Besides performance-related struggles, you could leave yourself vulnerable to others obtaining your personal information.

If you don’t empty the Safari cache on your Mac regularly, you could run into several issues. If you’re having issues with certain apps, it may also be time to clear your cache.Have you ever had to deal with a slow-performing Mac, but you’re not sure why it’s not running as it used to? An overloaded Safari cache on your device could be the culprit.

There are a few different types of cached data: user or app data that saves information for certain apps system cache, which your operating system uses to save process information and browser cache, which saves your web browsing activity.Ĭonvenient, right? But it’s important to clear this cached information every now and then to keep your data safe and free up disk space, which helps your operating system run more smoothly.

That way, your computer doesn’t have to spend time downloading all of that information again - it can just pull it from the cache. When you visit that same site in the future, your browser simply (and quickly) loads data from the folder it's already created. When you visit a website, for example, your browser will download data like images, scripts, and login credentials and save it all in a cached folder. This is called caching, which, as Apple (Opens in a new tab) puts it, “helps reduce internet data usage and speed up software installation on Mac computers, iOS and iPadOS devices, and Apple TV.” Many of your daily computer activities - like opening programs, logging onto email, and navigating websites - are saved as temporary files within your computer.

How to clear cache mac