Questions, answered plainly.
Can TidyScout permanently delete my files?
No — and not just as a policy, as a design constraint. The only removal operation in TidyScout moves files to the Windows Recycle Bin (or Google Drive Trash for Drive files). There is no "permanent delete" code path. If you ever change your mind, restore from the bin like normal.
Will it delete things without asking?
Never. Suggestions arrive with nothing selected. You tick the files you're done with, and before anything moves you see one final, complete list to confirm. Files changed in the last 30 days are automatically protected on top of that.
Does TidyScout read my documents?
Your local files are analysed on your computer — file names, sizes, dates, and (for duplicate detection) a mathematical fingerprint computed locally. Nothing is uploaded anywhere. For Google Drive, TidyScout uses Google's metadata permission: it can see names, sizes and dates, but it cannot open or read document contents at all.
What can the browser version do?
Everything except touch your local files. You can scan a folder and review suggestions (in Chromium browsers), and once you connect Google Drive you can clean Drive files right from the page — they go to Drive's own Trash. Moving local files to the Recycle Bin is something a web page can't do safely, so that stays exclusive to the desktop app.
Why does Google show a warning when I connect Drive?
Google shows an "unverified app" notice for apps that haven't completed its formal (and lengthy) verification programme — standard for small and personal apps. The permission TidyScout asks for is metadata-only, and you can revoke it any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
How does it know two files are really identical?
Files with the same size are checked byte-for-byte using a SHA-256 fingerprint, computed on your device. Only exact matches are labelled "exact copy" — and the original is always kept. Files that merely look like copies (like "essay (1).docx") are flagged separately for your judgement.
What does it cost?
TidyScout is free.
What platforms does it run on?
The desktop app runs on Windows 10 and 11 today, and the underlying app is built to be portable, so macOS is a realistic future step. The browser version runs anywhere a modern browser does.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC" when I run the installer. Is that bad?
That's Microsoft SmartScreen being cautious about new, unsigned apps — normal for independent software. Click More info → Run anyway. The download page also lists the installer's SHA-256 checksum so you can verify your copy is genuine.
Ready when you are
Free for Windows, or straight in your browser.