Caches

What is Caches?

~/Library/Caches is the main cache folder for the current macOS user account. Apps and system components save temporary data here so they can reopen content faster, avoid repeating downloads, and keep everyday tasks responsive. You may encounter this folder when checking storage use, troubleshooting an app, or cleaning up disk space. Its contents can include browser cache files, image and media thumbnails, update leftovers, app session data, and other disposable working files. These files are not your original documents, but deleting them can force apps to rebuild data, sign in again, or reload content the next time you use them.

Safety overview

Status: Mostly safe

Files in ~/Library/Caches are generally temporary and are commonly recreated by apps as needed. Even so, this folder can contain active cache data for apps you still use, so removing everything at once may cause slower first launches, lost offline cache, repeated downloads, or minor app glitches until files are rebuilt. Avoid deleting cache folders while related apps are open, and do not confuse this user folder with system-level Library folders.

Recommendation: If you need to free space or troubleshoot an app, you can remove cache contents for that app after quitting it first. Keep cache folders for apps you use daily unless you have a reason to clear them, because deletion usually helps only temporarily and the files often return during normal use.

File path

• ~/Library/Caches

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