If you don’t know what cache is, it’s just a designated space on the hard disk of your Mac where the apps, browsers and the system itself keep data that you have downloaded for future use. However, large files in the cache can eat lots of space and some malicious caches may even slow down your Mac’s performance as well. So, if you are feeling that your system, browser or apps are running somewhat slower, you can think about deleting those cache files in order to get the operation of your machine back to normal. But do you have any idea exactly how to clear cache on Mac? Don’t worry, here we have covered it all for you.
Jump To Section:
- How Much Of Disk Space Is Reserved For Mac Cache?
- Why Is It Necessary To Clear Cache?
- How To Clear Cache On Mac?
How Much Of Disk Space Is Reserved For Mac Cache?
Well, there is no clear cut answer to that. But as there are different types of data in cache, it is possible that lots of important storage space is consumed by cache on your Mac. Let’s look at some of the common categories in which your cache data can be divided.
- Browser Cache –It’s most common among all types of caches known. Browsers usually cache data when you browse different websites and this includes the browsing history as well. If you keep clearing browser cache regularly, it will keep lots of essential space on your disk free for use.
- App Cache –This refers to the data that is cached by different apps that might have been installed on your Mac. The apps that cache data also include the ones that actually came with the OS as well.
- System Cache –System cache refers to whatever is cached by built-in services of your Mac that are running the macOS.
Why Is It Necessary To Clear Cache?
If the old cache data keeps hanging around in your system, it does nothing but to pile up and clutter the system folders. This turns the initially useful data into more of a heap that only slows down the performance of your Mac wasting all the space that it has taken up. Besides, if you don’t delete the cache data, it also results in task conflicts as well as different system issues.
Let’s consider browser cache here. The browser caches usually keep images from the websites that you visit to cut down the site load time whenever you visit the same website next. When the images are saved on your own hard drive, the browser doesn’t have to download all those images again. This saves time and improves your browsing experience. However, that’s temporary and in long run if you don’t delete cache files your Mac will actually slow down.
When you talk about App caches, they have the maximum potential of saving space. You end up clearing GBs of storage on your hard drive when you clear app caches. The other two types of cache tend to be smaller and they can expand to several MBs only. But there are exceptions as well!
How To Clear Cache On Mac?
So, if you want to clear cache, there are basically a couple of options that you can try. Let’s take a look at both of them.
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How To Clear Cache On Mac Manually
First one is to manually clear cache on your Mac. Remember, macOS X gives you access to all the cache files stored on your Mac. Here are the steps that you need to follow for that.
- Open Finder and Select ‘Go’
- Now, go to the folder named ‘~/Library/Caches/’
You can now access all the cache files that are stored on your Mac. It is possible to search caches that you want to clear manually and then delete them. For instance, you can clear Safari browsing cache by deleting ‘Cache.db’ file in folder labeled ‘come.apple.safari’.
But this may not be the best idea to consider as you may not recognize most of the folders that you have stored in cache storage. So, it is better to use a tool for deleting cache files and ensure safety of your Mac.
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How To Clear Cache On Mac Using Movavi Cache Cleaner?
All the cache files on your Mac can be cleared in one go using Movavi Mac Cleaner and it’s rather safe than the first option that we have mentioned here. The Mac Cleaner software automatically finds all your cache files and deletes them if they’re not needed to ensure that your Mac runs at optimum levels. Just download it on your Mac and follow the steps below to safely and quickly get rid of all sorts of cache files piling up unnecessarily.
- Launch the Installer and follow instructions to install the Movavi Mac Cleaner on your device.
- Once installation is complete, launch the Mac Cleaner and wait until it checks for any unnecessary files residing on your Mac.
- Finally, click on Start Cleaning to remove any unwanted cache files. The software will run safely and remove any log/cache files on your Mac besides cleaning the Trash as well.
If you’re looking to remove only some of the specific temporary cache files,you can do that using various submenus in System Cleanup and selecting specific file types to get rid of them. You can even select individual files that you want to remove as well. This can also be done from System Cleanup screen with the help of respective on/off switches as well as Detailed Results buttons. Once you have made all the selections, just click on Start Cleaning to get rid of any unnecessary files.
It’s quite safe, time-saving and straight forward to remove all sorts of cache files using Movavi Mac Cleaner. You can use it to clear your Mac within minutes.
So, hopefully, you’ve got the answer to how to clear cache on Mac. You’ve also got some insights into what cache is and why it is necessary to remove cache on your Mac. Just choose the method you want to use and start getting better performance on your Mac.
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