How to Clean Browser Caches on macOS and Reclaim Space
Your web browser is one of the most prolific disk-space consumers on your Mac. Every site you visit deposits cached images, scripts, local storage databases, and service workers into hidden folders. Over months of daily use, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox can quietly accumulate 2–10 GB of cached data — sometimes far more if you use web apps like Figma, Notion, or Spotify in the browser.
The good news: browser cache is entirely disposable. The worst outcome of clearing it is a slightly slower first visit to websites while they re-download assets. This guide shows you how to clean each major browser manually, then introduces the one-click alternative.
What Browsers Cache on macOS
Every modern browser stores several categories of data on disk:
- HTTP cache — images, CSS, JavaScript, and fonts from visited websites
- Service workers — offline-capable web apps that store assets locally
- IndexedDB / LocalStorage — structured data used by sites like Gmail and YouTube
- Shader and GPU caches — compiled graphics pipelines for WebGL and Canvas
- Code caches — precompiled JavaScript bytecode for faster page loads
On macOS, each browser isolates this data in its own Library folder. Unlike logs or build artifacts, browser cache is intentionally persistent — the browser keeps it until you explicitly clear it or the cache hits its size limit.
Google Chrome
Option A: Clear cache through the UI
- Open Chrome
- Click the menu (⋮) → More Tools → Clear Browsing Data…
- Set the time range to All time
- Check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files
- Click Clear data
Option B: Clear cache via Terminal
Close Chrome completely, then run:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default/Cache/*This wipes the on-disk HTTP cache without touching your bookmarks, history, or passwords. For a deeper clean that also removes service workers and code caches:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default/Cache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default/Code\ Cache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Service\ Worker/*⚠️ Warning
Clearing Cookies and other site data will log you out of websites. If you only want to reclaim space, uncheck that option and clear only cached images and files.
Apple Safari
Option A: Clear cache through the UI
- Open Safari
- Click Safari → Settings… (or Preferences on older macOS)
- Go to the Privacy tab
- Click Manage Website Data…
- Click Remove All, then confirm
Or use the hidden shortcut to clear only the cache without opening Preferences:
Option + ⌘ + EOption B: Clear cache via Terminal
Safari stores cache in several locations. Close Safari first, then run:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/Cache.db
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/WebKitCache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/*These commands target only cached web content. Your browsing history, Reading List, and saved passwords remain untouched.
Mozilla Firefox
Option A: Clear cache through the UI
- Open Firefox
- Click the menu (≡) → History → Clear Recent History…
- Set the time range to Everything
- Expand Details and check only Cache
- Click Clear Now
Option B: Clear cache via Terminal
Close Firefox, then remove its cache directory:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/*/cache2/*Firefox also stores offline data and service workers under the profile folder. For a thorough clean:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/*/cache2/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Firefox/Profiles/*/storage/default/*How Much Space Will You Reclaim?
Cache size varies wildly based on browsing habits, but here are typical ranges for a developer Mac after several months of use:
| Browser | Typical Cache Size | Safe to Delete? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | 1.5 – 6 GB | Yes — regenerates on next visit |
| Apple Safari | 0.5 – 3 GB | Yes — regenerates on next visit |
| Mozilla Firefox | 0.5 – 4 GB | Yes — regenerates on next visit |
One-Click with Bytegone
If you would rather not hunt through Library folders or remember browser-specific shortcuts, Bytegone identifies and moves browser caches to Trash in one pass — alongside Xcode DerivedData, Docker images, npm caches, and logs:
| Method | Scope | Safety | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser Settings | One browser at a time | High (visual confirmation) | ~5 min each |
| Terminal commands | All browsers | Medium (rm -rf risk) | ~2 min |
| Bytegone | 13 categories incl. all browsers | Moves to Trash by default | ~10 sec |
Reclaim disk space the safe way
Bytegone scans 13 reclaimable locations — including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox caches — and moves them to Trash with your confirmation. Never your work, never system files.
Download BytegoneFAQ
Will clearing browser cache delete passwords?
No — if you clear only cached images and files. Passwords live in the browser's keychain or login database (Login Data in Chrome, key4.db in Firefox). However, if you also clear cookies, you will be logged out of websites and may need to re-enter passwords and complete two-factor authentication again.
Do I need to close the browser before clearing cache via Terminal?
Yes. Browsers hold file locks on their cache databases while running. Deleting files while the browser is open may corrupt the cache, trigger a crash, or simply fail silently. Always quit the browser completely (⌘+Q, not just closing the window) before running any rm -rf commands.
Why does cache grow back so quickly?
Modern web apps are asset-heavy. A single page load on a site like YouTube or Figma can pull dozens of megabytes of images, fonts, and JavaScript. Browsers cache aggressively because SSDs are fast and local storage is cheaper than re-downloading. Cache bloat is normal — routine cleanup is the fix.
Does Bytegone clear browsing history or cookies?
No. Bytegone targets only on-disk cache folders — the same files covered by the Terminal commands in this guide. It does not touch history databases, cookies, saved passwords, or bookmarks. Those are personal data, not reclaimable space, so Bytegone leaves them alone.