Browsers

Clear Google Chrome Cache on Mac

To clear the Google Chrome cache, open the Chrome menu, choose Delete Browsing Data, and tick only Cached images and files. Your history, cookies, saved passwords and bookmarks stay where they are, and Chrome rebuilds the cache on its own as you browse.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Clear the Google Chrome cache without guessing

Google Chrome data usually takes 500 MB – 5 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Application: Google Chrome
Typical data size: 500 MB – 5 GB
Category: Browsers
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome

Clear it from inside Google Chrome first

The safest way is the option built into the app: Chrome menu > Delete Browsing Data; tick only Cached images and files to keep history, cookies and saved passwords.

Google Chrome cache folders you can clear

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

~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome Cache · Cache and Code Cache folders for each profile Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/GPUCache Cache · GPU shader cache of the default profile (each profile has one) Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Service Worker/CacheStorage Cache · offline caches stored by websites through service workers Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/GraphiteDawnCache Cache · browser-wide graphics cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/GrShaderCache Cache · browser-wide GPU shader cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/component_crx_cache Cache · downloaded Chrome components kept for reinstall Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/optimization_guide_model_store Cache · on-device models Chrome downloads for its features Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Caches/com.google.GoogleUpdater Cache · Google updater download cache Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations checked on a Mac with Google Chrome installed.

What the Google Chrome cache holds

Specific to Google Chrome

The cache holds temporary copies of images, scripts and pages so sites load faster. Its main store sits in your user Library under Caches, while GPU shader caches and offline website caches live inside each profile folder. Clearing it helps when pages show outdated content, Google Chrome feels slow to start, or the Google/Chrome Caches folder has grown to several gigabytes. Chrome's data typically takes 500 MB – 5 GB, so a large folder is not always a fault.

What happens after you clear the Google Chrome cache

Chrome rebuilds the cache automatically as you visit sites, so nothing needs to be reinstalled or restored. The first start afterwards can feel slower, and pages you have visited before may take a little longer to load the first time. Because your profile data is kept, you do not need to sign in again. If you sign in with a Google account, bookmarks, passwords and history continue to sync as before, and profiles that were never signed in remain only on this Mac.

Open the Chrome menu and choose Delete Browsing Data.Tick only Cached images and files, then confirm the deletion.Leave cookies, history and saved passwords unticked.Reopen Chrome and let your usual pages load again.

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Account and sync: Signing in to Chrome with a Google account syncs bookmarks, passwords, history and extensions; profiles that were never signed in exist only on this Mac.

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Frequently asked questions

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

Will clearing the cache log me out?

No. Cookies are kept when you tick only Cached images and files, so sites that remember you stay signed in.

How often should I clear it?

Only when you notice the signs above. Chrome manages its cache itself, so routine clearing is rarely needed.