Tidy Maccom.google.Chrome.code_sign_clone is a hidden folder in /private/var/folders where Chrome keeps APFS clones of its own app bundle. Old copies can pile up: one MacBook Air had 48. Because clones share blocks, du and Finder can report tens of gigabytes while the real cost is often 1–3 GB. Quit Chrome fully, then move the folder to the Trash; Chrome makes a new copy when it needs one.
- Count the copies: ls "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X/com.google.Chrome.code_sign_clone" | wc -l
- See the size du reports: du -sh "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X/"*
- Note your free space with df -h / so you can see what you really get back.
- Quit Chrome completely with Cmd-Q.
- Open the parent folder with open "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X" and move code_sign_clone to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash and compare df -h / again.
What this folder is
Every Mac user has a private temporary area under /private/var/folders. You never see it in Finder. Recent versions of Google Chrome create a folder there called X/com.google.Chrome.code_sign_clone.
Inside are copies of the Chrome app. Chromium's source has a component for this, code_sign_clone_manager, which uses macOS's clonefile call. As far as we can tell, it keeps a copy of the running app so its code signature stays valid while an update replaces the app in /Applications.
The copies are meant to be temporary. On the 245 GB MacBook Air we measured, they weren't: 48 copies, 3 of Chrome 154 and 45 of Chrome 155.0.8059.40, while the installed version was 155.0.8059.80.
Check yours (read-only)
ls "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X/com.google.Chrome.code_sign_clone" | wc -l
du -sh "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X/"*The first line counts the copies. The second shows the size du adds up. On our Mac it printed 48 and 67G.
Why 67 GB is the wrong number
The copies are APFS clones. A clone looks like a full copy to every app, but it shares the same blocks on disk with the original until one of them changes. So it costs almost nothing extra.
du, Finder's Get Info and most disk tools add each clone at full size anyway. 48 copies × about 1.4 GB is how you get 67 GB.
APFS can report the bytes that belong only to one file (ATTR_CMNEXT_PRIVATESIZE). Counting those, and each shared block once, the same folder cost about 1.8–2.1 GB on disk. It's still waste, because the clones keep old Chrome versions alive. But it's about 30 times smaller than the number on screen. Why Finder and Disk Utility disagree
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How to clear it
- Quit Chrome fully with Cmd-Q. Closing the window isn't enough, and the newest copy may be the one Chrome is running from.
- Run
open "$(getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR)/../X"to show the folder in Finder. - Drag
com.google.Chrome.code_sign_cloneto the Trash, then empty it.
Expect a gigabyte or two back, not 67. The folder comes back after future Chrome updates, so this is a cleanup, not a permanent fix.
df -h / before and after. If free space barely moves after deleting something "huge", you were looking at clones.Where Tidy Mac fits
Tidy Mac counts APFS clones and hard links once, so it shows this folder at what it really costs, not what the file sizes add up to. It moves everything to the Trash first, with Undo. Pricing
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete com.google.Chrome.code_sign_clone?
In our testing, yes, once Chrome is fully quit with Cmd-Q. Chrome creates a new copy when it needs one. Move it to the Trash rather than deleting it outright.
Why does du say the folder is so big?
The copies are APFS clones that share blocks on disk. du and Finder count every clone at full size, so 48 copies of a 1.4 GB app show as 67 GB even though they cost far less.
How much space will I really get back?
Usually a gigabyte or two, depending on how many old Chrome versions the copies keep alive. Compare df -h / before and after to see the real number.
Will the folder come back?
Yes. Chrome makes new copies around updates, so it can fill up again over time.