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Safari cache on Mac (com.apple.Safari): safe to delete?

Safe to deleteRegenerated automatically; Thermo deletes it outright.

Quit first: Safari

Where it is

  • ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari

What it is

Safari keeps cached web resources in ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari. Bookmarks and history live in ~/Library/Safari and passwords are in your keychain, so neither is part of this cache.

Why it gets so big

Like any browser cache it grows as you browse, and Safari manages it on its own without showing you how large it has become.

Is it safe to delete?

Yes. Only cached copies of website files are removed, and Safari rebuilds the cache as you browse. Quit Safari first. On recent macOS versions some Safari folders are privacy-protected, so Terminal or a cleanup tool may need Full Disk Access to see them.

Tip

Turn on the web developer features in Safari's Advanced settings to get a Develop menu with an Empty Caches command, which clears the cache without touching your history.

See how much space it uses

du -sh "$HOME/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari" 2>/dev/null

Delete it by hand

Run in Terminal. Deleting cannot be undone, so check the paths first.

rm -rf "$HOME/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari"/*

Related locations

All cleanup guides →