---
title: "What is the .cache/uv folder on Mac? (uv (Python))"
description: "What is .cache/uv on a Mac? It belongs to uv (Python). What’s inside, how big it gets (1 – 20 GB), whether it’s safe to delete, and how to shrink it."
url: https://tidymac.space/folders/uv-cache/
updated: 2026-10-16
---

[Home](/) [Folders](/folders/) .cache/uv

# What is the .cache/uv folder on my Mac?

It belongs to **uv (Python)**. Here’s what’s inside and the right way to deal with it.

SafeUsually 1 – 20 GBUpdated October 2, 2026By the Tidy Mac team

Short answer

uv keeps a global cache of Python packages and built wheels and links them into your environments. It can grow fast across many projects. It’s safe to clean; uv re-downloads or rebuilds what a project needs on the next sync.

**Location:** `~/.cache/uv`

## What’s inside

-   Wheels and source distributions
-   Built packages
-   Downloaded Python interpreters (in some setups)

**Our verdict: Safe.** Your Mac or your apps recreate this automatically. Removing it won’t lose anything you made.

## The uv way

```
uv cache clean
```

`uv cache prune` removes only unused entries, if you’d rather keep what current projects use.

![](/img/brand/tidy-128.png)

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## Frequently asked questions

Can I delete .cache/uv?

Safe: Your Mac or your apps recreate this automatically. Removing it won’t lose anything you made. uv keeps a global cache of Python packages and built wheels and links them into your environments. It can grow fast across many projects. It’s safe to clean; uv re-downloads or rebuilds what a project needs on the next sync.

Where is .cache/uv on my Mac?

~/.cache/uv. In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder and paste the path.

How big does .cache/uv get?

Usually 1 – 20 GB.

## Keep reading

[What is Caches/pypoetry?Poetry (Python)](/folders/poetry-cache/)[What is miniconda3/pkgs · anaconda3/pkgs?conda (Anaconda, Miniconda)](/folders/conda-pkgs/)[What is .m2/repository?Maven (Java)](/folders/maven-repository/)[What is .cargo/registry?Cargo (Rust)](/folders/cargo-registry/)

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#### On this page

[What’s inside](#whats-inside)[The uv way](#the-uv-way)[FAQ](#faq)

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