home turf
- [The honest engineering of pausing background apps on macOS](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/pausing-background-apps): technical writeup on SIGSTOP/SIGCONT
- [What I learned shipping a Mac app as a UK indie](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shipping-mac-app-uk-indie): meta-essay on shipping Shiny solo from the UK
- [iStat Menus vs Stats (open source)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/istat-menus-vs-stats): paid-vs-free system-monitor comparison, honest verdict
- [Shiny vs Sensei](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/shiny-vs-sensei): head-to-head against Cindori's full performance-dashboard suite
- [Sensei review: is it worth it?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/sensei-review): standalone review of Sensei's memory, CPU, temperature, fan, and battery dashboard
- [Is MacBooster safe?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/is-macbooster-safe): honest account of the Malwarebytes PUP flag and Macworld's criticism
- [MacBooster alternatives (free and paid)](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbooster-alternatives): categorised mix-and-match alternatives by job
- [App Tamer review: does it actually help?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/app-tamer-review): review of St. Clair Software's CPU-throttling utility, distinct from memory relief
- [CleanMyMac vs AppCleaner](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-appcleaner): paid suite vs free single-purpose uninstaller
- [CleanMyMac vs OnyX](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-onyx): paid guided suite vs free donationware maintenance tool
- [CleanMyMac vs CCleaner](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-ccleaner): Mac-native suite vs cross-platform cleaner brand
- [DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/daisydisk-vs-cleanmymac): single-purpose disk visualiser vs all-in-one suite
- [CleanMyMac vs MacBooster](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cleanmymac-vs-macbooster): similar price, very different trust records
- [MacBooster vs MacKeeper](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macbooster-vs-mackeeper): two brands with reputation problems, compared honestly
- [MacKeeper vs CCleaner](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mackeeper-vs-ccleaner): full security suite vs narrower cross-platform cleaner
- [macOS 27 Golden Gate: the dasd memory leak explained](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/macos-27-dasd-memory-leak): live beta bug where a background process eats 20-70GB of RAM, verified against MacRumors reports
- [M5 MacBook: how much RAM do you actually need?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/m5-mac-ram-guide): buying-decision guide for the March 2026 M5 lineup, honest about real memory-pressure reports on higher configs
- [Docker Desktop on Mac: why it eats memory](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/docker-desktop-mac-memory): explains the Linux VM under the hood and why idle memory use is real
- [Cursor on Mac: why it uses so much memory](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/cursor-mac-memory): AI code editor's documented 40GB+ memory reports and what helps
- [Spotify on Mac: the memory leak nobody's fixed](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/spotify-mac-memory-usage): years of community forum reports, up to 79GB before crashing
- [WhatsApp Desktop memory usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/whatsapp-desktop-mac-memory): the native-to-Electron rebuild and its real memory cost
- [Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve: memory usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/premiere-pro-davinci-resolve-mac-memory): why video editing legitimately uses huge amounts of RAM, and when it's excessive
- [Postman on Mac: why it eats memory](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/postman-mac-memory): years of GitHub issue reports on the API testing tool's memory profile
- [Why does Mail use so much memory on Mac?](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/mac-mail-memory-usage): the built-in email app's documented post-update memory spikes
- [Notion on Mac: memory usage explained](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/notion-mac-memory): why workspace size and Electron architecture drive memory use
- [Claude and ChatGPT desktop apps: memory usage on Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/claude-chatgpt-desktop-mac-memory): documented resource issues in both companies' own bug trackers
- [OBS on Mac: why screen recording drains memory](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/obs-mac-memory): real-time capture overhead and the settings that help
- [Why an external monitor slows down your Mac](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/external-monitor-mac-slow): the unified memory mechanism behind a genuinely real slowdown
- [Parallels and VMware: why your VM eats memory](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/parallels-vm-mac-memory): why a running VM reserves real RAM and why it doesn't always release cleanly
- [Excel slow or low on memory on Mac: what's happening](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/blog/excel-mac-memory): volatile functions, whole-column formulas, and other spreadsheet habits that drive memory use up

## FAQ
- [FAQ on the homepage](https://www.theodorehq.com/shiny/#faq): 31 questions, including a connected search hub

## Key facts
- Price: $4.99 USD, one-time payment. No subscription. License is permanent.
- License covers up to three Macs the buyer personally uses.
- Minimum macOS: macOS 13 Ventura. Runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) and Intel.
- Network activity: two requests, both visible in tools like Little Snitch. (1) Once-a-day Sparkle update check against theodorehq.com. (2) License activation check against api.polar.sh on first launch.
- No analytics, no telemetry, no usage tracking, no crash reports.
- Email use: license email is held by Polar (the licensing platform that processed the purchase) and THEODOREHQ for the customer newsletter. Every newsletter email contains a one-click unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing has no effect on the license.
- Refund policy: not offered. Statutory consumer rights under UK and EU law are unaffected.
- Governing law: England and Wales.

## What Shiny does, in plain English
When the user clicks the menu-bar button, Shiny does three things:
1. Closes orphaned helper processes that their parent app forgot about.
2. Asks macOS to release inactive memory it is holding.
3. Pauses apps that have been idle for hours and are still hogging RAM. macOS resumes paused apps instantly when the user switches back to them, the same way Sleep mode does.

Shiny is idle the rest of the time. There is a small persistent helper (a LaunchDaemon) that allows Shiny to act instantly when the user clicks; the helper does no work until invoked.

## What Shiny is not
Shiny is not a "Mac cleaner" suite. It does not scan disks, manage updates, run uninstallers, delete files, clear caches, or browse the file system. It is a focused memory-management utility, not a maintenance suite.