How to delete application cache files on your Mac

Clearing application caches can free up valuable storage space in macOS, and address certain issues with the device. Although temporary cache files are typically system or user-generated, they can become quite large and numerous over time and may cause problems if left on the computer’s hard drive.

There are several ways to delete cache files, some of which involve manual intervention, while others leverage automated tools designed specifically for the purpose.

What are cache files?

It’s important to understand what cache files are and how they’re created. Cache files contain temporary data generated by applications as they function on your Mac. Some applications may store locally-generated files as part of their normal functioning, while others download and cache data for future use.

For example, when streaming music from a service like Spotify, each audio entity is downloaded and stored in a cache until such time as it’s removed or the app is restarted.

In the event of an app quitting unexpectedly, the algorithms in software designed to clean up cache files don’t get the opportunity to run, leaving unidentified data on the disk.

When do apps create their own cache?

Some apps can consume several gigabytes of space in cache files (video streams or downloads, for example). Therefore, it’s beneficial to use a Mac cleanup tool that automatically finds and removes cached data files. It’s an approach that’s particularly useful for users who rarely quit applications or restart their Mac, as cache files will accumulate over time.

Restarting a Mac can clear some cache files as part of the shutdown-restart process, but when the operating system encounters cache files it’s not entirely sure can be deleted, it errs on the side of caution and leaves them in place.

Cache files begin not only to take up disk space, therefore, but macOS constantly indexes all files to produce better search results for when users look for a particular item. Search results can become less accurate over time, as irrelevant data is given as much credibility in the macOS search database as a users ‘real’ files and folders.

How can you manually clear cache files?

Clearing app cache manually can be done by navigating to the Library folder in the Finder’s Go menu item (or use SHIFT+APPLE+L), selecting Caches from the list of directories, and deleting the files inside. However, this process can be quite time-consuming, and it’s easy to accidentally delete important files that are in active use. To avoid this issue, many Mac users prefer to use an automated tool that takes care of cache removal for them.

Use a Mac cleanup tool

Using a Mac cleanup tool offers several advantages over manual intervention. It saves time and ensures that only cached data that has not been accessed in some time is deleted. Cache files that are not visited by any software on a Mac are more likely to be ‘orphaned’ and so can usually be removed safely.

This approach reduces the risk of accidentally removing important files and provides users with a simpler process.

Think of an automated cache cleanup tool as a handy technical expert who will know (better than most users) which cache files are safe to remove, and which should be left in place. Although manually deleting cache files will not harm your Mac permanently, you may experience some unexpected results if important caches are deleted. Obviously, software is easily reinstalled, but having to do so will interrupt your workflow significantly.