How to Clear Derived Data in Xcode

du -sh ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData

Clear derived data for one project

Use this when a single project misbehaves and you don’t want to rebuild everything else.

1. Quit Xcode (Xcode > Quit Xcode), so it isn’t writing to the folder while you delete it.
2. In Finder, go to ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData.
3. Find the folder that starts with your project’s name.
4. Drag it to the Trash, then empty the Trash when you are sure.
5. Open the project again and build. The first build takes longer.

Clear all derived data

Same steps, but select everything inside the DerivedData folder (Command-A) and move it to the Trash. Leave the DerivedData folder itself in place. Xcode recreates anything it needs, and you lose nothing except build time.

Clear derived data from Terminal

If you prefer the command line, quit Xcode first and run:

rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*

Warning: rm -rf deletes permanently. Nothing goes to the Trash and there is no undo. Type the path exactly as shown: a typo or a space in the wrong place can point the command at a different folder. If you are not comfortable with that, use the Finder steps above instead.

Product > Clean Build Folder

Inside Xcode, Product > Clean Build Folder (Shift-Command-K) removes the build products for the open project only. An Apple engineer describes it on the Apple Developer Forums as removing “all those build products and intermediate files Xcode created for that project”. It is the gentlest option when one project won’t build, but it won’t clear space left by other projects.

Other big Xcode folders

DerivedData is rarely the only large folder. All of these sit under ~/Library/Developer in your home folder.

Archives: keep the ones you shipped

~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives holds one .xcarchive per Product > Archive, sorted into dated folders. Each archive contains the debug symbols (dSYM files) needed to read crash reports from that build. Apple’s documentation on building your app to include debugging information says you must keep the Xcode archive for each build you distribute, or you may not be able to diagnose crashes from it.

Safe to remove: archives of test builds you never shipped, and builds old enough that nobody runs them any more. Not safe: archives of versions still in the App Store or in testers’ hands.

iOS DeviceSupport

~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport gets a new folder each time you connect a device running a version of iOS Xcode hasn’t seen before. Folder names include the device model and OS version, for example iPhone17,2 26.6.2 (23G90). You can delete folders for iOS versions your devices no longer run. If a device on that version connects again, Xcode creates the folder again. There are matching watchOS DeviceSupport, tvOS DeviceSupport and visionOS DeviceSupport folders if you develop for those.

Simulators (CoreSimulator)

~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator holds your simulator devices (Devices), plus Caches and Temp. Don’t delete device folders by hand. Use the simctl tool that comes with Xcode instead.

To remove simulators that your current Xcode can no longer run:

xcrun simctl delete unavailable

Per xcrun simctl help delete, this “will delete devices that are not supported by the current Xcode SDK”. Any apps and data inside those simulators go with them. Apple’s DTS engineer suggests the same command in the forum thread above.

Simulator runtimes (the iOS, watchOS and other system images) are stored separately, outside your home folder. To see which are installed:

xcrun simctl runtime list

To delete one, use xcrun simctl runtime delete followed by its identifier from that list. The help text also offers --notUsedSinceDays <days> to remove runtimes you haven’t used lately, and --dry-run to preview what would go before anything is deleted. Run with --dry-run first.

What not to delete

• Don’t delete ~/Library/Developer as a whole. It holds your simulators and their data, archives and other settings.
• Don’t delete files under /private/var/folders by hand. Other apps and macOS use it for temporary data.
• Don’t delete the Xcode app’s own files under /Applications/Xcode.app. To remove an old Xcode version, uninstall the whole app (see how to uninstall apps on Mac).

If Xcode isn’t the main thing filling your disk, start with how to check storage on Mac or how to find large files on Mac.

The faster way: MacWipe

MacWipe’s Developer tool lists each project’s DerivedData folder under the project’s name, labelled “Xcode build data: rebuilt on the next build”. Folders untouched for 30 days start selected. It also finds old iOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS device support (keeping the newest version per device model), simulator caches, simulators whose runtime is no longer installed, Xcode caches and older copies of Xcode. Old archives are listed, keeping the newest two per app, and are never pre-selected because of their crash symbols. Beyond Xcode it covers Android emulators, Gradle, CocoaPods, JetBrains caches and build folders such as node_modules in projects untouched for 30 days. Every item shows why it is safe, and what you approve moves to the Trash. Download MacWipe.

FAQ

Is it safe to delete derived data in Xcode?

Yes. Everything in DerivedData is generated from your project, and Xcode rebuilds it on the next build. You lose build time, not code or settings.

Where is the derived data folder in Xcode?

By default at ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData. Check Xcode > Settings > Locations to see whether a project uses a relative or custom location instead.

How do I delete derived data from Terminal?

Quit Xcode, then run rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*. This deletes permanently, so check the path before pressing Return.

Does Clean Build Folder delete derived data?

It removes the build products and intermediate files for the open project only. To clear every project’s data, delete the contents of the DerivedData folder.