How to clear cache on a Mac safely

Updated October 23, 2026

Caches are files apps keep to load faster. Clearing them frees space and can fix an app that misbehaves, but deleting the wrong folder can sign you out or reset settings.

Where caches live

Your apps: ~/Library/Caches. Each app has its own folder, usually named after its bundle ID, such as com.spotify.client.
System-wide: /Library/Caches, shared by all users.
Browsers: each browser clears its own cache from its settings, which is safer than deleting its folders.

To open your Library folder, choose Go › Go to Folder… in Finder and type ~/Library/Caches.

Clear app caches by hand

Quit the app whose cache you want to clear.
Open ~/Library/Caches and find the app's folder.
Move the folder's contents to the Trash. Leave the Caches folder itself in place.
Open the app again. It rebuilds what it needs, so the first launch may be a little slower.
Empty the Trash once you're sure everything works.

Clear a browser cache

Safari: Settings › Advanced › turn on “Show features for web developers”, then Develop › Empty Caches.
Chrome: Settings › Privacy and security › Delete browsing data, and select only “Cached images and files”.
Firefox: Settings › Privacy & Security › Cookies and Site Data › Clear Data, and select only “Cached Web Content”.

What not to delete

The whole ~/Library folder, or Application Support: that's where apps keep your data, not just caches.
Keychains, Mail, Messages and Safari data.
Cookies and browser profiles, unless you want to be signed out everywhere.
Anything under /System.

Clear caches with Disklumo

Disklumo's Clean scan finds app caches and logs, developer and package manager caches, and AI tool caches, and shows the size and path of each one before anything moves. Sign-ins, browsing history, chats and local AI models are kept. Items go to the Trash by default, and anything in use is skipped.

Questions

Is it safe to delete cache files on a Mac?

Yes, for app caches in ~/Library/Caches: apps rebuild them when they need to. Quit the app first, move the contents to the Trash rather than deleting them, and leave Application Support, Keychains and Mail alone.

Will clearing cache sign me out?

Clearing caches doesn't sign you out. Deleting cookies or browser profile folders does, so clear only “cached images and files” in a browser.

Do it in one window

Disklumo scans your Mac, shows every item with its size and path, and moves what you choose to the Trash. Clean, uninstall apps, map your disk, watch live status and run maintenance. $17 once, for Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later.

See Disklumo