Gemini CLI checkpoints on Mac: keep the files Git ignores
Before clearing a Gemini CLI project, check what its local checkpoint actually includes. A file excluded from Git may still be essential to your work. Keep a separate backup of anything you need and review cleanup candidates by purpose, rather than treating an ignore rule as permission to delete.
What changed in Gemini CLI 0.68.0?
The stable release lists a fix for its shadow Git repository to honor .git/info/exclude and core.excludesFile. These are Git exclusion mechanisms. This change concerns the repository used for checkpointing; it does not say that every Gemini CLI tool follows identical rules.
A local checkpoint has a specific scope
Google’s checkpoint guide, linked below, describes a local shadow Git repository plus saved conversation and tool-call data. Checkpointing is disabled by default and enabled through settings. Read that alongside the new exclusion fix: do not assume a checkpoint includes an important file just because that file exists in the project. Confirm your setup and preserve a separate copy before depending on restoration.
Review ignored files by purpose
A project might exclude a private configuration file, local data, a generated build, or a large downloaded asset. Those examples have different retention needs. Open the exclusion rules for the current project and identify the files they affect. Keep configuration and local data you still use. For generated output, establish how you would recreate it before considering removal. A download is not disposable merely because its name appears in an ignore rule.
Keep the two restore workflows separate
Gemini CLI checkpoint restoration returns to saved agent work. AI Agent Clean recovery concerns eligible operations recorded by AI Agent Clean. Treat these as separate workflows with separate prerequisites. Before cleanup, finish active tasks, save your project changes, and keep checkpoint and session materials you may need. If the purpose or recovery path of a file is unclear, leave it in place.
Use AI Agent Clean 1.0.9 to review supported local files
Scanning and result review are free. Review each candidate’s tool, path and size before selecting it. Coverage of Gemini CLI 0.68.0 checkpoint and exclusion behavior has not been verified by our team. Cleanup, uninstallation and file recovery depend on the app’s access and recovery checks. Eligible recovery does not require an active membership. Binary thinning, startup changes and maintenance actions are currently unavailable.
Check compatibility and regional pricing
AI Agent Clean requires macOS 14 or later and supports Intel and Apple silicon Macs. The US lifetime reference price is US$29.99 as a one-time purchase. Check the Mac App Store for your regional price and offer eligibility.