Norton Utilities is a maintenance suite for Windows PCs, currently offered as Norton Utilities Ultimate, with companion cleaning apps for Mac, Android and iOS. It brings together controls for background applications, unwanted software, accumulated files and browser records. The Windows application also includes tools for recovering lost data and cleaning supported cloud storage accounts.
Norton Utilities Ultimate is a separate subscription from Norton 360. Its subscription covers up to ten devices, with the available maintenance tools determined by the device’s platform.
Background processes and unwanted apps
An installed application can take up disk space and also run work in the background. Norton Utilities Ultimate addresses these separately. Its Processes tool lets you turn off demanding processes, reducing background activity without requiring you to uninstall the application.
For software you no longer need, Uninstaller identifies unwanted applications and provides a way to remove them. On Windows, Uninstall Simulator lets you examine the potential impact of removing a particular application before committing to the uninstall.
Storage cleanup
System Junk removes unnecessary files from a Windows PC. Automatic Cleaning handles recurring cleaning tasks, so maintenance can continue as files accumulate through normal use.
Cloud Cleaner extends cleanup to files held in Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Accessed through Norton Utilities for Windows, it helps organize those cloud accounts and free space there.
Browser data
Norton Utilities can remove browsing history, download history, tracking cookies and other browser data. Browser cleanup is available on Windows, Mac and Android.
Data recovery
The Windows Data Recovery tool scans hard drives, USB drives and memory cards for lost, damaged or corrupted data. It assesses the damage and the likelihood of recovering the missing content before attempting recovery.
Norton Utilities Ultimate also includes Data Shredder for deliberate deletion. Files removed through that tool cannot be recovered with Data Recovery.
Mac, Android and iOS apps
The companion apps adapt maintenance to each platform. On Mac, Startup Manager controls applications that start automatically, while File Cleanup removes unwanted files. Android uses Sleep Mode to reduce background application activity and Deep Clean for cleanup. Uninstaller and Automatic Cleaning are available on both platforms as well as Windows.
Media Cleaner works with photos and videos on Android and iOS; on Mac, its media cleaning covers photos. The iOS app does not include Processes, System Junk, Uninstaller, Browser Data or Automatic Cleaning, so its role is narrower than the desktop toolkit.
