Archives
This folder stores Xcode archives of built apps, often used for distribution, notarization, symbol retention, and restoring older build outputs.
What is Archives?
Archives is the Xcode folder that holds archived builds created through Xcode's Product > Archive workflow. Developers commonly encounter it when exporting apps for App Store submission, ad hoc distribution, notarization, or when keeping older build snapshots with debug symbols and metadata. These archives can accumulate over time and use significant disk space, especially for large apps and repeated release builds.
Safety overview
Status: Mostly safe
This is generally user-generated developer data rather than a core macOS component. Removing old archives usually does not affect Xcode itself, but it can permanently remove past build artifacts, embedded dSYMs, and exportable app archives that may be needed for distribution, symbolication, or rollback workflows.
Recommendation: Keep recent or important archives if you still distribute builds, need crash symbolication, or want historical release snapshots. Older archives that are no longer needed are usually optional and can be reviewed and removed selectively.
File path
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives
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