Avast Cleanup is a PC maintenance program for Windows. It removes junk data, controls background programs and repairs common system problems such as broken shortcuts, faulty registry entries and disk errors. It is a paid subscription product with a free trial. Avast also offers separate Cleanup editions for Mac, Android and iOS, each built around the cleaning tasks of its own platform.
Scan results and Quick Clean
Avast Cleanup starts with a general scan of the PC and shows the findings on its dashboard. The Quick Clean card collects the four most common types of clutter in one place: system junk, browser data, broken registry keys and broken shortcuts. They can be removed with a single click.
Each of these areas also has its own tool with three modes. Basic covers the safest items, Full widens the scope, and Custom lets the user pick categories by hand. Items can also be moved to an ignored list so later scans skip them.
Disk and browser cleaning
The Disk Cleaner looks for leftovers from installed and removed applications: installer files, program caches, temporary system files and old restore points. In Full mode it also clears the Downloads folder, log files, backups and the Recycle Bin, so Custom mode helps keep files a user still wants.
The Browser Cleaner handles cookies, browsing history and caches in more than 25 browsers, including Edge, Chrome and Firefox. The user makes choices per browser. Full mode also removes autofill data.
A Cloud Cleaner extends the same idea to online storage. After the user connects a cloud account, Avast Cleanup finds duplicate, large and old files there and offers them for removal.
Automatic cleaning
Auto-Clean and Automatic Maintenance run these jobs in the background without the user starting them. The user sets the schedule and the file types to remove in advance. Maintenance covers browser and disk cleaning, broken shortcuts and the registry.
Sleep Mode for background programs
Avast Cleanup’s Sleep Mode, found under Processes, freezes background programs without uninstalling them. This stops them from using memory and processor time. When the user opens a sleeping program, Avast Cleanup turns its background activity back on. When the user closes the program, it goes back to sleep. On Windows 10 and later, Microsoft Store apps are put to sleep by default.
Uninstalling and updating software
The App Uninstaller lists installed programs and points out ones that take up a lot of space or have not been used for a while. The user decides how long an app must go unused before the App Uninstaller flags it. Removal aims to leave no leftover files. Suggestions also use Avast’s cloud-based reputation data and a scan for preinstalled software, toolbars, expired trials and adware.
For programs the user is unsure about, the Uninstall Simulator removes an app only temporarily. If the user finds they need it, they can bring it back. Otherwise, they can remove it for good later.
Software Updater checks popular third-party programs, such as Adobe Reader, VLC and WinRAR, for newer releases that carry security patches and bug fixes. The user can schedule automatic updates or approve them manually with a few clicks.
Registry, shortcuts and disk repair
The Registry Cleaner scans the Windows registry for broken keys and tries to fix them, with the goal of reducing errors and crashes. The Shortcut Cleaner finds dead shortcuts on the desktop and in the history lists of Windows and other apps. It shows each shortcut’s full path before deletion.
The Optimize Disks tool works on both hard drives and SSDs. It checks the file system, corrupted files and file access rights, then guides the user through fixing the problems it finds. Hard drives can also be defragmented.
Undo Center
Avast Cleanup keeps a backup of the changes it makes. The Undo Center, under Help, lists these changes by backup date and can reverse selected ones.
Data recovery and shredding
Data Recovery scans hard drives, USB drives and memory cards for deleted files. It can restore them as long as they have not been overwritten. Advanced filters narrow the search. The user should save recovered files to a different drive so they do not overwrite other lost data.
Data Shredder does the reverse: it deletes selected files and folders so that others cannot recover them.
Avast Cleanup on Mac and mobile
The Mac edition of Avast Cleanup scans for hidden junk by category. It cleans browser data on a schedule, with a cookie allowlist. It finds duplicate files, blurry or badly lit photos, large or unused apps and leftovers from removed apps. It can also turn off startup items.
On Android, Avast Cleanup removes caches, residual files, APKs, thumbnails and empty folders. Its Sleep Mode force-stops background apps. A photo and video optimizer shrinks media at low, medium or high levels and can keep the originals. The user can move files to Dropbox or Google Drive.
The iOS app removes junk files, poor photos and duplicates, compresses media, locks sensitive files and strips time and location data from photos.
