Mac storage basics · Caches, logs and temporary files
Is it safe to delete cache files on a Mac?
Short answer: Mostly yes — app caches are rebuildable. Quit the app first, delete only that app's cache contents, and expect a slower first launch. Leave system caches alone.
Mostly yes for app caches — by definition they're data an app can rebuild — but do it carefully:
- Quit the app first, so it isn't writing to its cache while you delete it.
- Delete the contents of an app's cache folder, not the Caches folder itself or random Library folders.
- Expect a slower first launch while the app rebuilds, and to sign in again in some apps.
- Don't touch system folders or caches belonging to macOS components.
Caches come back as you use apps, so clearing them is a short-term gain unless an app's cache has grown out of proportion.
Storage Studio clears only known rebuildable caches, shows what it will remove first, and keeps a recoverable copy in the Recycle Vault. See freeing up space.