Development tools can create large derived data, indexes, build products, simulator content, archives, and device support files. Some are reproducible; others are essential records.
Close development tools
Quit IDEs, simulators, build systems, package managers, and related command-line jobs. Finish uploads, archives, signing, and dependency operations.
Preserve important data
Do not remove:
- Archives needed for release or symbolication.
- Unsaved projects or source code.
- Signing credentials and provisioning assets.
- Simulator data containing unique test information.
- Dependencies required for offline work when redownload is impractical.
Review supported categories
Use the owner, path, age, and size to identify derived data. Begin with stale build and index data for projects you no longer use.
Rebuilding can consume substantial time, CPU, and network bandwidth.
After cleaning
Open an active project and run a clean test build. Allow indexes and dependencies to regenerate.
If a tool reports a missing SDK or simulator afterward, reinstall it through the official developer tool rather than restoring unrelated cache folders blindly.