How to clear cache on a Mac

In the fast-paced world of technology, our trusty Mac computers can sometimes start to slow down and behave a bit sluggish. If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of a Mac that seems to be running as if it’s stuck in quicksand, fear not – you’re not alone. The culprit, more often than not, is a cluttered cache, the digital detritus of your online and offline activities. Just as you occasionally tidy up your living space, it’s essential to clean up your digital space as well. In this guide, we’ll show you how to clear the cache on your Mac, giving it a new lease on life and helping it run as smoothly as the day you unboxed it. So, let’s embark on a journey to declutter your Mac and unleash its full potential!

You might have often encountered the word “Cache” while surfing and browsing the internet. Have you ever wondered what this word means and how you can clear the cache on your devices? Here is a complete guide on clearing a Mac device’s cache.

What is a Cache on a Mac

Generally speaking, caches are suitable for the Mac, but they may also cause problems:

• Too much space can slow down your Mac, particularly if you have an older, slower Mac. They can also take up disk space you could be using for other things.
• Corrupted cached data can also cause unpredictability on your Mac.
• You should be aware that cached data can contain private data you do not want others to see. Examples include data you entered in a web form, browsing History, etc.
• Your Mac should be cleared of caches if any of these things occur.

How to Clear Browser Cache on MacBook, iMac, or MacBook Air

If you use cached files, you will be able to browse the web faster, saving you bandwidth and saving you time. Your Mac’s browser caches can unnecessarily consume a lot of space, so clear them periodically. It will also hide your online activity after you delete your browser cache.

Step 1: Open and Launch Finder

Step 2: Go to Folder using the “Shift + Command + G” Shortcut

Step 3: Type “~/Library/Caches” and hit Enter

Step 4: Open the Browser Cache Folder

Step 5: Select the Files you Want to Clear

Step 6: Delete it

Point to remember!
Note that your cache builds up again as soon as you resume browsing.

How to Clear your Mac Safari Browser Cache

Here’s how to clear the browser cache in Safari:

Step 1: Access Safari Preferences

Click the Safari menu and choose Preferences.

Step 2: Enable Develop Menu

In Preferences, click Advanced, and tick “Show Develop menu in the menu bar” at the bottom.

Step 3: Empty Browser Cache

Under the Develop menu, select Empty Caches to clear Safari’s cache quickly.

Step 4: Quick Keyboard Shortcut

You may clear the cache in Safari on Macbook even faster by using keyboard shortcuts, eliminating the need to search for the Safari cache location. Once you’ve simultaneously held down Command, Option, and E, your Mac will do the rest. If your Mac has the Alt key instead of the Option key, combine this with the other two.

Point to Remember!
Some websites may sign you out after deleting the Safari cache, while others can take a little longer to load.

How to Clear your Google Chrome Browser Cache

For years, Chrome has been well renowned for being the primary browser for billions worldwide. With over 2.65 billion users, it is the first choice of many. With the help of caches, Chrome quickly helps you search and browse on the internet.

Step 1: Tap on the Three Dots Menu on the Chrome.

At the top right corner appears a Menu; select “Settings.” The “Settings” option helps you customize your experience and manage privacy settings.

Step 2: Go to the Privacy and Security

The next step is to select “Privacy and Security,” which appears on the left side. It gives you control over the browser’s data storage and browsing history.

Step 3: Choose the “Clear browsing data” option.

Click “Clear browsing data ” in the Privacy and Security to remove the stored data.

Step 4: Mention the time duration

As per your preferences, you can select the time range in which you want to clear the data.

Step 5: Choose for the cached images and files

Next to “Cached images and files,” ensure that the images and the data are included in the cleaning process.

Step 6: Clear the Data

Finalize the process by clicking “Clear data,” removing the specified cached images and files, and optimizing your browser’s performance and privacy settings.

How to Clear your Firefox Browser Cache

Step 1: Go to Firefox History

Browser data may be managed in Firefox by clicking HistoryHistory and Clear Recent History in the top menu.

Step 2: Select Clearing Parameters

From Clear Recent History, choose “Everything” under the Time range. Select options based on your clearing preferences.

Step 3: Cache Clearing Confirmation

Check “Cache” and click OK to clear your browsing cache and optimize Firefox.

How to Clear the System Cache on a Mac

Most Mac apps cache data that is temporarily stored. Files might be small or large depending on their purpose and app developer. However, these files may fill up disc space and slow down your Mac. You can clear system files.

Here’s how to clean your Mac’s system cache:

Step 1: Access the Cache Folders

First, open Finder and select “Go” from the menu.

Step 2: Locate Cache Files

In the “Go” menu, use the search function to find the “/Library/Caches/” folder.

Step 3: Choose the Right Cache

Here, you can pick between “System” and “Library” caches, depending on your needs.

Step 4: Delete Unwanted Cache

Dive into the selected folder by clicking on it. Remove any unnecessary cache files by dragging them to the Trash and then emptying it.

How to Clear the Cache on your Mac Using Shortcuts

Shortcuts make it easy and quick to clear the cache on your Mac. Just press a few keys on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro to clear the cache:

Step 1: Navigate Your Finder

Begin by exploring your Finder window.

Step 2: Access the Cache Location

Hold down the “Shift” and “Command” keys and press “G” (Shift+Command+G) to open a “Go to the folder” window.

Step 3: Enter Cache Path

In the window, type “~/Library/Caches” in the search box, then click “Go.”

Step 4: Select Files and Folders

You can either choose all the folders and files at once by pressing “Command” + “A,” or individually select the files or folders you want to clear.

Step 5: Clear the Cache

With the files or folders selected, press and hold “Command” and hit “Delete” to remove them from your Mac’s cache.

Step 6: Confirm Deletion

A pop-up box will appear, asking for your permission to delete the selected files. Choose “Yes” or “No” as per your preference to complete the process.

How to Clear your Application Cache on Mac

You may not need to delete your Mac’s system cache, just like you do not need to delete the system cache. You may need to delete some saved files to fix programs that aren’t working right. Others cached help your Mac RAM load apps faster.

Here’s how to manually clear the application cache on Mac:

Step 1: Access User Cache Files

Start by opening Finder and heading to the “Go” menu. From there, select “Go to Folder.”

Step 2: Locate the App Cache

In the “Go to Folder” window, type “/Users/[YourUserName]/Library/Caches” and press “Go.”

Step 3: Clear Application Caches

Now, explore the application cache folders. Choose the files you want to remove and drag them to the trash. Don’t forget to empty the trash to completely get rid of them.

Best Apps for Removing Data from Cache in Mac

There are some applications that are designed to remove the data from cache. Enlisted below are some of them

1. CleanMyMac

2. MacCleaner Pro 2

3. CCleaner

How to Use CleanMyMac X to Clear the Cache

A program called CleanMyMac X from MacPaw says it can properly clear your files using a Protection Database.

CleanMyMac can be downloaded from the website of MacPaw. For £34.95/$34.95 a year, you can subscribe, but the company offers deals occasionally. You can also buy the software for £93.95/$89.95 if you don’t want to pay yearly. At the same time, it’s free to download. It does not cost money to delete things.

1. Open CleanMyMac X and choose System Junk.
2. Click Scan. An app will analyze your system.
3. A notification will show how much space can be freed after the scan. User Cache, System Log, Language, and Document Version Files are included.
4. Click Review Details for details. The software’s cache file deletion options are detailed here. So you may deselect everything you don’t want deleted. (You may wish to maintain some languages or not erase Document Versions. Plus, you may not want to erase an app’s cache).
5. If you agree, click Clean.
6. You may require a password and assistance tool.

Now, let CleanMyMac X clean your system.

How to Use MacCleaner Pro 2 to Clear Cache

1. Open CleanMyMac X and choose System Junk.
2. Click Scan. An app will analyze your system.
3. A notification will show how much space can be freed after the scan. User Cache, System Log, Language, and Document Version Files are included.
4. Click Review Details for details. The software’s cache file deletion options are detailed here. So you may deselect everything you don’t want deleted. (You may wish to maintain some languages or not erase Document Versions. Plus, you may not want to erase an app’s cache).
5. If you agree, click Clean.
6. You may require a password and assistance tool.

Now, let CleanMyMac X clean your system.

How to Use CCleaner to Clear Cache

CCleaner for Mac costs $29.95/£29.95 for the Professional version. There is also a free version of CCleaner, which you can download from the CCleaner website.

1. Open CCleaner.
2. Click on the Applications tab.
3. You’ll see which apps have files you can remove.
4. Click Analyze and wait for the software to examine what you can delete.
5. It will then show you the files that can be removed. If you are happy to go ahead, click on Run Cleaner.
6. You will see a warning that the process permanently deletes files from your system. Confirm that you wish to proceed.
7. You may need to install a helper tool, in which case you enter your password.
8. Wait while the app removes the cache files.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced tech world, your trusty Mac might start feeling sluggish, often due to cluttered caches. Just like decluttering your living space, cleaning up your digital space can work wonders. This guide covers how to clear various caches on your Mac, including browsers and system caches. We’ve also mentioned some user-friendly apps for the job. Clearing your cache frees up storage, boosts performance, and protects your privacy. Be cautious with system and app caches, but with the right approach, your Mac will run smoother and faster, like a brand-new device!

FAQ’s

What does clearing your Mac cache data do?

Cache cleanup frees storage space on the disc. It also eliminates personal data from sites and applications, updates browser content, and fixes app bugs to improve performance. Deleting all cache files frees up storage. However, removing vital system and application files may affect performance.

Is it safe to clear the cache on a Mac?

Cache data is safe to delete from your Mac, but be careful. Deleting cached files from system-level (/Library/Caches/) and user-level directories (~/Library/Caches/) should produce no severe difficulties.

Some developers put vital files in app cache folders, so be careful while removing them. If you delete cache files from active programs, you risk losing your work.

What happens if I delete all cache files on Mac?

Deleting all your cache files will free up lots of storage space. Still, removing critical system and application files could cause performance issues. Clearing your browser cache is almost always beneficial. Still, it’s best to leave the system and application caches alone unless you’re an expert or resolving a technical issue.