Where apps hide your files

Slack's cache and data folders

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Slack stores its cache, local state and logs in a hidden Library folder, not with the app. You can see what is taking space, clear it from Slack's own menu, or by hand if that fails.

The folders

For the Slack app you download from slack.com:

~/Library/Application Support/Slack
~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap

The first is the data and cache folder. The second is a smaller macOS-style cache. Both sit inside ~/Library, which Finder hides from normal browsing. Open one with Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G), paste the path and press Return, or from Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Slack

If you installed Slack from the Mac App Store, the app is sandboxed and its data lives in a container instead, under ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap (Homebrew's uninstall list for Slack includes that container). The Mac used for this guide has the direct-download build, so check yours with ls ~/Library/Containers | grep -i tinyspeck. If that prints nothing, you have the direct-download version and the paths above apply.

Clear the cache the supported way

Slack has a built-in command. In the menu bar choose Help > Troubleshooting, then Clear Cache and Restart. In the Mac App Store build the same item reads Clear Cache and Exit, and it quits Slack instead of relaunching it, so open Slack again yourself. Both labels come from Slack's own menu code.

This empties Slack's web cache and cached app code, then reloads your workspaces. Messages and files live on Slack's servers, so nothing in your workspaces is lost.

Try this first when Slack is slow, shows stale channels or will not load images. It is safer than deleting folders by hand, because Slack knows which parts of its data are disposable. The same submenu also has Reset App Data…, a heavier reset that is worth keeping for when clearing the cache does not help.

What is inside Application Support/Slack

The Mac used for this guide (Slack 4.41) has these items. Slack is an Electron app, so the layout resembles a Chrome profile folder.

Item	What it is
Cache, DawnGraphiteCache, DawnWebGPUCache	Downloaded images, scripts and graphics caches. Rebuilt on demand.
Service Worker	Cached app code and offline data. Also rebuilt.
IndexedDB, Local Storage, Session Storage, WebStorage	Browser-style storage the Slack web app uses for workspace state and drafts. Clearing it can sign you out or forget local state.
Cookies, Network Persistent State, TransportSecurity	Sign-in and connection state.
logs	Slack's log files, in a default subfolder.
Crashpad, sentry	Crash report data.
local-settings.json, Preferences	Small settings files. Leave them.

On the same Mac the whole folder was about 4 MB, because it had not been used heavily. On a busy machine with several workspaces, the cache folders are the part that grows.

Seeing how big it is

du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/Slack
du -sh ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap

For a breakdown by folder:

du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/Slack/* | sort -h

All three commands only read sizes.

Clearing it by hand

Only do this if the menu command did not help. Quit Slack completely first (Slack > Quit Slack, or ⌘Q). Then in Finder open the Slack folder and move the Cache, Code Cache (if present) and Service Worker folders to the Trash. Slack's own recovery code deletes Service Worker and Code Cache when it needs to, and recreates them at next launch.

Leave Cookies, Local Storage and IndexedDB alone unless you want to be signed out. Do not delete the whole Slack folder as a first step: it works, but you will sign in to every workspace again.

If Slack is still slow afterwards

Clearing the cache fixes stale data, not a heavy workspace. Run the du breakdown above to see which folder is large, and count how many workspaces you are signed in to, since each one keeps its own cached data. In the direct-download build, Slack's app menu also has Check for Updates, which is worth trying before you remove anything by hand. App Store copies update through the App Store.

Logs

Slack's logs are in the logs folder above. The easy route is the menu: Help > Troubleshooting > Show Logs in Finder, which opens the folder for you. Support teams ask for these files when a connection problem will not go away. They can contain workspace names and error details, so look before you attach them to a public ticket.

Where downloads go

Files you download from a conversation are not stored in the cache. Slack saves them to your download location, which is normally your Downloads folder unless you changed it in Slack's preferences. If you cannot find one, see the separate guide to finding files downloaded from Slack.

Moving to a new Mac

You do not need to copy the Slack folder. Install Slack, sign in and your messages, channels and files reload from the server. Copying the folder to a new Mac mostly carries over cache.

Why Finder and Spotlight searches miss them

These files live in ~/Library and carry names like Cache and Service Worker. Spotlight and Finder searches leave that area out of normal results, and many of the files have no extension or are hash-named, so a search for "slack" finds the app and little else.

Finding Slack's folders next time

Everywhere indexes file names inside ~/Library and app containers, which Spotlight hides. Typing slackmacgap brings up the cache folder and its contents, and typing tinyspeck finds anything left under a sandboxed container. Everywhere needs Full Disk Access to cover the container folders, and it searches file names only, not what is inside a file. Press ⌘↵ to reveal a result in Finder.

Common questions

How do I clear the Slack cache on a Mac?

Choose Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart in the Slack menu bar (Clear Cache and Exit in the Mac App Store version). It empties the cache and reloads Slack, and your messages stay on Slack's servers.

Where is the Slack data folder on a Mac?

For the version downloaded from slack.com it is ~/Library/Application Support/Slack, with a smaller cache at ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap. The Mac App Store version keeps its data in ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.

Is it safe to delete the Slack Cache folder?

Yes, with Slack quit. It is rebuilt at next launch. Avoid deleting Cookies, Local Storage or IndexedDB unless you are happy to sign in again.

Where does Slack save its log files on a Mac?

In the logs folder inside ~/Library/Application Support/Slack. Help > Troubleshooting > Show Logs in Finder opens it directly.