Part of: What can I safely delete on my Mac? Safe, risky and never (Safe to delete)
No. Do not delete /private/var/folders or things inside it by hand. It holds temporary files that macOS and your running apps are using. macOS cleans it up on its own, and a restart usually helps if it looks large.
This is a common question because the folder can show up as big in a disk tool, and it is hard to find in Finder. The short advice is to leave it. The rest of this page explains why and what you can do instead.
What the folder is
/private/var/folders is where macOS keeps per-user temporary data. Inside it you will see two-letter folders, then a long random-looking name for your user account. Under that, a few subfolders hold different kinds of data.
You can see the exact locations for your account with these read-only commands:
echo $TMPDIR
getconf DARWIN_USER_CACHE_DIRThe first prints the temporary folder for your session. The second prints the cache folder. Each path ends in a short folder name, T for temporary files and C for caches. Both live under /private/var/folders.
The path is also reachable as /var/folders. The two names point to the same place.
Why not delete it
Apps and macOS services create files here while they run and expect to find them again. If you remove a file that an open app is using, the app can crash, lose unsaved state or fail to start until it is relaunched. Some of the files are owned by the system, not by you, and you cannot change them without administrator rights. That is a sign you should not.
The potential gain is small too. macOS clears temporary files itself over time and when the Mac restarts. Deleting them by hand mostly saves a little space for a short while.
The Safe / Risky / Never box
| Item | Label | What breaks if it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Restarting your Mac to let macOS clear temporary files | Safe | Nothing. Open apps close, so save your work first. |
| Quitting an app that has a large temporary folder | Safe | Nothing. The app usually cleans up on quit. |
Files in the T temporary folder, by hand |
Risky | An open app can lose its working files or crash. |
Files in the C cache folder, by hand |
Risky | Apps rebuild them, but running apps can misbehave. |
The /private/var/folders folder itself |
Never | Apps and system services can fail. |
Other parts of /private/var |
Never | System databases and settings live there. |
What to do if it looks big
- Save your work and restart. This is the safest step. macOS clears out what it no longer needs while it starts up.
- Check which app is responsible. A very large temporary folder often points to one app that is open for days, such as a video editor, a virtual machine or a browser. Quit it and see if the number drops.
- Clear that app’s own cache the normal way. See How to clear cache on Mac, which works in your user Library and not in system folders.
- Look elsewhere first. The space usually sits in places that are safe to review, as the safe-to-delete guide shows.
Check your free space after each step with:
df -h /Why a tool may show it as large
Disk tools list /private/var/folders because it is part of the disk and some of it is yours. Many tools hide it or flag it as protected. Seeing it in a list does not mean it is a good target.
If you use a tool to clean your Mac, check how it treats this folder. A careful one leaves it out. A tool that offers to clear “system junk” without saying what that means is worth a second look.
Common mistakes
- Using Terminal with administrator rights to remove it. A command that removes files in a system folder cannot be undone, and it can hit files that open apps need.
- Turning on hidden files and deleting what you see. Hidden does not mean unused. Most system folders are hidden to keep them out of the way.
- Blaming it for a full disk. Temporary folders are usually small next to your own files. Check the biggest folders overall first.
Quick checklist
- Save your work.
- Restart the Mac.
- Check free space with
df -h /. - If a particular app is the cause, quit it and clear its own cache the normal way.
- Leave
/private/var/foldersitself alone.
See where the space went
DiskJoy is our product. It scans your disk and shows reclaimable space by category. It is read-only today and does not remove anything, because cleanup is not available yet. The scan can show you where your space is, so you can focus on folders that are safe to review.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete /private/var/folders?
No, not by hand. It holds temporary files and caches that macOS and running apps are using. Deleting items there can crash apps or lose their state. macOS cleans it up itself.
What is /private/var/folders on a Mac?
It is the system's per-user area for temporary files and caches. Each user gets a folder with a random-looking name, with separate subfolders for temporary files and for caches.
Why is /private/var/folders so big?
An app may have left large temporary or cache files, often after a crash or a long session. Restarting the Mac usually lets macOS clear what it no longer needs.