How To Clear Your Safari Browser Cache on Mac

Clearing Safari’s cache can significantly boost your browser’s performance, reclaim valuable storage space, and fix issues caused by outdated or corrupted data. Regularly removing cached files ensures smoother browsing, faster page loading, and a more reliable overall experience on macOS. In this guide, we’ll walk you through a simple, step-by-step process to clear your Safari cache efficiently.

Method 1: Clear Cache Through Safari’s Developer Menu

The Developer menu in Safari allows you to clear the browser’s cache without affecting other browsing data like history, cookies, or saved passwords.

Step 1: Enable the Developer Menu

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. In the top menu bar, click on Safari and select Preferences (or press Cmd + ,).
3. Go to the Advanced tab.
4. At the bottom of the window, check the box for Show Develop menu in menu bar. You’ll now see a Develop option in the top menu bar.

Step 2: Clear the Cache

1. In the top menu bar, click on Develop.
2. From the dropdown, select Empty Caches.

This will clear the cache without deleting cookies, history, or other browsing data.

Method 2: Clear Cache, History, and Other Data Through Safari Preferences

If you want to clear not only the cache but also browsing history, cookies, and other website data, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Safari Preferences

1. Open Safari and click on Safari in the top menu bar.
2. Select Clear History from the dropdown menu.

Step 2: Clear History and Website Data

1. In the Clear History window, choose a time range for clearing data:
   • Last hour
   • Today
   • Today and yesterday
   • All history
2. Select the desired option and click Clear History. This will clear your browsing history, cache, and cookies for the selected time period.

Method 3: Clear Cache Using the Keyboard Shortcut

You can quickly clear your Safari cache using a keyboard shortcut, but this requires the Developer menu to be enabled (see Method 1, Step 1).

1. Once the Develop menu is enabled, press Option + Command + E to immediately empty the cache.

Method 4: Manually Delete Safari Cache Files from Mac Storage

If you want to manually clear Safari’s cache files from your Mac storage, follow these steps:

1. Quit Safari if it’s open.
2. Open Finder and in the menu bar, click Go > Go to Folder.
3. In the search bar, type:
   ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari
4. Press Enter. This will take you to Safari’s cache folder.
5. Select all the files inside the folder and move them to the Trash.
6. Empty the Trash to permanently delete the cache files.

Conclusion

Clearing the Safari cache on your Mac can enhance browser performance, free up valuable disk space, and resolve common issues with website loading or display. You have multiple ways to clear the cache: via the Developer menu, through Safari preferences, or by manually accessing the cache folder. Choose the method that fits your needs and enjoy a smoother, faster browsing experience.