How to Clear Cache on Mac

Jul. 25, 2024

Is your Mac running too slowly? Are apps behaving strangely on your Mac? Well, these are visible signs to clear the cache on your Mac. Over time, the cache files may get outdated, become corrupt, or start taking too much space on your machine. In such cases, you must clear the cache on your Mac to speed up things. This article will guide you through what is a cache and how to delete different cache files on your Mac.

What is Cache on a Mac?

A cache is a storage location where your Mac stores temporary files used by apps, websites, or servers to reduce load/response times. Your Mac uses this saved data to quickly address your requests in the future.

A Mac has three types of cache files:

Over time, the browser cache may get outdated, and you may end up browsing an older cached version of a webpage. Also, the browser cache contains cookies and trackers, which can provide information about you to websites and advertisers as you browse the web. In such cases, you must delete the browser cache on your Mac. It won’t harm your Mac or browser’s performance. Rather, it will only speed things up for you.

The steps to delete the browser cache on Mac depend on the browser you’re using. We’ve mentioned steps for Safari and Google Chrome. Let’s check them out.

On Safari

The first way to delete Safari cache is to open the Safari app, go to theMenu Bar>Historyand click onClear History. This will wipe off your Safari history, and you’ll lose all the information about visiting the websites you may want to visit in the future.

If you wish to keep the history, follow the below steps to clear cache in Safari on Mac:

This will delete the Safari cache without deleting the history.

On Google Chrome

It’s relatively simple and quick to delete the browser cache in Chrome. Here’s what you need to do:

Deleting the system cache is a risky affair. After all, you might end up deleting that macOS uses to run everything smoothly. However, if you still want to do it, make sure toback up your MacBook, just in case something doesn’t go right.

Note:If you see a small red minus symbol on the cache folders, you can’t open that folder to view or delete its contents.

Before we begin, you must know that it’s not advisable to delete the Application Cache on your Mac for apps you use actively. That’s because some apps store important user information in cache folders, and deleting them may result in loss of important data that your app may not work properly without it. So, it’s not recommended to empty the application or user cache on Mac.

However, if an app has slowed down or isn’t working properly, you can delete the app cache. Remember, it can also have an adverse impact on the app’s performance. You can easily remove the application cache for apps you don’t use on your Mac.

If you’re ready to take up the responsibilities of any adverse results, follow the below steps:

That’s how you can clear the cache on your Mac. It’s absolutely safe to delete the browser cache on your Mac, as they will create new cache files when needed. However, you must play safe when dealing with system and application cache files on Mac.

No, you can’t and shouldn’t delete all cache on your Mac. Your machine needs some type of cache files all the time. It’s safe to remove the browser cache on your Mac or application cache for apps you don’t actively use. The system cache should be cleared only when you’re facing any issues. When doing so, make sure to remove only files, not the folders.