Guide
Is it safe to delete cache files?
Short answer: your own app caches, yes. A cache is a copy an app can rebuild. The longer answer is about when it is worth doing, and which caches to leave to the system.
Updated
What a cache is
Apps save copies of things they have already fetched or worked out, such as web images, thumbnails and compiled shaders, so they do not have to do it again. If the cache is deleted, the app rebuilds what it needs the next time it runs.
When clearing caches helps
- You are short of space right now and need room for an update or a large file.
- An app is misbehaving and a corrupt cache is a likely cause. Browsers are the usual example.
- An app you have removed left its cache behind.
When it does not
Caches refill as you use your apps, so the space comes back. Clearing them routinely does not speed a computer up; it usually makes apps briefly slower while they rebuild. That is why Disk Cleaner leaves caches unticked by default and ticks logs and stalled downloads instead.
Where the safe ones are
| System | Your caches | Leave alone |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Caches | /System and /Library/Caches, which belong to the system |
| Windows | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp and browser caches | The WinSxS folder and Windows Update files; use Disk Cleanup for those |
| Linux | ~/.cache | System package caches; use apt clean or dnf clean instead |
Cache is not the same as cookies or history
Clearing a browser's cache does not sign you out of anything. Cookies and saved logins are separate, and Clean Rabbit does not touch them.
Questions
Will deleting caches delete my files or settings?
No. Documents, photos and settings are not stored in caches.
Should I close apps first?
It helps. Clean Rabbit skips files changed in the last 10 minutes, which covers most caches an open app is actively using.
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