How to clear the cache for a single application on a Mac
Jul 28, 2025 am 12:56 AMTo clear an app’s cache on a Mac, start by locating the app-specific cache in ~/Library/Caches. 1. Open Finder, go to the "Go" menu, hold Option, and click Library. 2. Navigate to Caches, find the folder named after the app (e.g., com.apple.Safari), and move it to the Trash. 3. For sandboxed apps like those from the App Store, check ~/Library/Containers, locate the app’s folder, and delete contents inside Data/Library/Caches. 4. Optionally, use Terminal with sudo rm -rf /private/var/folders///c,C/* to remove system-level temp files, but do so cautiously. 5. After clearing caches, restart the app; if issues persist, consider reinstalling or updating the app.
If you're having issues with an app on your Mac—like it's crashing, loading slowly, or not displaying things properly, clearing its cache might help. The good news is that you don’t always need to clear the entire system cache; you can target just the one app. Here’s how to do it effectively.

Look for the app-specific cache in ~/Library/Caches
Most apps store their temporary files in a folder inside your user Library's Caches directory. This is where you should start when trying to clean up space or resolve issues with a specific app.

- Open Finder
- Click on the "Go" menu at the top of the screen
- Hold the Option key and click Library (it’ll appear once you hold Option)
- Navigate to the Caches folder
- Inside, look for a folder named after the app you want to clean—like
com.apple.Safari
orcom.adobe.*
Once you find it, move that folder to the Trash. Keep in mind: some folders may be locked or in use, so make sure the app is closed before doing this.
Check ~/Library/Containers for sandboxed apps
Some apps—especially those downloaded from the App Store—are sandboxed, meaning they have limited access to the file system. These often store caches inside the Containers folder.

- Go back to the main Library folder (via the "Go" menu again)
- Find the Containers folder
- Look for a folder matching the app name, like
com.microsoft.Word
- Inside, there may be a Data/Library/Caches folder you can delete contents from
This method is especially useful for apps like Pages, Keynote, or third-party utilities from the Mac App Store.
Don’t forget temporary files in /private/var/folders
System-level temporary files are also stored elsewhere, and some apps may keep cache data here. This location is a bit more technical, but worth checking if the above steps didn’t fix the issue.
- Open Terminal (you can search for it using Spotlight)
- Run the command:
sudo rm -rf /private/var/folders/*/*/{c,C}/*
- You'll need to enter your password
?? Warning: This clears many temporary files across all apps, not just one. Use it carefully, preferably after backing up important data.
Restart the app afterward
After deleting cache files, restart the app to let it rebuild what it needs. You might notice it takes a little longer to load the first time—that’s normal. If the problem still isn’t fixed, consider reinstalling the app or checking for updates.
Clearing the cache for a single app on a Mac doesn’t require special tools. Just knowing where to look makes all the difference. It’s not complicated, but easy to mess up if you’re not careful with system files.
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