How to Clear Cache on Mac Sonoma

Do you want to clear cache on Mac Sonoma? Your Mac creates cache files when you use applications or visit websites. These files are generally useful, but they can cause issues when they start cluttering your Mac.

If your Mac is running slowly, or you’re nearly out of storage space, it might be time to clear the cache on your Mac Sonoma.

In this article, we’ll explain what the cache is, where you can find it, and how you can clear cache on Mac Sonoma, both manually and automatically.

Before you start:

 

We all run low on space and experience glitches on our MacBooks sometimes. If you need to clear cache on Mac Sonoma quickly, MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup can help. Not only that, but MacKeeper has a range of other tools that can improve your Mac’s privacy and security. You get one free cleanup with MacKeeper before taking out a subscription, so you can even try before you buy.

 

How to use MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup:

1. Download MacKeeper and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
2. Open MacKeeper and choose Safe Cleanup from the sidebar.
3. Click Start Scan.
4. Select the files or categories that you want to delete, and choose Clean Junk Files.

Do Macs on macOS Sonoma have cache

Whether you use macOS Sonoma or an older macOS, your Mac has a variety of caches. Caches are temporary files that store important data about files or websites you’ve accessed, such as preferences. They should speed up your experience, allowing you to access files faster, but sometimes, large cache files cause issues.

Your Mac will have a variety of caches, including:

• System cache, which stores key data about your macOS
• Browser cache, which stores data from websites you’ve visited, search history, and some browsing preferences
• User cache, which will include caches for different applications on your Mac, saving your preferences and data about files that you’ve accessed

Note from our experts:

 

The advice in this article is about how to find and clear cache on Mac Sonoma (macOS 14) only. If your computer is running an old macOS, our article on how to empty cache on Mac may be able to help.

Can you clear cache on Mac Sonoma

Whether you’re using a MacBook or another Apple computer, you can clear the cache on your Mac. There are a couple of ways to do this on Sonoma:

• manually, removing the individual files and folders in Finder, or
• automatically, using a third-party application such as MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup.

If you clear the cache manually, you’ll need to navigate to the folders that contain files and delete them. This can be a little more time-consuming than using Mac cleaner software, and you might also accidentally delete crucial system data.

What does clearing the cache do on a MacBook Sonoma

If you need to clear cache on Mac Sonoma, you’re probably aware of a problem with your Mac. Maybe you’re running low on storage space or experiencing issues with certain apps or features of your MacBook. Whether some software no longer opens or your applications are running slowly, clearing caches can help with these issues.  

As cache files become bigger, they don’t always help your Mac run faster—in fact, they can have the opposite effect. When your Mac has to access a large file, it can actually slow it down. Therefore, clearing the cache can really help speed up your computer.

After clearing your cache, the first time you open an application or visit a website, it may load slowly. This is because it needs to re-create its cache file. However, it should speed up after this.

If your Mac is running out of storage space, and you have large cache files, clearing the cache is an easy way to free up some without deleting your personal documents and data.

Tip from our team: 

 

If you regularly get an error message telling you there’s not enough disk space on Mac, check out our article on how to free up space on Mac Sonoma.

Where can you find the cache on your macOS Sonoma

You have a few different caches on your Mac, and you can find them with Finder. You can generally find them in /Library/Caches and ~/Library/Caches folders. In these folders, you can find out how large the files are and delete them if needed.  

How to manually delete cache on macOS Sonoma

If you’re comfortable deleting files in Finder, you can manually clear cache on Mac Sonoma.

In macOS Sonoma, clear cache manually by following these steps:

1. Erase app cache
2. Get rid of the system cache
3. Clear the browser cache

We’ll talk you through each step.

Important: Before you manually delete cache files, save all documents that you are currently using or editing and back up your important data.

1. Erase app cache on Mac Sonoma

Follow these steps to Erase app cache on Mac Sonoma:

1. In Finder, go to Go > Go to Folder.
2. Type or paste ~/Library/Caches and press Enter.
3. Open the folder for the cache you want to delete, and select the files inside. Right-click and choose Move to Bin. If you want to delete all the app cache files on your Mac, repeat this process for each folder.
4. Right-click on the Bin on your Dock, and choose Empty Bin.

2. Get rid of the system cache on macOS Sonoma

Clearing the system cache can be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s easy to delete critical system files accidentally, so we’d recommend backing everything up before you clear cache on Mac Sonoma.

1. In Finder, click Go > Go to Folder.
2. Type or paste /Library/Caches/ and press Enter.
3. Open each folder and delete the files: right-click and choose Move to Bin.
4. Right-click the Bin and choose Empty Bin.

Our expert’s tip: 

 

To clear your MacBook even more effectively, read our article on how to clear system data on Mac.

3. Clear browser cache on MacBook Sonoma

Finally, you’ll need to clear the browser cache. Clearing the cache on Safari looks like that:

1. In Safari, go to Safari > Settings.
2. Under Advanced, check the box next to Show features for web developers.
3. Go to Develop > Empty Caches, or use the keyboard shortcut Command+Option+E.

Important:

 

Do you use more than one web browser, such as Safari, Firefox, Chrome, or Opera? If so, you’ll need to clear the cache for each one.

Clearing the cache on Firefox:

1. Go to the menu (three lines) > History > Clear recent history.
2. Make sure that the time range is set to Everything, and that the Cache option is selected. Choose Clear Now.

Clearing the cache on Chrome:

1. Go to menu (three dots) > Clear Browsing Data.
2. Ensure the time range is set to All Time and the Cached images and files option is selected. Choose Clear Data.

Clearing the cache on Opera:

1. Go to Opera > Clear Browsing Data.
2. Choose the data range and make sure that you’ve checked the box next to Cached images and files. Choose Clear Data.

How to clear cache on Mac Sonoma automatically

If the previous steps look a bit complicated and time-consuming, don’t worry. You can clear the cache quickly and easily with a Mac cleaner, such as MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup.

In macOS Sonoma, clear cache easily with MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup:

1. Open MacKeeper and choose Safe Cleanup.
2. Click Start Scan.
3. When the scan is complete, make sure that the Caches option is checked, and click Clear Junk Files.

Conclusion

It’s important for users to know how to clear cache on Mac Sonoma. Clearing the cache can help your Mac run more quickly, and it can also help if you’re running low on storage space.

You can either clear the cache manually or use Mac cleaner software, like MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup.

There are several advantages to using a cleaner app to clear cache on Mac Sonoma:

• You reduce the risk of accidentally deleting critical system files.
• You can clear the cache more quickly than doing it manually.
• The cleaner app may find additional junk files to remove, saving you even more storage space.

You get one free cleanup in MacKeeper’s free trial, so why not give it a try?