How to Clear Cache on Mac Without Breaking Anything

What Clearing Cache Does

A cache holds copies of data an app has already downloaded or generated, such as website images, thumbnails or previews. Deleting it is usually safe because the app will rebuild what it needs, but the first launch afterwards can be slower, and some apps may ask you to sign in again if you also remove their saved data.

On most Macs, browsers and creative or developer tools create the largest caches. A few gigabytes is common; much more usually points to one specific app.

Clear the Safari Cache

Safari hides its cache command in the Develop menu.

1. Open Safari and choose Safari > Settings, then click Advanced.
2. Turn on Show features for web developers. The Develop menu appears in the menu bar.
3. Choose Develop > Empty Caches.
4. Restart Safari.

Apple's Safari developer documentation describes Empty Caches as clearing the network cache and other Safari caches. It does not delete your history, bookmarks or saved passwords. If the setting is greyed out, a configuration profile from work or school, or Screen Time, may be restricting it.

Clear Chrome and Firefox Caches

Each browser has its own cache, so if you use more than one, clear each of them.

• Chrome: open Chrome > Delete Browsing Data, choose a time range, tick Cached images and files only, and confirm.
• Firefox: open Firefox > Settings > Privacy & Security, find Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data, tick only Temporary cached files and pages (called Cached Web Content in older versions), and click Clear.
• Untick cookies and passwords unless you want to be signed out of websites. Cache, cookies and saved logins are different things: the cache only speeds up loading, while cookies keep you signed in.

Clear App Caches in Your Library Folder

Most apps store their caches in the Caches folder inside your user Library. Work carefully and only remove what you understand.

1. Quit the apps whose caches you want to clear.
2. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Caches and press Return.
3. Switch to list view and sort by Size to see the largest folders.
4. Open a large folder that belongs to an app you recognise and move its contents, not the folder itself, to the Trash.
5. Restart the app, check that it works, then empty the Trash.

Leave alone anything you do not recognise, and never delete files from /System or the top-level /Library folder. macOS manages system caches itself, and removing them by hand can cause problems without freeing much space.

What Not to Clear

Some folders look like caches but hold real data. When in doubt, leave it.

• System caches and anything inside /System.
• Folders for apps that are open or syncing, such as cloud storage clients.
• Containers and Application Support folders, which hold app data and settings, not just caches.
• Developer caches you still need for active projects; see our Xcode cleanup guide before deleting those.

A Faster, Review-First Option

If you would rather not browse Library folders by hand, Smart Cleaner AI - Disk Clean scans application caches, user caches, logs, browser data and developer files, shows sizes and paths, and moves items to the Trash only after you review and approve them. Scanning and storage analysis are free; removing files from cleanup categories requires Pro access.