CleanHow to safely clear the cache on your Mac
Caches are temporary files apps keep so they load faster. They regenerate on their own, so deleting them is safe. The only thing you'll notice is some apps taking a bit longer to open the first time.
Where the cache lives
Your apps' cache lives in ~/Library/Caches. On a real Mac we found 8 GB there: 3.3 GB from Google, 1.8 GB from pnpm and 1.4 GB of old VS Code installers.
Clear it from Finder
Safe1. Quit the apps you have open. 2. In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder… and type ~/Library/Caches. 3. Select the folder's contents (not the folder itself) and move them to the Trash. 4. Empty the Trash.
See what each app uses from Terminal
Before deleting, check which apps have the largest cache:
du -sh ~/Library/Caches/* 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | head -15What NOT to delete
Don't touchDon't touch /System/Library/Caches or caches inside /Library you don't recognize. And don't confuse Caches with Application Support: that's where your apps' actual data lives (profiles, databases, settings).
FAQ
Will clearing the cache log me out of things?
The cache in ~/Library/Caches usually doesn't hold sessions. Browser cookies and logins live elsewhere, so it won't sign you out.
How often should I clear it?
You don't need to do it often. When you're low on space, or once every few months.
Keep reading
How to free up space on your Mac: the complete guide (2026)
Step by step to reclaim tens of GB on your Mac without deleting anything important: what to check first, what's safe, and what to never touch.
How to clear the npm, pnpm, yarn and Homebrew caches
Package managers never clean their own cache. These commands reclaim 2 to 15 GB on a developer Mac.
How to clear the CapCut cache on Mac
Where CapCut stores its cache on Mac, how big it can get and how to clear it without losing your projects.