Photo & Design

Clear Adobe Bridge Cache on Mac

Clearing the Adobe Bridge cache is the right fix when thumbnails and previews take up too much space or the app feels slow. Start inside the app, where you can purge the cache one folder at a time, and your settings and collections stay where they are.

Last updated: November 1, 20262 min read

Clear the Adobe Bridge cache without guessing

Adobe Bridge data usually takes 500 MB – 20 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: Adobe Bridge
Typical data size: 500 MB – 20 GB
Category: Photo & Design
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Bridge

Clear it from inside Adobe Bridge first

The safest way is the option built into the app: Tools > Cache > Purge Cache For Folder (clears thumbnails for the current folder only)

Adobe Bridge cache folders you can clear

These folders are rebuilt automatically, so removing them does not touch your own files.

~/Library/Caches/Adobe/Bridge Cache · thumbnail and preview cache Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations are the standard macOS folders Adobe Bridge uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What the Adobe Bridge cache holds

Specific to Adobe Bridge

Adobe Bridge builds thumbnails and previews for every folder you browse into its own cache, separate from your files. Clearing helps when that cache has grown large or keeps thumbnails for folders that no longer exist. The app's data as a whole typically takes 500 MB – 20 GB, and the cache is only one part of that total. Clearing the cache does not remove your photos or documents.

What happens after you clear the Adobe Bridge cache

Bridge rebuilds thumbnails and previews automatically as you browse, so nothing needs to be restored. The first time you open a folder afterwards, it will load more slowly while the previews are made again. Your settings, workspaces and collections stay in place because they are stored separately. Clearing the cache does not touch your Creative Cloud sign-in data, so you should not need to sign in again.

Open the folder you want to clean in Adobe Bridge.Choose Tools > Cache > Purge Cache For Folder while the app is open.Quit Adobe Bridge before removing anything from the cache folder yourself.

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Account and sync: Bridge is free with an Adobe ID through Creative Cloud.

Try it without risk

Download and scan for freeSee every Adobe Bridge file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.

Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower.

Will the first browse after clearing be slower?

Yes, for a while. Adobe Bridge has to create thumbnails and previews again, so the folders you open first will take longer to appear.

Do I need to sign in to Creative Cloud again?

Usually not. Your sign-in and licensing data is kept separately from the cache, so clearing thumbnails leaves it alone.