How to Delete Temporary Files, Caches and Log Files on Mac

Mac all the way! I recently replaced my old Mac with a new one. I promised myself that I would take care of my new Mac to keep it running smoothly.

One friend told me I have to delete temporary files regularly to clear up space on my Mac and keep it in tip-top condition. How do I do this?

About deleting temporary files on Mac, here are the tactics you’ll learn about in this post.

Part 1. Should I Delete Temporary Files on Mac?

So what do temporary files do? Actually, temporary files are used to store files while a program is running. It is used to restore data by your system if some information is lost.

Some users of the Mac device wish to clear out caches and temporary files. Temporary files and caches actually include things like messaging cache, partially completed downloads, web browser cache, web browser history, and so much more.

Most applications have the ability to handle cache management themselves. The macOS can also handle cache type files and temporary files directly. Advanced users can actually do this manually and be able to clear out their temporary files and cache.

So why remove temporary files and caches in your hard drive? Is it safe to delete temporary files? Well, It is definitely safe to delete them and it gives your Mac the much-needed disk space.

As you might know, an overloaded drive would result in a slowing down of your Mac device. Thus, if you free it from disk space, you give it a chance to perform better.

How do I delete temporary files? The next part of this guide will show you how to delete hidden Temporary files, Caches, and logs manually.

Part 2. How to Manually Delete Temporary Files and Cache on Mac?

You can manually delete temporary files, log files, and cache on your Mac. However, this manual method of doing so is not recommended for beginners. Even advanced users sometimes get this wrong and cause system malfunction.

If you are a beginner, simply move on to the next part of this guide which requires you to use a tool to clear up the cache, log files, and temporary files. But if you are brave enough to do it manually, then read on...

In the macOS X, there are three types of Caches. These are called Browser Cache, System Cache, and User Cache. The steps below show you how to clear them from your Mac:

1. Go to the Finder menu.
2. Located under Go, select Go To Folder (An alternative to do this in order to delete temporary files with shortcut would be pressing the shortcut CMD + Shift + G).
3. In the dialog box entitled Go To Folder, type in: ~/Library/Caches.
4. In this stage, you might want to back up the files you are about to clear up. This step is optional. The simplest way to make a backup of these files on Mac is to hold the ALT key while dragging the folder towards the desktop.
5. Select every file you see in the Cache folder. You can do this by selecting one item located in the Cache folder first and then be going back to the Finder menu.
6. After that, choose Select All located under the Edit menu. You can also select all by pressing CMD + A.
7. Once all files are selected you can now delete them. You can do this by dragging the selection towards the Trash folder located in your Dock.
8. After that, you should empty the Trash by clicking Empty Trash located in the Finder menu.
9. Repeat Steps 1 to 6. However, replace ~/Library/Caches with /Library/Caches AND ~/Library/Logs