~/Library/Saved Application State — Mac System Folder Guide
The ~/Library/Saved Application State location stores window positions and resume state. It can grow to 200 MB – 2 GB over time. macOS regenerates most of what lives here, so the space comes back — below is what to remove and what to leave.
- File Location
~/Library/Saved Application State- Space Recovered
- 200 MB – 2 GB
- Risk Level
- Safe
What This Folder Stores
window positions and resume state
What's Safe to Delete
Files older than 30 days in this folder are usually safe to remove — macOS recreates anything it still needs. Always quit running apps first and never delete the folder itself, only its contents.
Manual cleanup steps
- Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
- Open Finder and press ⌘+Shift+G to open "Go to Folder".
- Paste this path and press Enter:
~/Library/Saved Application State - Select the files you no longer need and move them to Trash. Empty Trash to reclaim the space.
See it working
Let OptiClear find these files
Doing this by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. OptiClear scans your Mac, lists every related file with its size, and moves only what you select to the Trash, so you can still restore it. Scanning is free; cleaning requires OptiClear Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete these files manually?
Usually, yes. Files in ~/Library/Saved Application State are created by the app and can be removed once it has quit. Risk level: Safe. Move them to the Trash rather than deleting them permanently, so anything you still need can be restored; the app recreates what it requires.
Will I lose my settings or data?
Manual removal of the support folder resets the app to defaults. To keep settings, back up the location first or use OptiClear's selective cleanup.