How to Clear Cache on Mac & MacBook (Safari, Chrome) 2026

A website that keeps showing an old version, a page that won't load properly, or a browser that feels sluggish. These are the usual reasons people look up how to clear cache on Mac. The same searches show up as "clear cache MacBook" and "clearing cache on Mac," and they all point to the same job: remove temporary files a browser or app saved so the next load is fresh. macOS doesn't have one "clear all cache" button, so the right steps depend on whether the problem is in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge or another app.

This guide follows Apple's Safari User Guide, Mac User Guide and Support articles, Google's Chrome Help, Microsoft's Edge Support and Mozilla's Firefox Support pages, rechecked on November 8, 2026. Apple's current Mac User Guide is written for macOS 27. Apple's page on which macOS your Mac is using (published October 26, 2026) lists macOS 27 Golden Gate 27.2 as the latest version, with macOS Tahoe 26 still listed. The Safari, Storage and safe-mode steps below use the same menu names on both. The steps are the same on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini or any other Mac, because they follow macOS and your browser, not the laptop's chassis. For iPhone, see the separate guide on how to clear cache on iPhone.

Quick answer: In Safari, turn on Settings > Advanced > Show features for web developers, then choose Develop > Empty Caches or press Option-Command-E. This clears only the cache and keeps your history and logins. In Chrome, press Shift-Command-Delete, tick Cached images and files, pick a time range and click Delete data. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Data and keep only the cache box ticked. To fix one stuck page, a hard refresh (Shift-Command-R in Chrome and Firefox, Option-Command-R in Safari) is often enough. App caches live in ~/Library/Caches, but only clear those with care and a backup.

Which method do you need?

What is cache on a Mac?

Cache is temporary data that browsers and apps save so things load faster next time. A browser stores images, scripts and parts of pages you've visited. Apps can store previews, thumbnails and downloaded data. macOS itself keeps system caches, such as font caches. Most of the time this helps, but cached files can go out of date and cause display or loading problems.

It helps to know what cache is not. Cache isn't your history, saved passwords or cookies, although browsers often put them in the same "clear data" window. Cookies are what keep you signed in, so clearing them is what logs you out. Downloads you saved to the Downloads folder are separate files, not cache. If you only want to fix a display problem, clear the cache alone.

How to clear cache on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

If you searched for how to clear cache on a MacBook, you're in the right place. Clearing cache on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro uses the same steps as any other Mac. Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge don't have a separate "laptop mode" for this, and Apple's Storage settings live in System Settings > General > Storage on every current Mac.

That means:

• Safari's Empty Caches, Chrome's Delete browsing data and Firefox's Clear Data work the same on a MacBook Air, a MacBook Pro, an iMac or a Mac mini.
• Keyboard shortcuts such as Option-Command-E (Safari) and Shift-Command-Delete (Chrome, Firefox and Edge) use the same keys. On a MacBook, Option sits next to Command, to the left of it on Apple keyboards. On a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, those shortcuts still work; you don't need a physical Esc key for them.
• MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro does not change the menus. The difference between those models is hardware (screen, ports, fans, battery), not how browsers store cached files.
• Intel vs Apple silicon (M-series) usually does not matter either. The one place it does is safe mode, which Apple documents separately for each chip type. You'll find those steps in the System Data section below, if you're using safe mode to clear some system caches.

If a page looks wrong only on your MacBook and looks fine on your phone, start with a hard refresh or that browser's cache. If the MacBook itself feels full or sluggish, check System Settings > General > Storage rather than deleting random folders. Clearing cache will not drain or fix the battery; it only removes temporary files.

The sections below walk through each browser, then app caches, System Data and DNS. Use the table at the top if you already know which problem you have.

How to clear cache on Mac in Safari

Safari gives you three ways to do this, depending on how much you want to remove. They work the same on a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro.

Option 1: Empty only the cache (recommended)

If you only want to empty the cache and keep your history and logins, Safari's Develop menu has an Empty Caches command. The Safari User Guide explains how to show the menu:

1. Choose Safari > Settings, then click Advanced.
2. Turn on Show features for web developers. A Develop menu appears in the menu bar.
3. Choose Develop > Empty Caches, or press Option-Command-E.

Apple's Safari developer documentation describes Empty Caches as deleting all caches stored by the browser. The Develop menu is designed for web developers, but this command doesn't need any other developer setup, and you can turn the menu off again afterwards. If you use more than one Safari profile, the Develop menu can also show an option to empty caches for all profiles.

Option 2: Clear history (and the data Safari saves with it)

According to Apple's Safari User Guide:

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. Choose History > Clear History, then click the pop-up menu.
3. Choose how far back you want to clear (for example the last hour, today or all history), then click Clear History.

Apple says this removes data Safari saves as a result of your browsing, including the history of pages you visited, the back and forward list, frequently visited sites, recent searches, icons for webpages, snapshots of open pages and the list of downloaded items (the downloaded files themselves stay). If iCloud is set up for Safari, the history is removed from your other Apple devices too.

Option 3: Remove cookies and website data

Following Apple's guide to clearing cache and cookies:

1. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings, then click Privacy.
2. Click Manage Website Data.
3. Select one or more websites and click Remove, or click Remove All.

To fix a single site, type its name in the search field in that window and remove only that entry. Apple notes that this may sign you out of websites or change how they behave, and that removing Safari's cookies and website data may also change or remove them in other apps.

To reload one Safari page without using cached files for that site, hold Option and choose View > Reload Page From Origin, or press Option-Command-R. That is Safari's hard refresh: it asks for a fresh copy of the page instead of emptying every cache.

How to clear cache in Chrome on Mac

Chrome keeps its own cache, separate from Safari. Following Google Chrome Help:

1. Open Chrome on your Mac.
2. At the top right, select More (three dots) > Delete browsing data. The shortcut is Shift-Command-Delete.
3. Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
4. Select Cached images and files. Leave Cookies and other site data unticked unless you also want to sign out of sites.
5. Select Delete data.

Google explains that clearing cached images and files removes text and images from pages you've visited. Deleting cookies can sign you out of websites. If you're signed in to Chrome, Google says deleting this data also removes it from your other devices and your Google Account. Google lists saved passwords and passkeys as data that isn't deleted this way; those live in Google Password Manager instead. Google also notes that deleting download history removes the list of files you've downloaded, not the files themselves on your Mac.

Two quicker routes from Google's help pages: type "Delete browsing data" in Chrome's address bar and select the action chip that appears, or press Shift-Command-R to reload the current page while ignoring cached content (Chrome keyboard shortcuts).

Clearing Chrome's cache does not touch Safari, Firefox or Edge. Each browser stores its own files, so you only need to clear Chrome if Chrome is the one showing the problem.

Clear Chrome cache for just one website

If only one site is broken, you don't need to wipe everything:

1. Open the site, then click the icon to the left of the web address (the site controls icon).
2. Choose Site settings (or Cookies and site data, depending on your Chrome version).
3. Click Delete data, then reload the page.

This removes stored data for that site only, so you stay signed in everywhere else.

How to clear cache in Firefox on Mac

Following Mozilla Support:

1. Click the menu button (three lines) and select Settings. On a Mac you can also choose Firefox > Settings from the menu bar.
2. Select the Privacy & Security panel.
3. In the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data….
4. Remove the check mark in front of Cookies and Site Data if you only want to clear the cache.
5. Make sure the cached web content (cache) option is checked, then click Clear.

Mozilla's wording for the cache box can read as Cached Web Content or Temporary cached files and pages, depending on your Firefox version. The idea is the same: tick the cache option and leave cookies unticked if you want to stay signed in.

Mozilla also explains how to set Firefox to clear the cache automatically when it closes, using the History settings in the same Privacy & Security panel. To reload a single page without its cache, press Shift-Command-R.

How to clear cache in Microsoft Edge on Mac

Edge is built on the same engine as Chrome, and the steps are similar. Following Microsoft Support:

1. Select Settings and more (three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
2. Select Clear browsing data, then Choose what to clear next to Clear browsing data now.
3. Pick a Time range, tick Cached images and files, and untick anything you want to keep.
4. Select Clear now.

Microsoft describes cached images and files as copies of pages, images and other media that help sites load faster next time. Microsoft notes that if sync is turned on, items that are synced are cleared on all your synced devices. Turn sync off first (Settings > Profiles > Sync) if you only want to clear this Mac. As with Chrome, clearing download history in Edge removes the list of downloads, not the files saved on your disk. Leave Passwords unticked unless you really want those removed.

Clear cache on Mac keyboard shortcuts

A hard refresh only affects the page you're on. If the problem shows up across many sites, clear the full browser cache instead.

How to clear app and temp cache on Mac

Beyond browsers, apps store cache files in your user Library. You can open that folder with Finder's Go to Folder command, as described in the Mac User Guide. Apple's Mac keyboard shortcuts list names Shift-Command-G as the shortcut that opens a Go to Folder window:

1. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (or press Shift-Command-G).
2. Type ~/Library/Caches and press Return.

The ~ means your own home folder, so this is your user cache folder, not the system /Library folder.

You'll see folders named after apps, often in reverse-domain style such as com.spotify.client. If one app keeps misbehaving and you're comfortable doing so:

1. Back up your Mac first (Time Machine is fine).
2. Quit the app. If it won't close, see how to force quit on Mac.
3. Open that app's folder in ~/Library/Caches and move only its contents to the Trash. Leave the folder itself.
4. Open the app again and check that it works, then empty the Trash.

If you're not sure what a folder belongs to, leave it alone. Many apps also have their own "clear cache" button in their settings (Spotify, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Adobe apps do), and that is always safer than deleting files by hand.

How to clear System Data on Mac

When people search for clearing cache on a Mac, they often really want storage back. In System Settings > General > Storage, Apple shows a bar of what's using space. Apple says the category named System Data (or Other) measures space used by all Apple and third-party files that don't belong to a more specific category (Apple Support, published October 16, 2026). Caches, logs and temporary files are part of it, but so are other files that don't fit neatly under Photos, Documents or Apps. That is why System Data can stay large after you clear Safari or Chrome.

The safe ways to shrink it:

1. Use Apple's recommendations. In macOS Ventura 13 or later, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General, then Storage. Click the info button next to a category to manage it, and review the recommendations at the top.
2. Empty the Trash. Apple notes that space from deleted files isn't available until you empty it.
3. Restart your Mac. Some temporary files are cleared at startup.
4. Start up in safe mode once. Apple says safe mode clears some system caches, including font caches and the kernel cache, which are created again as needed, and that this can temporarily free up space (Apple Support).

Apple also says that when space is needed, macOS clears caches and logs that are safe to delete on its own (Mac User Guide). Those can include temporary database files, interrupted downloads, staged updates and Safari website data. So you rarely need to clean system caches by hand, and you shouldn't delete anything from /System or the top-level /Library folder.

If System Data is still huge after you clear browser cache, that is expected. Look next at Downloads, old iPhone backups, unused apps and large files in Documents, using the same Storage window. Browser cache is only one slice of that category.

How to start a Mac in safe mode

From Apple Support:

• Mac with Apple silicon (M-series): Shut down. Press and hold the power button until you see "Loading startup options". Select your startup disk (usually Macintosh HD), hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode, then log in.
• Intel-based Mac: Turn on or restart, then immediately press and hold Shift until you see the login window.

On a MacBook with Touch ID, the power button is the Touch ID button. You may see "Safe Boot" in red in the corner of the login window. Restart normally to leave safe mode.

How to clear DNS cache on Mac

Your Mac also keeps a DNS cache, a short list that matches website names to IP addresses. If a site has moved to a new server, or you changed DNS settings and a site still won't load, flushing it can help. Clearing your browser cache doesn't touch the DNS cache.

1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities, or search with Spotlight).
2. Paste this command and press Return:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

3. Enter your Mac login password when asked (nothing appears as you type) and press Return.

There's no confirmation message. This command is widely used on recent versions of macOS. It only clears cached name lookups, which your Mac rebuilds as you browse, so it's safe. If a site still fails, try it in another browser or on another network to narrow down the cause. Our guide on what a URL is explains how a web address is turned into a page.

Is clearing RAM the same as clearing cache?

No. RAM is your Mac's short-term memory for apps that are open right now, while cache is saved on your disk. Clearing the browser cache won't free RAM. If your MacBook feels slow because memory is full, quit apps you aren't using, check Activity Monitor > Memory for anything using a lot, or simply restart. macOS manages memory well on its own, so "RAM cleaner" apps aren't needed.

Is it safe to delete caches on a Mac?

Clearing browser caches with each browser's built-in settings is the low-risk option. Pages may load a little slower at first, and if you also cleared cookies or website data you may need to sign in to websites again.

Manually deleting files in Library folders needs more care:

• Back up first. Make a backup (for example with Time Machine) before deleting anything by hand.
• Only touch your user cache folder. Stick to ~/Library/Caches, and only the contents of a specific app's folder, one app at a time.
• Leave system folders alone. Don't delete anything in /System or the top-level /Library folder.
• If you don't recognise it, don't delete it.
• Quit the app first, so it isn't using its cache while you remove it.
• Be wary of "cleaner" apps that promise to free many gigabytes. Most of what they remove comes back, and some are adware. Apple's own Storage settings and safe mode cover the safe cases for free.

What caches can I delete on a Mac?

Browser caches (cleared from inside each browser), your DNS cache, and, with care, the contents of a specific app's folder in ~/Library/Caches. Leave system caches to macOS and safe mode.

Clearing cache didn't fix it?

Use this table when emptying the cache doesn't solve the problem you came here with.

A few extra checks that often help:

• Update. Install the latest macOS and browser updates from System Settings > General > Software Update or the browser's About page.
• Restart your Mac. It clears memory and temporary files and fixes many odd problems.
• Try another browser if you haven't already. If the site only fails in one of them, stay focused on that browser's data and extensions.

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