Library

What is Library?

~/Library is the per-user Library folder on macOS. It stores the support data that your apps and the system use for your account, including application support files, preferences, caches, logs, saved states, containers, cookies, fonts, and other working data. Most people do not work in this folder directly, but it is used constantly in the background whenever you open apps, sign in, save settings, sync content, or restore previous sessions. The contents of ~/Library help apps remember your choices and keep account-specific data separate from other users on the same Mac. This folder is different from the system-wide /Library folder because it belongs only to your user profile. On a Mac, many cleanup, troubleshooting, and reset steps involve specific subfolders inside ~/Library rather than deleting the whole folder.

Safety overview

Status: Use with caution

~/Library contains important user-specific app data and macOS support files. Deleting the entire folder can remove preferences, sign-in data, app databases, saved states, Mail data, Messages attachments, browser profiles, containers, and other information that many apps need to work normally. Some subfolders, such as Caches, can sometimes be cleaned selectively, but other areas may contain data that is difficult to recreate. If you are troubleshooting storage or app problems, work on a specific subfolder and make a backup first.

Recommendation: Keep ~/Library. If you need to free space or fix an app, remove only the exact subfolder related to that app or issue, such as a cache or leftover support folder, and restart the app afterward. Avoid bulk deletion unless you fully understand what each subfolder contains, because doing so can reset apps, sign you out, or cause data loss.

File path

• ~/Library

Related can I delete pages

• ~/Library/Application Support
• ~/Library/Caches
• ~/Library/Preferences
• ~/Library/Containers
• ~/Library/Group Containers

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