How to Clear Chrome Cache on Mac (and Free Its Disk Space)

Clear data for one website only

When only one site misbehaves, delete its cookies and data and leave everything else alone. These are Google’s steps (Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome):

1. Click More > Settings.
2. Click Privacy and security > Third-party cookies.
3. Click See all site data and permissions.
4. Search for the site at the top right.
5. Click Delete next to the site, then confirm with Delete.

You will be signed out of that site.

Hard reload: refresh one page without the cache

Often you do not need to clear anything. To reload the current page and ignore what Chrome has cached, press Command-Shift-R (Chrome keyboard shortcuts). Try this first when a page looks stale.

Where Chrome keeps its cache and profiles on Mac

Chrome stores its data in two places in your user Library.

The user data folder, with your profiles, bookmarks, history, cookies and extensions:

~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome

The cache folder:

~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome

Each Chrome profile has its own subfolder in both places. Chromium’s documentation says the profile folder is “often Default“, and additional profiles get folders with names like Profile 1 and Profile 3. Chromium’s documentation explains the pairing: the cache folder mirrors the profile’s path under Application Support, so a profile at .../Chrome/Default caches to ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default (Chromium: User Data Directory).

To see which folder belongs to the profile you are using, type chrome://version in the address bar and look at Profile Path.

To check how much each profile’s cache uses, run this in Terminal (it only reads, it changes nothing):

du -sh ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/*

On the Mac used to check these paths, one profile’s cache held over 700 MB while the others held under 50 MB each.

Can I delete the cache folder by hand?

The contents of ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome are cache, which Chrome rebuilds. If you prefer doing it in Finder, quit Chrome completely first (Chrome > Quit Google Chrome), then move the contents of that folder to the Trash. Chrome’s own dialog does the same job more safely, though.

Do not delete anything inside ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome. That folder holds your profiles, saved logins, bookmarks and extensions. Removing a profile folder there removes that profile.

When Chrome keeps using lots of space

Clearing the cache frees space for a while, then the cache grows back as you browse. If Chrome’s folders are still large, look at these:

The on-device AI model

Chrome can download an on-device generative AI model for features that run locally. Google’s requirements for it include roughly 20 GB of free disk space (Manage on-device Generative AI models in Chrome). On the Mac used for this guide, the model folder ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel took 4 GB.

To remove it, Google’s route is the setting:

1. Click More > Settings.
2. Open AI Innovations.
3. Turn off On-device AI.

Google says Chrome then deletes the model files and will not download them again while the setting is off. It also says deleting the files by hand “is not recommended”. Features that depend on the model stop working.

Profiles you no longer use

Every profile keeps its own cache, cookies, site storage and extensions. Old work or test profiles can add up. Remove an unused profile from inside Chrome rather than deleting its folder in Finder.

Site storage

Web apps can store offline data in each profile, in folders such as Service Worker and IndexedDB. Clear it through Chrome, either for one site with the steps above or with Cookies and other site data in the Delete browsing data dialog, rather than deleting those folders.

If the space problem is bigger than Chrome, find the large files on your Mac or check what System Data is holding. Use Safari too? See how to clear Safari cache on Mac.

The faster way: MacWipe

MacWipe’s Smart Scan checks caches, logs, the Trash and browser data in one pass. For Chrome, it lists the cache files in ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome, plus history and cookie files from Chrome’s default profile. It leaves those history and cookie files alone while Chrome is open, so it never touches Chrome’s databases mid-write.

You see every item and why it is safe before anything goes. Caches are deleted, since Chrome rebuilds them; history and cookie files go to the Trash. MacWipe leaves your profiles, bookmarks and extensions alone. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon and Intel, and is signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple.

Download MacWipe and run a free scan.

FAQ

What is the shortcut to clear the cache in Chrome on a Mac?

Command-Shift-Delete opens Delete browsing data. Tick Cached images and files and click Delete data. To reload one page without its cache, press Command-Shift-R.

Will clearing the Chrome cache log me out?

Not if you only tick Cached images and files. Ticking Cookies and other site data is what signs you out of websites.

Does clearing the cache delete my passwords or bookmarks?

No. Cached images and files covers saved page text and images only. Bookmarks are not part of the dialog, and saved passwords are only removed if you tick that option.

Why is my Chrome folder so big on Mac?

Usually a mix of cache, several profiles, site storage from web apps and, on supported Macs, the on-device AI model. Check each with du -sh, then clear the cache in Chrome and turn off On-device AI if you do not use it.