# How to Clear Cache on Mac from Browsers, Apps and System ## How to clear cache on Mac? Quick Answer: - Clear browser cache using browsers' native settings/preferences. - Remove app cache in Finder > Go to Folder. - Don't manually delete system cache indiscriminately. - Use [iBoysoft Cleaner](https://iboysoft.com/mac-cleaner.html) to auto-scan cache, junk, large files. [Download iBoysoft Cleaner onMac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1582132092?pt=118603090&ct=iboysoft_article&mt=8) ![clear cache on Mac](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/summary-clear-cache-on-mac.jpg) ## What is Cache on Mac? Cache files are temporary data that help apps and websites load faster. They can sometimes consume substantial storage or become outdated/corrupted. Clearing a cache can free some space and may resolve certain app or website problems, but routinely deleting caches is not generally necessary because macOS and individual apps recreate them as needed. ## Do You Need to Clear Cache on a Mac? Usually, no. Cache files are designed to speed up repeated tasks, and many caches are automatically recreated when needed. You may want to clear a cache when an app or website is having problems. Only manually inspect cache folders when the normal app-level method doesn't solve the problem or when you're specifically trying to reclaim storage. ## When Should You Clear Cache on a Mac? | | | | --- | --- | | **Problem** | **What to try first** | | Website displays outdated/broken content | Clear that browser's cache/site data | | One app crashes or behaves strangely | Restart/update the app; then clear its cache if supported | | Browser is consuming excessive storage | Check browser cache and downloads | | Mac storage is nearly full | Analyze storage before deleting caches | | Mac is generally slow | Check CPU, memory, storage health, startup items, and free space | | Privacy concern | Clear history, cookies, and website data according to your goal | You can manually clear the cache from browsers, apps, and the system. In web browsers, this can be done through the settings, while app and system caches can be found and deleted using Finder; just make sure you're deleting the correct files. Warning: Do not assume that "System data" or "Other" is mostly cache. If your Mac is low on storage, first check System Settings → General → Storage to identify the largest categories. ## How to Clear Safari Cache on Mac? **Does clearing cache delete cookies in browsers?** Not necessarily. In most browsers, cached files and cookies are separate types of browsing data. If you select only cached images/files, your cookies generally remain. If you choose to delete cookies or all website data, you may be signed out of websites and some site preferences may be reset. Here's howto: 1. Open Safari, click Safari in the top navigation, then choose Preferences > Privacy. 2. Click Manage Website Data, choose Remove All on the new window, and then click Remove Now when asked. 3. Back to the Safari menu, click Safari. 4. Click the collapse button to show all period options, choose Clear All History, then click Clear History to erase the data. ![clear Safari data on Mac](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/clear-safari-data.jpg) Alternatively, I can also clear the browser cache using Safari's Develop menu. I'm currently running Safari 15.6.1. Keep in mind that the exact UI wording may vary depending on your macOS version, so check your version first. The overall process should be more or less the same. 1. Open Safari > Preferences (or Settings in other versions) > Advanced. ![Safari Preferences](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/safari-preferences.jpg) 2. Tick "Show Develop menu in menu bar" (or "Show features for web developers" in other versions). ![Show Develop menu in menu bar](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/safari-show-develop-menu-in-menu-bar.jpg) 3. Choose Develop from the top menu > click "Empty Caches" to clear Safari's caches on macOS. ![Click Empty Caches in Safari](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/safari-empty-cache.jpg) ## **How to Clear Chrome Cache on Mac?** 1. Launch Chrome, click on the three dots in the top-right corner, and select Settings. 2. On the left, choose Privacy and security, and then select Clear browsing data. 3. Under the Time range, choose how far back you want the data to be cleared. 4. Check the box for Cached images and files, and then hit Clear data. Note: If your goal is only to clear cache, select “Cached images and files” and leave cookies/site data and saved passwords unchecked. ## **How to Clear FireFox Cache on Mac?** 1. Run Firefox, from the main menu, open Settings. 2. Choose Privacy & Security > Clear Data. Now from there, you can clear caches from Firefox browser. Instead of removing all the cache files in the browser, you can also choose to clear the cache of specific websites, such as clearing Zoom cache in browsers on the Mac. ## How to Clear Application Cache on a Mac? For the needs of working and entertainment, you have installed various applications on your Mac, such as Facebook, Microsoft Word, and Photoshop. All of them create caches on Mac; projects like editing a video even create more. So, clearing the application cache can free up disk space. If the cache files are corrupt for some reason, such as a virus attack, you may fail to launch the app. Then, clearing the application cache helps to fix the issue. - 1\. Open Finder, click Go > Go to Folder. - 2\. Type in [~/Library/Caches](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/library-caches-mac.html) and hit Enter. ![clear Applications cache on Mac](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/clear-app-cache-mac.jpg) - 3\. Go into each folder, select, and drag the related files to the Trash. It is not recommended to delete the entire folder, just the files inside it. - 4\. Empty the Trash. ## Should You Delete System Cache? You can clear system cache, but not necessary in daily routine. And before manually clearing the system cache, try restarting the system, installing any available updates, and exploring other troubleshooting options first. Avoid mass-deleting everything in /Library/Caches/. System and application components may recreate caches, and cache locations vary between macOS versions and applications. If you're troubleshooting a specific app, identify that app's cache **rather than deleting unrelated system cache files**. If you need to clear system caches to reclaim storage space, using a professional automated cache cleaner can make the process safer and easier. [iBoysoft Cleaner](https://iboysoft.com/mac-cleaner.html) uses AI-powered smart analysis to identify which system cache files can be safely removed and which should be kept, automatically selecting cleanable caches for you. This takes the guesswork out of system cache cleanup while helping you free up valuable disk space efficiently. ## How to Free Up Mac Storage If Cache Isn't the Problem The answer is simple: clean up the files and apps that are actually consuming your storage. To remove large apps, downloads, iOS backups, and other space-hogging data, turn to [iBoysoft Cleaner](https://iboysoft.com/mac-cleaner.html). Developed by a team with nine years of experience in Mac software, iBoysoft Cleaner is continuously updated to help you clean up and manage your Mac storage more efficiently. With an understanding of macOS file structures and storage management, it helps identify unnecessary or space-consuming data so you can reclaim valuable disk space without compromising important system files. iBoysoft Cleaner offers eight categories of cleanup and optimization tools to meet different storage-management needs, including System Junk, App Uninstaller, [Large Files](https://iboysoft.com/howto/how-to-find-large-files-on-mac.html), Duplicate Finder, Similar Photos, Space Optimizer, Login Items, and additional utilities. [Download iBoysoft Cleaner onMac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1582132092?pt=118603090&ct=iboysoft_article&mt=8) With fast scanning, automatic selection, and one-click cleanup, freeing up space on your Mac is quick and straightforward. Here is how I safely cleared browser, app and system cache on Mac with iBoysoft Cleaner: I'm running on a MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) with 120.99 GB storage in total (30.55 GB available) and macOS Monterey 12.7.6. Other info is listed in the following picture: ![Tested MacBook Air specifications](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/test-mac-info.jpg) 1. Free download, install, and open iBoysoft Cleaner version 2.0. 2. Click System Junk > click Smart Scan. It auto-scanned my Mac's disk and selected cleanable system junk. ![iBoysoft Cleaner main interface](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/cleaner-system-junk.jpg) 3. It scanned 4.75 GB in total and 1.36 GB auto-selected. The auto-selected junk files are safe to clear. I can see Browser cache takes up 1.2 GB; app cache 31.7 MB; system junk (cache included) 94.6 MB. The space-hogging one is Downloads folder, up to 2.38 GB here. ![scanning result](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/scan-system-junk-result.jpg) 4. Click the specific category to check details. Open Browser Cache and I found all caches from Google Chrome. ![Check browser cache details](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/browser-cache-details.jpg) 5. Open System Junk category and it displayed all the junk files (cache, temp files, logs, components, etc.) generated by System apps. And it explains those auto-selected files are safe to remove as macOS will regenerated those files automatically. ![Check system junk details](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/system-junk-details.jpg) 6. Optional: the auto-selected cleanable system junk is 1.36 GB in total. That's not enough. I chose app uninstaller to [free up more space on Macintosh HD](https://iboysoft.com/howto/how-to-free-up-space-on-macintosh-hd.html). The applications consume 11.91 GB of Mac space. I selected the unused apps to uninstall to free up storage. ![Uninstall used apps](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/uninstall-apps.jpg) 7. Click Remove > click OK to clear removable system cache, browser cache, and app cache from my MacBook. ![Click Remove to clear cache from mac](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/clear-cache-on-mac/cleaner-click-remove.jpg) You can also click "Space Analyze" to get a more visual view of your disk storage space. (The AI helper is ready there). Recommend this Mac cleaner to help others **clear cache on Mac**! ## Cache vs Cookies vs History vs Website Data As a bonus, I'll also explain the differences between commonly encountered terms like cache, cookies, browsing history, and website data. This should help you understand what each one means and avoid confusion the next time you need to clear them. | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Data type | What it does | Usually safe to delete? | Possible consequence | | Cache | Temporarily stores data for faster loading | Generally yes | Apps/sites may load slower initially | | Cookies | Stores website/session information | Usually, but selectively | You may be signed out | | Browsing history | Records pages you've visited | Yes | History is removed | | Website data | Site-specific stored data/settings | Usually | Some sites may reset or require sign-in | | App cache | Temporary app data | Usually | App may rebuild cache | | System cache | macOS-managed temporary data | Don't manually delete indiscriminately | Potential troubleshooting complications | ## Final Words Don't clear cache just because it's large. A large cache isn't automatically a problem. Some applications intentionally maintain large caches to improve performance. Before deleting a large cache, check whether you're troubleshooting an issue or actually running low on storage. Share this post with people who wanna know **how to clear cache on Mac**! ## FAQs [Q1\. Is it okay or safe to clear your cache on a Mac?](#collapse1) : A Yes, it’s generally safe. It just removes temporary files, but some apps may reload data more slowly the first time you use them again. [Q2\. How to clear cache on Mac without deleting?](#collapse2) : A Without deleting? You can restart your Mac—this clears some system and app caches automatically without manual deletion. [Q3\. Is there a shortcut to clear Mac cache?](#collapse3) : A There is a browser-specific shortcut: Command + Shift + Delete. As for system cache cleanup, there is no shortcut. [Q4\. Does clearing cache delete personal files?](#collapse4) : A Clearing cache normally doesn't delete your documents, photos, or other personal files. However, clearing cookies or website data can remove sign-in sessions and site preferences. [Q5\. Will clearing cache make my Mac faster?](#collapse5) : A Not necessarily. Clearing a problematic cache may fix an app or website issue, and deleting a very large cache may recover storage. It is not a general solution for slow Mac performance. [Q6\. Does Mac automatically clear cache?](#collapse6) : A macOS and individual applications manage and recreate many caches automatically, so manually clearing caches is not something most users need to do regularly. [Q7\. Will Mac cache files come back after I delete them?](#collapse7) : A Yes. macOS and individual applications may recreate cache files after you delete them. That's normal. Cache exists to improve performance, so rebuilding some cache after deletion is expected.