How to clear cache on a Mac safely

A cache is a bet that you will need something again. Most of the time, that bet is correct, which is why deleting every cache on your Mac is rarely a good idea. It can make apps slower for a few days while they rebuild everything.

When clearing a cache helps

• A browser is using an enormous amount of disk for its cache.
• An app keeps showing stale content or a broken interface.
• An installer or developer tool has left gigabytes of build cache behind.
• A cache is corrupt and the app's own 'reset' option has not fixed it.

The safe way

Start inside the app. Most browsers, editors, and creative tools have a clear cache or reset option in settings. If you use a cleaner, use one that previews each category and moves files to the Trash so you can recover them.

Do not delete ~/Library/Caches wholesale while apps are running. Quit the app first, remove only its folder, and relaunch. If something breaks, restore the folder from the Trash.

Clear a cache because you have a reason, not because a progress bar told you to.