How to Clear System Caches on Mac — The Complete 2026 Guide

Your Mac creates caches constantly. Every time you open an app, visit a website, compile code, or sync with iCloud, macOS writes temporary files to speed up future operations. Over months of use, these caches can consume 10–30 GB or more — slowing down your Mac, filling your SSD, and sometimes causing apps to behave unexpectedly.

This guide covers every type of cache on macOS, explains which ones are safe to delete, shows you how to clear them manually via Finder and Terminal, and demonstrates how NythyCleaner automates the entire process across 15 cleanup categories in a single scan.

Understanding macOS Caches

Before deleting anything, it helps to understand what caches are and why they exist.

What Is a Cache?

A cache is a temporary copy of data stored locally so the system or an app can access it faster next time. Instead of re-downloading an image, re-rendering a font atlas, or re-compiling a shader, the app reads the cached version from disk.

Caches are designed to be disposable. Deleting them is safe — the app or system simply regenerates them when needed. The only side effect is a brief slowdown the first time that data is accessed again.

Types of Caches on macOS

macOS has multiple cache layers, each stored in a different location:

That is a lot of places to check. Let's go through each one.

User Caches (~/Library/Caches/)

This is the single largest source of cache data on most Macs. Every app you run creates a subfolder here named after its bundle identifier.

What Is Inside

~/Library/Caches/
├── com.apple.Safari/                  # Safari rendering cache
├── com.google.Chrome/                 # Chrome cache
├── com.spotify.client/                # Spotify offline data
├── com.apple.dt.Xcode/                # Xcode build caches
├── com.apple.bird/                    # iCloud sync cache
├── com.apple.nsurlsessiond/           # Network caches
├── CloudKit/                          # CloudKit sync data
├── com.apple.Spotlight/               # Spotlight index fragments
└── ... (dozens more)

Manual Cleanup

Open Finder, press Shift + Command + G, and type ~/Library/Caches. You can delete the contents of each subfolder (not the folder itself — some apps expect the folder to exist).

# Delete all user cache contents (Terminal)
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*

With NythyCleaner

Select User caches in the cleanup categories. NythyCleaner scans ~/Library/Caches/ recursively, measures every subfolder, and shows the total size before you clean. You can also exclude specific app caches from deletion if you want to keep them.

System Caches (/Library/Caches/)

These are shared caches created by system-level services and daemons. They are separate from user caches and require administrator privileges to delete.

What Is Inside

/Library/Caches/
├── com.apple.iconservices.store/      # App icon cache
├── com.apple.nsurlsessiond/           # System-level network cache
├── com.apple.amsengagementd/          # Apple services cache
├── com.apple.DiagnosticReporting/     # Crash report cache
└── ... (system daemons)

Manual Cleanup

# Requires admin password
sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/*

With NythyCleaner

Select Shared caches (the "Maintenance — shared caches" category). NythyCleaner handles the elevated permissions automatically when needed.

Browser Caches — Every Browser at Once

Browser caches are typically the fastest-growing cache type. Each browser maintains its own cache independently, and if you use multiple browsers, the total can be enormous.

Which Browsers Does macOS Cache?

NythyCleaner scans caches for all of these browsers:

• Safari — com.apple.Safari, com.apple.WebKit.*, Favicon Cache, Touch Icons, Webpage Previews
• Google Chrome — com.google.Chrome/Default/Cache, plus each profile
• Firefox — org.mozilla.firefox/, profile-based caches
• Microsoft Edge — com.microsoft.Edge/*/Cache
• Brave — BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/*/Cache
• Opera — com.operasoftware.Opera/*/Cache, Opera GX
• Vivaldi — Vivaldi/*/Cache
• Arc — company.thebrowser.Browser/*/Cache
• Chromium — Chromium/*/Cache
• DuckDuckGo — com.duckduckgo.mobile.ios
• Tor Browser — org.torproject.torbrowser
• Iridium — Iridium/*/Cache

For each Chromium-based browser, NythyCleaner checks the Default profile plus Profiles 1 through 8, covering users with multiple browser profiles.

Manual Cleanup

Each browser has its own "Clear browsing data" option in Settings. But to clear the on-disk cache files directly:

# Chrome
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default/Cache/*

# Safari
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Safari/Favicon\ Cache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Safari/Touch\ Icons\ Cache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Safari/Webpage\ Previews/*

# Firefox (profile folder name varies)
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/*/cache2/*

With NythyCleaner

Select Browser caches to scan all browsers at once. NythyCleaner walks every browser's cache directories (including per-profile caches for Chromium browsers) and reports the combined total. One click cleans everything.

Browser Data — Cookies, History, Local Storage

Browser data is different from browser caches. Caches are just performance optimizations (images, scripts). Browser data includes:

• Cookies — authentication tokens, tracking cookies
• Browsing history — every page visited
• Local storage / IndexedDB — web app data
• Session data — open tabs and windows
• Form auto-fill — saved passwords and addresses

Why Clean Browser Data?

• Privacy — remove tracking cookies and browsing history
• Storage — local storage and IndexedDB can grow very large for web apps
• Troubleshooting — corrupted cookies or local storage can cause login issues

Manual Cleanup

Use each browser's built-in "Clear browsing data" dialog. Or from Finder, navigate to ~/Library and check subfolders like Cookies/, Safari/History.db, etc.

With NythyCleaner

Select Browser data (cookies, history) as a cleanup category. NythyCleaner detects running browsers and warns you before cleaning — it offers to quit them first so files are not locked. You can choose which data facets to include (cookies, history, local storage, sessions) through the advanced settings.

Logs — User and System

Log files record diagnostic information from apps and macOS services. They are useful for debugging but rarely needed after the fact.

User Logs (~/Library/Logs/)

Contains crash reports, diagnostic logs, and app-specific log files. Typically 100 MB–2 GB.

rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/*

System Logs (/Library/Logs/ and /private/var/log/)

Contains system daemon logs, install logs, Wi-Fi diagnostics, and kernel messages. Requires admin access.

sudo rm -rf /Library/Logs/*
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/*

With NythyCleaner

Three separate categories let you clean logs at different levels:

• User logs — ~/Library/Logs/
• Shared logs — /Library/Logs/ (system-level)
• System logs (/var) — /private/var/log/ (Unix-level)

You can enable or disable each one independently.

Temporary Files

macOS and apps create temporary files for operations in progress — downloads, renders, exports, installations. These should be auto-cleaned but often are not.

User Temporary Files

The NSTemporaryDirectory() folder (typically /var/folders/.../T/) holds per-user temp files. Apps should clean these up when they quit, but crashes and lazy cleanup leave files behind.

System Temporary Files (/private/tmp/)

Shared temporary directory. macOS periodically prunes this, but old files can linger.

With NythyCleaner

Select Temporary files (user) and System temporary folder to clean both locations.

iOS Backups

If you have ever backed up an iPhone or iPad to your Mac via Finder (or the old iTunes), the backups are stored in:

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

A single device backup can consume 10–50 GB. Old backups from devices you no longer own are pure waste.

Manual Cleanup

Open Finder → Locations → your iPhone → Manage Backups. Delete old backups from there.

Or via Terminal:

ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/

With NythyCleaner

Select iOS backups to scan this location. NythyCleaner shows the total size and lets you clean the entire backup directory.

Mail Downloads

When you open or preview an attachment in Apple Mail, a copy is saved to ~/Library/Mail Downloads/. These copies accumulate and are rarely needed after viewing.

With NythyCleaner

Select Mail downloads to scan and clean these local copies.

Virtual Memory Files

macOS uses /private/var/vm/ for swap files and the sleep image (hibernation data). These can be several gigabytes but are managed by the system.

With NythyCleaner

Select Virtual memory files to scan this location. NythyCleaner skips actively used VM files to avoid system instability.

Downloads Folder and Trash

Two often-overlooked sources of wasted space:

• Downloads (~/Downloads/) — installer DMGs, ZIP archives, PDFs, and forgotten attachments pile up. NythyCleaner's Downloads category scans this folder.
• Trash (~/.Trash/) — files stay in the Trash indefinitely until you empty it. NythyCleaner empties the Trash via Finder's native API, ensuring the same behavior as Shift + Command + Delete.

Browser Extensions

NythyCleaner also scans for installed browser extensions across Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and other browsers. While extensions are not caches, they can be a source of unwanted software, performance issues, or privacy concerns.

The Browser extensions category lists detected extensions so you can review and remove ones you no longer need.

Advanced Cleanup: Presets and Safety Levels

NythyCleaner's cleanup is not one-size-fits-all. The Advanced tab offers presets and safety levels to match your comfort and needs:

Cleanup Presets

Safety Levels

You choose the preset and safety level, and NythyCleaner adjusts which categories are available. This prevents accidental deletion of important data.

Preview Before Cleaning

Before any deletion, you can generate a dry-run preview that shows exactly what will be removed and how much space will be freed — without touching a single file. This is especially useful with the Expert safety level.

Exclusions — Keep What Matters

Sometimes you want to clean a category but keep a specific app's cache. For example, you might want to clear all user caches except Spotify's offline music cache.

NythyCleaner lets you exclude specific paths from scanning and cleaning:

1. Click the exclusion icon in the toolbar
2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to protect
3. That path is permanently excluded until you remove it

Exclusions work across all categories — any file or folder under a cleanup zone can be excluded.

Cleanup History and Chart

Every time you run a cleanup, NythyCleaner records the session: date, categories cleaned, and bytes freed. The cleanup history chart shows your reclaimed space over time, making it easy to see how much storage you are saving with regular maintenance.

Scheduled Cleanup

Instead of running cleanup manually, you can set NythyCleaner to run automatically on a schedule — daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly. The same categories and exclusions apply. A macOS notification summarizes the results after each scheduled run.

The Sync with scheduled cleanup option in Advanced settings ensures your scheduled cleanup uses the same preset and safety level as your manual configuration.

Step-by-Step: Full Manual Cache Cleanup

If you want to do everything by hand, here is the complete checklist:

1. Quit All Apps

Close everything to release file locks, especially browsers.

2. Clear User Caches

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*

3. Clear System Caches

sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/*

4. Clear Logs

rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/*
sudo rm -rf /Library/Logs/*
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/*

5. Clear Temporary Files

rm -rf /private/tmp/*
# User temp directory varies — find it with:
echo $TMPDIR
rm -rf $TMPDIR/*

6. Clear Browser Caches

Clear via each browser's settings, or delete the cache folders directly (see the Browser Caches section above).

7. Empty the Trash

Press Shift + Command + Delete in Finder.

8. Restart Your Mac

A restart clears additional runtime caches and rebuilds system caches from scratch.

Step-by-Step: One-Click Cleanup with NythyCleaner

1. Open NythyCleaner and navigate to System Cleanup
2. Select categories — check the zones you want to clean (or use a preset)
3. Click Scan — NythyCleaner analyzes all selected locations and shows the size of each category
4. Review the results — see the total recoverable space, largest files, and potential duplicates
5. Click Clean — confirm the destructive action; NythyCleaner cleans each category sequentially and shows real-time progress
6. Review the summary — see exactly how many files were removed, how much space was freed, and any errors

The scan takes seconds. The cleanup is permanent (not moved to Trash) for cache categories, so NythyCleaner always asks for confirmation before proceeding.

How Much Space Can You Recover?

It depends on your usage patterns, but here are typical numbers:

The first cleanup is always the largest. Regular monthly maintenance keeps things under control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to delete all caches?

Yes. Caches are temporary by design. Apps regenerate them as needed. You may notice slightly slower app launches immediately after clearing caches, but everything returns to normal within minutes.

Will clearing caches fix app problems?

Sometimes. Corrupted caches can cause rendering glitches, login failures, or unexpected behavior. Clearing the cache forces the app to rebuild its data from scratch, which often fixes these issues.

Do I need Full Disk Access?

For the most thorough scan, yes. Without Full Disk Access, some system-level caches, logs, and Mail data may be inaccessible. You can grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.

Will clearing browser caches log me out?

No — browser caches only contain performance data (images, scripts, fonts). You stay logged in. However, if you also clean browser data (cookies), you will be logged out of websites.

How often should I clear caches?

Once a month is a good cadence for most users. Developers working with Xcode may benefit from weekly cleanups. NythyCleaner's scheduled cleanup can automate this entirely.

Does NythyCleaner delete my personal files?

No. System Cleanup only targets cache, log, and temporary directories. Your documents, photos, projects, and personal files are never touched. The Downloads category scans ~/Downloads, but you can disable it or exclude specific files.

Is cleaning free?

Scanning and viewing results are free. Cleaning requires a Pro subscription. A free trial is available.

Conclusion

macOS caches are a necessary part of how your Mac works — but they do not need to accumulate forever. Whether you clear them manually with Terminal and Finder or use NythyCleaner to scan 15 categories in one pass, regular cache maintenance keeps your Mac fast, your SSD healthy, and your storage under control.

NythyCleaner makes the process safe and efficient: scan to see exactly what can be cleaned, set your safety level, exclude what you want to keep, and clean everything with one click. Schedule it monthly and you will never worry about cache buildup again.