# Hibernate dormant projects, and wake them up

> Projects frees the rebuildable folders of projects you haven’t touched for 30 days — node_modules, build folders, venvs — and restores them on demand.

- URL: https://moreroom.app/support/project-hibernation
- Topic: Freeing up space
- Updated: 2026-10-17
- Publisher: MoreRoom (Yando Pte. Ltd.) — https://moreroom.app

## In short

- Projects, in the sidebar after a scan, lists development projects untouched for 30 days that still hold folders tools can rebuild.
- Hibernate (Pro) moves those folders to the Trash and leaves a small marker in the project. Your code stays exactly where it is.
- Wake Up (free) runs each tool’s official install command in the project to bring the folders back. Undo also works, until you empty the Trash.

## How to hibernate a project

1. **Scan the place where your projects live.** Scan My Mac, Home Folder, or choose your projects folder with Choose a Folder….
2. **Open Projects.** Click Projects in the sidebar. Each card shows the project, its path, the kinds of rebuildable folders, its last change and how much can be freed.
3. **Hibernate.** Click Hibernate. The rebuildable folders go to the Trash in one batch and the card shows how much was freed.
4. **Wake it up when you need it.** Click Wake Up on the card. MoreRoom runs the right install command in the project folder, then rescans.

## Which projects appear

A folder appears in **Projects** when it hasn’t changed for **30 days** and contains folders that tools rebuild on their own:

| Kind shown | Folder | Brought back by **Wake Up** with |
|---|---|---|
| npm dependencies | `node_modules` | `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`, `yarn install --frozen-lockfile`, `bun install`, `npm ci` or `npm install`, depending on the lock file |
| Python environment | `.venv` or `venv` | `uv sync`, `poetry install`, or `python3 -m venv` then `pip install -r requirements.txt` |
| CocoaPods | `Pods` | `pod install` |
| Flutter tooling | `.dart_tool` | `flutter pub get` |
| Rust build | `target` | Rebuilt by your next `cargo build` |
| Gradle cache | `.gradle` | Rebuilt by your next Gradle build |
| Next.js build | `.next` | Rebuilt by your next build |
| Unity Library | `Library` (Unity project) | Rebuilt when Unity opens the project |
| build files | Other build folders MoreRoom recognises | Rebuilt by your next build |

If no project qualifies, the screen says **No dormant project found**.

## Hibernate (Pro)

Click **Hibernate** on a project card. MoreRoom moves its rebuildable folders to the Trash in one batch and writes a small file, `.moreroom-hibernation.json`, in the project to remember what it removed. The card turns into a moon and shows the space **freed**.

Your source code, Git history and settings are never touched.

## Wake Up (free)

Click **Wake Up**. MoreRoom runs, in the project folder, the official command listed above for each folder it removed — the tool must be installed on your Mac (Node.js, pnpm, Python, CocoaPods, Flutter…). When it’s done, the marker file is removed and MoreRoom rescans.

If a tool isn’t installed or its command fails, MoreRoom tells you what to run yourself: “Run in the project: …”.

## Undo instead

Hibernation is a normal move to the Trash: until you empty the Trash, `⌘Z` or **History › Restore** puts the folders back exactly as they were, without reinstalling anything.

## Related articles

- [Free Up Space and goal mode](https://moreroom.app/support/free-up-space-goal-mode.md)
- [Remove items safely: the Trash, the Collector and Undo](https://moreroom.app/support/remove-items-undo.md)
- [What’s in MoreRoom Free, and what Pro adds](https://moreroom.app/support/free-vs-pro.md)
- [Safety labels: Safe to remove, Review first and Your data](https://moreroom.app/support/safety-labels.md)

## Still need help?

Write to us: a real person reads every message and answers within 2 business days. https://moreroom.app/contact