Is it safe to delete ~/Library/Caches on a Mac?
Short answer: deleting the contents of ~/Library/Caches is usually safe, because apps rebuild what they need. There are a few things worth knowing first.
What the folder is for
~/Library/Caches is where apps keep data they can recreate: thumbnails, downloaded web content, compiled shaders, update files. Each app normally has its own subfolder, named after its bundle ID (for example com.apple.Safari). Sandboxed apps keep their caches inside their container instead, under ~/Library/Containers/<app>/Data/Library/Caches.
When it's safe, and when to be careful
- Quit the app first. Deleting a cache under a running app can make it misbehave until it is restarted.
- Expect a slower first launch. The app has to rebuild what it lost, and some data may be downloaded again.
- Some apps keep real content there. Offline media, map tiles or downloaded assets are sometimes stored as “cache”. They come back, but only after another download.
- Delete the contents, not the folder. Leave
~/Library/Cachesitself in place, and don't touch/System/Library/Caches, which belongs to macOS. - It won't speed up a healthy Mac. Clearing caches frees space; it's not a performance fix by itself.
Doing it by hand
- In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder… and enter
~/Library/Caches. - Switch to List view and show folder sizes (View › Show View Options › Calculate all sizes).
- Quit the app whose cache you want to clear, then move its folder to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash to actually get the space back.
Doing it with Glint
Glint's Smart Clean lists application caches next to logs and developer leftovers, with a size for each rule, and you approve what goes. Because caches regrow on their own, Glint deletes them outright instead of filling Quarantine. The Caches folder itself is protected, and files of running apps that aren't safe to touch, such as Docker Desktop's, are skipped. You can also schedule a daily, weekly or monthly clean of caches and logs from the menu bar.
Glint is a free disk cleaner for macOS 14 Sonoma and later, on Apple Silicon and Intel. No limits, no account, and everything stays on your Mac.