Where apps hide your files

Safari, Chrome and Firefox cache paths

Updated 2026-10-28 · 7 min read

Browser caches live in ~/Library/Caches, not next to your bookmarks. Here are the three paths, how to open them, and how to clear them safely.

The three cache folders

With default settings, the disk caches live here:

Safari   ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/
Chrome   ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/<profile>/Cache/
Firefox  ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/<profile>/cache2/

<profile> is Default for Chrome's first profile (later ones are Profile 1, Profile 2 and so on, with gaps if you deleted some) and a name like abcd1234.default-release for Firefox, with a random prefix. Cache is separate from your bookmarks, history and logins, which sit in ~/Library/Application Support (Chrome and Firefox) or ~/Library/Safari (Safari).

What to expect in each:

1. Chrome: each profile folder under Caches/Google/Chrome holds Cache (with Cache_Data inside) and Code Cache. A few smaller caches, such as GPUCache, live in the profile folder under ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/<profile>/ instead.
2. Safari: the network cache is the WebKitCache/Version <n> folder inside com.apple.Safari; the number changes with WebKit releases (it is 17 with Safari 26). Website data such as local storage and IndexedDB is kept apart from the cache, in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/WebKit/WebsiteData/.
3. Firefox: the Caches/Firefox folder only appears once Firefox has written a disk cache, so a fresh or rarely used install may not have it. Mozilla's support forum gives the path above; Firefox itself will show you the exact one.

Open them

In Finder, press ⇧⌘G and paste the folder. In Terminal:

open ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome
open ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari

For Firefox, ask the browser. Type about:cache in the address bar and the page lists the disk cache directory in full. about:profiles shows two folders per profile with a Show in Finder button beside each: the Local Directory is the cache side of the profile, the Root Directory is the settings side. That is more reliable than guessing the profile name.

What the files are

Browser	What you will see	Notes
Chrome	Cache/Cache_Data, Code Cache	Opaque, hashed names. You cannot browse them as images or pages.
Safari	WebKitCache/Version <n>/, with Records and Blobs once it fills	Opaque; the layout has changed across Safari versions.
Firefox	cache2/entries, cache2/doomed	entries holds the cached responses; doomed holds ones queued for deletion.

Do not expect to rescue a cached image by opening these folders. File names are hashes and many entries have the headers and body combined. If you want a picture from a page, save it from the page.

Chrome also keeps per-site storage outside the cache: Service Worker and IndexedDB live inside the profile in ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/<profile>. These are not cache in the sense of "safe to wipe"; they can hold offline data for web apps.

Clearing the cache the supported way

Use the browser's own controls. They clear the right things and leave cookies alone if you choose.

1. Chrome: Chrome > Delete Browsing Data… (⇧⌘⌫), then tick "Cached images and files" only. Older versions call the item Clear Browsing Data.
2. Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security, then under Cookies and Site Data click Clear Data… and tick "Temporary cached files and pages" only. Older versions label that box "Cached Web Content".
3. Safari: in Safari > Settings > Advanced, turn on Show features for web developers, then choose Develop > Empty Caches. Cookies and site data are a separate control: Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, which can sign you out of sites. History > Clear History removes history, not the cache.

Clearing the folder by hand

Do this only when the browser itself will not start, or its own control fails. Quit the browser first. Then in Finder, move the cache folder to the Trash: Cache and Code Cache inside the Chrome profile's cache folder, WebKitCache for Safari, or cache2 for Firefox. The browser rebuilds it on the next launch, and the first few pages load a little slower. Mozilla's forum advice stresses clearing only the cache2 folder listed in about:cache, never the whole profile folder, which contains your logins and bookmarks.

What not to remove: anything in Application Support or ~/Library/Safari, the Safari container, and the profile folders themselves.

How much space they take

Chrome sizes its cache automatically, but a single busy profile's Cache folder can pass 800 MB, and every profile has its own, so several profiles add up to gigabytes. Safari's cache is usually far smaller. Check yours with:

du -sh ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari
du -sh ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/*/Cache

Add the Firefox path when it exists. Clearing a cache gives space back only until you browse again, so it is a one-off tidy, not a fix for a full disk.

Why Spotlight cannot show you any of it

Cache folders sit in ~/Library/Caches, which Spotlight leaves out of its results, and the files inside have hashed names with no extensions anyway.

Finding the cache folder by name

Everywhere indexes file names inside ~/Library/Caches and the profile folders, so typing cache2 brings up Firefox's cache, and typing Code Cache lists Chrome's per-profile folders along with those of other Chromium-based apps that use the same name. ⌘↵ reveals the one you pick in Finder. It matches names only, so it will find the folder but cannot say what a hashed file contains.

Common questions

Where is the Chrome cache on a Mac?

In ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/<profile>/Cache, with a sibling Code Cache folder. Default is the first profile; later ones are Profile 1, Profile 2 and so on.

Where does Firefox keep its cache on macOS?

Mozilla forum answers give ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/<profile>/cache2. Type about:cache in Firefox to see the exact directory on your Mac.

How do I clear only the cache in Safari?

Turn on Show features for web developers in Safari > Settings > Advanced, then choose Develop > Empty Caches. Manage Website Data in the Privacy pane removes cookies and site data instead.

Is it safe to delete a browser's cache folder?

Yes, once the browser is quit. It rebuilds the cache and pages load slower at first. Leave Application Support, ~/Library/Safari and the profile folders alone, since they hold logins and bookmarks.