Quick answer: Download the Spellbin DMG, drag the app into Applications and open it. Onboarding explains each permission before asking, and you can skip every one. Then drop files on the cauldron in your Dock, press ⌘⌫ in Finder, or use Services > Feed to Spellbin. Pick a mode and unlock skins as you go.
Spellbin is a small Mac app that adds a second Bin to your Dock. It is a pixel-art cauldron. Drop a file on it and a green flame carrying the file's thumbnail rises out of the acid and dissolves.
This guide covers everything from the download to your first new skin. It takes about five minutes, most of which is deciding how many permissions you fancy granting.
What do you need before installing Spellbin?
You need a Mac running macOS 14 or later. Spellbin runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
That is the whole list. There is no account to create, no sign-in and no licence key. Spellbin makes no network calls and has no analytics, so it works the same offline as on.
How do you install Spellbin from the DMG?
Spellbin is a direct download rather than a Mac App Store app. The App Store sandbox forbids the Accessibility API that lets the flame escape above the Dock, so the app ships as a DMG instead.
- Download
Spellbin-0.1.0.dmgfrom the Spellbin site. It is about 0.5 MB. - Open the DMG. You will see the Spellbin app and a shortcut to your Applications folder.
- Drag Spellbin onto Applications.
- Eject the DMG and open Spellbin from your Applications folder.
The DMG is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarised by Apple. The first time you open the app, macOS shows its usual check for apps downloaded from the internet. Click Open and you are done.
Once it is running, the cauldron appears in your Dock. If you want it there permanently, right-click the icon and choose Options > Keep in Dock.
Which permissions does Spellbin ask for, and do you need them?
On first launch Spellbin shows a short onboarding window. Each step explains what a permission does before macOS asks for it, and each step can be skipped. Nothing breaks if you say no.
Here is what each permission unlocks:
| Permission | What it enables | Without it |
|---|---|---|
| None | Dropping files on the Dock icon | This always works |
| Accessibility | The flame escapes above the Dock in a transparent overlay, and the ⌘⌫ shortcut can be captured | The flame stays inside the Dock icon |
| Finder Automation | Spellbin asks Finder for your current selection when you press ⌘⌫ | Use drag and drop or the Services menu instead |
The ⌘⌫ shortcut needs both Accessibility and Finder Automation. Everything else is optional polish.
If you skip a step and change your mind, open the Spellbin window by clicking the cauldron in the Dock. The toggles there tell you when a permission is missing and offer a button that takes you to the right page in System Settings.
What are the three ways to feed the cauldron?
Spellbin gives you three ways to get files into the pot. Use whichever matches how you already work.
Drop files on the Dock icon
Drag any files or folders from Finder or your Desktop onto the cauldron. This needs no permissions at all, and it is the most satisfying of the three because you see the drop land.
Press ⌘⌫ in Finder
Select files in Finder and press Command-Delete as you normally would. With Accessibility and Finder Automation granted, Spellbin captures the shortcut and sends the selection to the cauldron instead of straight to the Bin.
You can switch this off in the Spellbin window with the "⌘⌫ in Finder feeds the cauldron" toggle, and the shortcut goes back to normal.
Use the Services menu
Right-click one or more files in Finder and choose Services > Feed to Spellbin. This also works without any permissions, which makes it a good middle ground if you do not want to grant Accessibility.
If you are unsure what the normal shortcut does behind the scenes, our explainer on what happens when you delete a file on a Mac covers the Bin, Put Back and Empty Bin in full.
What is the difference between Send to Bin and Dissolve forever?
Spellbin has two modes, chosen with the switch at the top of the Spellbin window.
Send to Bin is the default. Files go to the real macOS Bin, exactly as if you had deleted them in Finder. You can still open the Bin and use Put Back if you change your mind.
Dissolve forever skips the Bin and deletes files outright. There is no Put Back. Because of that, Spellbin asks for confirmation before dissolving, and that confirmation is on by default. You can turn it off with the "Ask before dissolving" toggle, though leaving it on is the sensible choice.
Send to Bin is the safe default. Dissolve forever means gone means gone.
If you are new to Spellbin, stay on Send to Bin for a while. The animation, the sound and the achievements all work the same in both modes.
How do achievements and cauldron skins work?
Every file you drop counts. Spellbin tracks your drops in its Stats window: items binned, bytes freed, a recent list and your streaks.
There are 21 achievements. They reward things like the number of items you have fed the cauldron, the total bytes, folders, dissolves, streaks and the variety of file types. Some are secret. When you earn one, it arrives as a normal macOS notification.
Many achievements unlock a new cauldron skin. There are 15 in total:
- Iron, the default
- Copper, Cobalt, Lava, Rust and Verdigris
- Gold, Obsidian, Mahogany and Starlight, which have a gilded band
- Witchfire, Void, Abyss and Frost
- Bone, which has a skull floating in the acid
Each skin is a palette swap on the pot and the acid. To change skin, click the cauldron in the Dock to open the Spellbin window and choose the Skins tab. Hover over a locked skin for a hint about the achievement that unlocks it.
Which other settings are worth knowing?
The Spellbin window has a few more toggles:
- Sizzle sound turns the synthesised sizzle on or off.
- Flames rise above the Dock controls the overlay. It needs Accessibility.
- ⌘⌫ in Finder feeds the cauldron controls the Finder shortcut.
Each dropped item also carries its Quick Look thumbnail up the flame, so photos stay recognisable on their way out. Handy for that last-second "wait, not that one" moment, though in Send to Bin mode the Bin has your back anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spellbin replace the macOS Bin?
No. macOS does not let any app replace or remove the Bin from the Dock, so Spellbin sits beside it. In Send to Bin mode it still uses the real Bin underneath.
Is Spellbin on the Mac App Store?
No. The App Store sandbox forbids the Accessibility API that the flame overlay needs, so Spellbin is a direct download. The DMG is Developer ID signed and notarised by Apple.
Can I use Spellbin without granting any permissions?
Yes. Dropping files on the Dock icon and using Services > Feed to Spellbin both work with no permissions. You lose the escaping flame and the ⌘⌫ shortcut, nothing else.
Does Spellbin collect any data?
No. Spellbin makes no network calls, has no analytics and has no accounts. Your stats and achievements stay on your Mac.
Josh Ibbotson
Josh is an indie developer in the UK. He makes Spellbin, a pixel-art cauldron for your Dock, and Gym Note Plus.
Feed the cauldron
Spellbin is a free download for macOS 14 or later. Drop files on it, unlock skins, keep your Desktop tidy.
