Browsers

Clear Safari Cache on Mac

Clear the Safari cache from inside the app first: choose Develop > Empty Caches if the Develop menu is turned on, or History > Clear History if it is not. Empty Caches removes only the cache, while Clear History also removes your history, cookies and website data.

Last updated: October 31, 20262 min read

Clear the Safari cache without guessing

Safari data usually takes 200 MB – 2 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Application: Safari
Typical data size: 200 MB – 2 GB
Category: Browsers
File Location: ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari

Clear it from inside Safari first

The safest way is the option built into the app: History > Clear History removes history together with cookies and website data; Develop > Empty Caches clears only the cache once the Develop menu is turned on.

Safari cache folders you can clear

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

~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari Cache · web page and image cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari.SafeBrowsing Cache · Safe Browsing lookup data Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Safari/Favicon Cache Cache · website icons shown in tabs and bookmarks Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Safari/Touch Icons Cache Cache · large website icons for Favorites and Top Sites Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations checked on a Mac with Safari installed.

What the Safari cache holds and when clearing it helps

Specific to Safari

The cache keeps web pages, images, website icons and Safe Browsing lookup data, so pages can load faster on later visits. This data is rebuilt automatically, so clearing it does not remove anything you need to keep. Clearing it helps when websites show old versions of pages, or when the cache folder has grown to several gigabytes. Your history, bookmarks and Reading List are stored separately from the cache, so the cache is not where they live.

What happens after you clear the Safari cache

The cache is rebuilt automatically as you browse, so the first start afterwards may feel slower while pages and icons load again. If you used Clear History, your history, cookies and website data are gone, and you may need to sign in to some websites again. If Safari is turned on in iCloud settings, bookmarks, Reading List, tabs and history sync across your Apple devices, and passwords stay in iCloud Keychain.

Open Safari and look for the Develop menu in the menu bar.Choose Develop > Empty Caches to clear only the cache.Use History > Clear History only if you accept losing history and cookies.Quit Safari before removing any cache files by hand.

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Account and sync: With Safari turned on in iCloud settings, bookmarks, Reading List, tabs and history sync across your Apple devices; passwords are kept in iCloud Keychain.

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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 my bookmarks disappear after clearing the cache?

No. Bookmarks and Reading List are kept apart from the cache, and Empty Caches leaves them alone.

Why is the app slow the first time I open it after clearing?

The cache starts empty, so pages and icons must load again until the app rebuilds it.