TidyMacYes, for apps that are closed. Files in ~/Library/Caches are temporary copies apps recreate on their own, so clearing them doesn’t lose anything you made. Quit the app first, skip music and video apps that keep offline downloads there, and never touch /Library/Caches or /System.
The five questions
Temporary copies apps keep so they can load things faster, like web pages and thumbnails.
Some apps never clean up after themselves.
Yes for closed apps. TidyMac skips any app that is open. Some music and video apps keep offline downloads in their cache, so TidyMac lists the biggest apps and you can untick any of them.
Apps may feel a little slower the first time you open them while they rebuild.
Yes, gradually. That's normal.
How big it gets: 2–15 GB. Browsers (Chrome, Arc), Spotify, Slack, Figma and Xcode are usually the biggest.
Where it lives: ~/Library/Caches
Close the app first
An app that's running can be writing to its cache folder at the moment you remove it. That can confuse the app until it restarts. TidyMac checks which apps are open and skips them, telling you which ones it skipped.
Caches that are really downloads
Some apps keep offline content in their cache folder: Spotify's downloaded songs, or offline video in streaming apps. Clearing those means downloading again. That's why TidyMac lists caches per app, biggest first, so you can untick any you want to keep.
Do it yourself
Quit your apps. In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Caches, and move the folders of apps you want to reset to the Trash.
open ~/Library/Caches
See your own app caches in seconds
Scan free, see every part of your storage explained, and clean only what’s safe. Everything goes to the Trash first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete app caches on a Mac?
Yes for closed apps. TidyMac skips any app that is open. Some music and video apps keep offline downloads in their cache, so TidyMac lists the biggest apps and you can untick any of them.
Why are my app caches so big?
Some apps never clean up after themselves.
What happens after I remove app caches?
Apps may feel a little slower the first time you open them while they rebuild.
Will app caches come back?
Yes, gradually. That's normal.
How do I clean app caches manually?
Quit your apps. In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Caches, and move the folders of apps you want to reset to the Trash.