How to Clean Cache on Mac

You can clean cache on a Mac by deleting files inside ~/Library/Caches — either manually per app, or with a Mac cleaner that scans, groups and previews cache files before removing them. Caches rebuild automatically, so deleting them is safe in most cases.

What Cache Files Are

Cache files are temporary data apps save to load faster next time: images, download fragments, rendered pages and computed results. They are meant to be disposable — but many apps never clean them up, so caches grow for years.

Method 1: Clean Cache Manually

1. Quit the apps whose caches you want to remove.
2. In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Caches.
3. Open each app’s folder and move its contents to the Trash — keep the folders themselves.
4. Empty the Trash.

Be conservative with ~/Library/Caches subfolders you don’t recognize, and avoid touching /Library/Caches or /System/Library/Caches unless you know exactly what a file is.

Method 2: Use a Mac Cleaner

Mac cleaner apps scan cache locations, group files by app and show you the total reclaimable space before deleting anything. Neatwise previews exactly which cache files will be removed; other options are listed in our Mac cleaner category.

What Not to Delete

• Files inside /System/Library — these belong to macOS itself
• Caches of apps that are currently running
• Anything you cannot identify — caches are disposable, but preference files and containers are not

After Cleaning

A cache cleanup pairs well with removing large files and reducing System Data — together these are the three biggest sources of reclaimable storage. See the full walkthrough in how to free up storage on Mac.