Disk Drill
Disk Drill is a disk and file recovery utility from CleverFiles that helps scan storage devices, preview recoverable data, and create backups.
What is Disk Drill?
Disk Drill is a data recovery and disk utility application published by CleverFiles Inc. for macOS. It is designed to help users find and restore deleted or lost files from internal drives, external disks, USB storage, memory cards, and some mobile-device backups. On Mac, users commonly encounter it after accidental deletion, formatting, partition loss, or drive read errors. The app also includes extra tools such as byte-to-byte backup creation and drive health or cleanup-related utilities, depending on version and platform support. Some features on macOS integrate closely with the file system and may require elevated permissions or background components so the app can scan disks thoroughly or monitor protected locations. It is generally installed intentionally by users who want recovery software, forensic-style scanning, or an added layer of protection for important files.
Key features
- Scans internal and external storage for deleted or lost files
- Previews many recoverable files before restoration
- Creates byte-to-byte disk backups for safer recovery work
- Supports recovery from common file systems and removable media
- Can search for lost partitions and damaged file records
- Includes Mac-only data protection features such as Guaranteed Recovery
Review app leftovers with diCleaner
Inspect caches, support files, containers, and login items before cleaning.
Safety overview
Status: Mostly safe
Disk Drill is a legitimate utility from CleverFiles Inc., but it works with deleted files, disks, and backups, so it may request broad disk access and elevated permissions. That behavior is expected for recovery software, though users should be careful when granting full access to sensitive drives and should download it only from the official CleverFiles site.
Recommendation: Keep it if you actively use file recovery or disk backup features. If you no longer need recovery software, removing it is usually reasonable, but review any remaining support files or background helpers only after uninstalling the app normally.
Common paths
/Applications/Disk Drill.app
Cache paths
~/Library/Caches/com.cleverfiles.DiskDrill
Support paths
~/Library/Application Support/Disk Drill
Preference paths
~/Library/Preferences/com.cleverfiles.DiskDrill.plist
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