Safari cache on Mac: where it is and how to clear it
Yes, the Safari cache is safe to clear. It contains copies of web content that Safari downloads again as you browse. The cleanest way is the Empty Caches command in Safari's Develop menu.
Where it is
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/CachesWhat it is
Safari is a sandboxed app, so its cache is not in the usual ~/Library/Caches folder. It sits inside Safari's container, at ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Caches.
The cache holds images, scripts and other parts of the sites you visit, so they load faster next time. It is separate from your history, bookmarks, Reading List and saved passwords.
macOS protects this folder. Finder and Terminal cannot open it unless they have been given Full Disk Access, which is one more reason to clear it from inside Safari.
How big it gets
Usually from a few hundred MB to a few GB.
How to clear it by hand
- Open Safari, choose Safari in the menu bar, then Settings, and click Advanced.
- Tick Show features for web developers. A Develop menu appears in the menu bar.
- Choose Develop, then Empty Caches.
- To remove stored data for particular sites as well, open Safari Settings, click Privacy, then Manage Website Data. Removing website data includes cookies, so it can sign you out of those sites.
What happens afterwards
Pages load slightly slower the first time you revisit them, and the cache fills again as you browse. Emptying caches from the Develop menu does not clear your history or sign you out.
How Diskzy handles it
Diskzy lists browser caches in the Clean up tab, ticked unless that browser is open. What it removes goes to the Trash.
Related guides
- Google Chrome cache~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome
- Containers~/Library/Containers
- Caches~/Library/Caches
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