What can I safely delete on my Mac? Safe, risky and never
Deletion safety depends on the owner, contents and whether wanted data is recoverable. Here is a folder-by-folder guide: safe, risky and never, and what happens if an item goes.
Safe to delete
Caches, logs, support files and other folders: which ones are safe to remove and which to leave alone.
Most of what fills a Mac is safe to remove, but not all of it. These articles go folder by folder: what each one holds, what happens if it goes, and when to leave it alone.
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More in this topic
Deleting language files on Mac: why it is a bad idea now
Deleting localization files saves little and can break an app's signature. Here is why, and what to do instead.
Containers and Group Containers: what they are and when to clean them
Containers hold app data, not caches. Consider removal only when all consumers are removed, retained data is inspected, and wanted data is exported and backed up.
Mac log files: where they are and which are safe to delete
Old log files are safe to remove, but they rarely hold much space. Here is where they live and what to leave alone.
Can I delete the Application Support folder?
Application Support holds the settings and data of your apps. Remove a folder only after identifying all its consumers and checking that its retained data is unwanted or safely exported/backed up.
Can I delete /private/var/folders?
/private/var/folders holds temporary files for macOS and your running apps. Here is why to leave it alone and what to do if it looks large.
How to clear cache on Mac (and which caches to leave alone)
Clear known, rebuildable app caches one at a time after protecting offline or unsynced data; skip Apple, unknown and system folders.
Is it safe to delete ~/Library/Caches?
Most of ~/Library/Caches is safe to clear, but not all of it. Which caches rebuild on their own, where to be careful, and what happens after removal.