Firefox, Edge, Brave and Arc on a Mac: caches and profiles

To clear the Firefox cache on a Mac and stay signed in, choose Firefox › Settings, click Privacy and security, then Clear browsing data. Set When to Everything, select only Temporary cached files and pages, and click Clear. Your bookmarks, passwords, history and sign-ins are untouched.

Edge, Brave and Arc are built on Chromium, so each has the same option under a different menu: clear only Cached images and files, and leave cookies alone. Each browser keeps its cache in your Caches folder, apart from its profile, which is why clearing it is safe.

The profile is the part to protect. It holds your bookmarks, saved passwords, history, extensions and the data websites store. Remove a profile only from the browser's own profile manager, never by deleting its folder in Finder.

Arc is a special case: its maker says it stops working on December 22, 2026. And none of this makes a Mac faster. Clearing a cache frees space and fixes stale pages, then the cache grows back as you browse.

Where each browser keeps its cache and profile

Every browser here splits its files in two: a cache in ~/Library/Caches, which it rebuilds by itself, and a profile in ~/Library/Application Support, which holds everything you'd miss. Here are both, from the catalog's entries for each browser.

Browser	Cache	Profile and site data	Protected on macOS 27?
Firefox	~/Library/Caches/Firefox	~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles	Yes
Edge	~/Library/Caches/Microsoft Edge	~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge	Yes
Brave	~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser	~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser	Yes
Arc	~/Library/Caches/Arc	~/Library/Application Support/Arc/User Data	Not listed
Opera	~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Opera	~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.Opera	Not listed
Vivaldi	~/Library/Caches/Vivaldi	~/Library/Application Support/Vivaldi	Not listed

Why are the cache and the profile kept apart?

So that clearing one never touches the other. Mozilla's documentation on Firefox's About Profiles page calls them the root directory, which holds bookmarks, passwords and settings, and the local directory, which holds the disk cache and other temporary data.

Chromium browsers do the same. Each profile's cache sits in the Caches folder, in a folder for each profile, separate from your profile data. The catalog rates every one of these caches Safe: the browser downloads anything it needs again.

Why can't Finder open some browsers' folders on macOS 27?

macOS 27 Golden Gate protects the data folders of a few apps so that other apps can't open or change them. Security researcher Wojciech Reguła found Firefox, Edge and Brave on that list, along with Chrome and Discord. Arc, Opera and Vivaldi weren't on it, though he found Apple can update the list through XProtect without a macOS update.

The browsers themselves still reach their own data, so clear profiles and site data from each browser's settings. The cache folders, in ~/Library/Caches, sit outside the protected folders. On macOS 26 Tahoe, the folders aren't protected this way.

Which Storage settings category counts browsers?

Open System Settings, click General, then Storage. The browsers themselves count under Applications. Their caches, profiles and site data count toward System Data, like most apps' data. A large browser footprint usually shows up as a bigger System Data number, not as its own entry.

What does this look like on a real Mac?

On one Mac, measured in October 2026 on macOS 27, Brave's cache was 8.2 MB and Opera's 10 MB, both lightly used. The apps were larger: 566 MB for Brave and 626 MB for Opera. A disk tool asked to read Brave's data folder was refused, as the protection above predicts.

Caches grow with use, so a browser you use all day for video and web apps keeps far more than these.

How do you check how big a browser's cache is?

In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, enter ~/Library/Caches and press Return. Select the browser's folder from the table above and choose File › Get Info. Inside, the folders for each profile show each one's share.

For the profile folders, use the browser's own settings on macOS 27, since Finder may not be allowed to look inside the protected ones.

How to clear the Firefox cache on a Mac

Mozilla documents two routes, both through Firefox's own Clear browsing data dialog. The choice of checkbox is what matters: select the cache alone and you stay signed in everywhere.

What are the steps?

1. In the menu bar, click Firefox and choose Settings.
2. Click Privacy and security.
3. In the Browsing data section, click Clear browsing data.
4. Next to When, choose Everything.
5. Make sure only Temporary cached files and pages is checked.
6. Click Clear, then close the Settings tab.

Firefox saves the change straight away. Pages load a little more slowly the first time you visit them again, while Firefox downloads their content.

Is there a quicker route?

Yes. Click the menu button at the right of the toolbar, choose History, then Clear Recent History. The same dialog opens. Choose Everything, select Temporary cached files and pages, make sure nothing else you want to keep is checked, and click Clear.

Can Firefox clear its cache every time it closes?

Yes, though it's rarely needed for space. Mozilla's steps:

1. Open Firefox › Settings and click Privacy and security.
2. In the History section, choose Customize history.
3. Select Clear history when Firefox closes, then click Settings.
4. Check Temporary cached files and pages, uncheck what you want to keep, and click Save Changes.

Firefox then starts each session with an empty cache, which makes the first visit to every site slower.

Will clearing Firefox's cache sign you out?

No. Sign-ins are kept in cookies, which are a separate checkbox. The catalog's entry for Firefox's cache says your bookmarks, passwords, history and open tabs aren't affected, and you stay signed in to websites.

If you clear Cookies and site data as well, you're signed out of every site. That's a privacy choice, not a space one.

Can you clear Firefox's cache in Finder instead?

Yes. The cache folder is outside Firefox's protected data folder, and the catalog rates it Safe with Firefox quit:

1. Quit Firefox with Firefox › Quit Firefox.
2. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, enter ~/Library/Caches/Firefox and press Return.
3. Move the folders inside to the Trash. There's one for each profile.
4. Open Firefox, check it works, then empty the Trash.

Finder's Move to Trash can be undone with File › Put Back until you empty the Trash. The settings route is simpler and needs no undo.

Firefox profiles, site data and extensions

After the cache, most of Firefox's space is in profiles: the website data they hold, their extensions, and old profiles you've stopped using.

What's in a Firefox profile?

Mozilla's guide to profiles lists the important files. They're why a profile folder must never be deleted to free space:

• places.sqlite: your bookmarks, download list and browsing history
• key4.db and logins.json: your saved passwords
• cookies.sqlite: cookies, which keep you signed in
• extensions: the extensions and themes you installed
• sessionstore.jsonlz4: your open tabs and windows

Mozilla adds that the profile is kept apart from the Firefox app, so uninstalling Firefox doesn't remove your data.

How do you find your profile folder?

From the Help menu, choose More Troubleshooting Information. Next to Profile Folder, click Show in Finder, and a Finder window opens on it.

Without opening Firefox, Mozilla's route is Finder: hold Option, choose Go › Library, then open Application Support, Firefox and Profiles.

How much can websites store in a Firefox profile?

A lot. The catalog's entry for Firefox's website data says sites can store offline data, databases and local storage in a folder for each site inside every profile, and a single site can store several gigabytes.

It rates that data Usually safe: you're signed out of the sites you clear, and anything a web app saved only on this Mac, such as an unsynced draft, is lost.

How do you delete one site's data in Firefox?

1. Open Firefox › Settings and click Privacy and security.
2. In the Browsing data section, click Clear data for specific sites.
3. In Search websites, type the site's name.
4. Click Remove All Shown, or select entries and click Remove Selected.
5. Click Save Changes, then OK to confirm.

For the site you're on, Mozilla gives a shorter route: click the shield icon at the left of the address bar, then Clear cookies and site data.

How do you remove a profile you don't use?

1. Type about:profiles into the address bar and press Return.
2. Find the profile and click Remove below its name. The profile you're using can't be removed.
3. Choose Delete Files to remove its data, or Don't Delete Files to keep the folder.

Mozilla calls Don't Delete Files the preferred option, because it keeps the old folder, but that frees no space. Delete Files removes the profile's bookmarks, settings and passwords, and Mozilla says it can't be undone. It doesn't go through the Trash.

Why might you have profiles you never created?

Since Firefox 67, Mozilla gives each Firefox installation its own profile, so Firefox, Firefox Developer Edition and Nightly don't share one. If you once tried a test version, its profile may still be there, listed in about:profiles.

Check what's in it before removing it: open it from about:profiles with Launch profile in new browser, and export any bookmarks you want.

Is Refresh Firefox a way to free space?

Not really. Mozilla describes Refresh Firefox as a fix for problems: it restores Firefox to its default state while keeping your essential information. It's worth knowing about if Firefox misbehaves, but clearing the cache and old site data is the route for space.

How do you remove extensions you don't use?

Type about:addons into the address bar to open the Add-ons Manager, and remove the extensions you no longer use from there. Each profile has its own extensions, so check every profile you use.

Firefox item	Where to manage it	What removing it costs	Level
Cache	Clear browsing data, cache only	Slower first visits	Safe
One site's data	Clear data for specific sites	Signed out of that site	Usually safe
An old profile	about:profiles, Delete Files	Its bookmarks and passwords	Your data
Extensions	about:addons	The extension and its settings	Your choice
On-device AI models	about:addons, On-Device AI	The feature downloads it again	Your choice

Firefox's on-device AI models

Some Firefox features run AI models on your Mac rather than on a server, and those models are downloaded files. Firefox lists them and lets you remove them.

What does Firefox use on-device models for?

Mozilla gives examples: suggesting alt text for images you add to PDFs, and organizing tabs by reading their titles and grouping similar ones.

Its AI Controls article lists the AI features you can block, among them page translations, speech recognition, which it says runs entirely on your device, and key points in link previews. Extensions can use on-device models too.

How do you see and remove them?

1. Type about:addons into the address bar.
2. Choose On-Device AI from the menu.
3. Find the model, click its trash icon, and confirm.

The page shows each model's size and what it's used for. If On-Device AI isn't in the menu, Mozilla says Firefox and your extensions aren't using any optional on-device models.

Do removed models come back?

Yes, if you use the feature again. Mozilla says the feature or extension isn't removed, and a model it needs is downloaded again when you next use it.

To stop that, block the feature. From Firefox version 148, Firefox › Settings has an AI Controls panel: set a feature to Blocked, or turn on Block AI enhancements for all of them. Mozilla says blocking removes any on-device models already downloaded.

How does this compare with other apps' models?

Chrome downloads its own model for its AI features, and other apps bundle theirs. The post on AI models hidden inside Mac apps compares them and explains each one's switch.

Microsoft Edge on a Mac

Edge is built on Chromium, so its files follow the same pattern as Chrome's: a cache with a folder for each profile, and a data folder with one subfolder for each profile.

Where does Edge keep its files?

Its cache is in ~/Library/Caches/Microsoft Edge. Profiles live in ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge, named Default, Profile 1 and so on. The catalog's entry for Edge's cache notes that your favorites, passwords, history and open tabs aren't in it.

How do you clear Edge's cache without signing out?

Microsoft's steps:

1. Click Settings and more, the three dots at the top right, then Settings.
2. Click Privacy, search, and services.
3. Under Clear browsing data, next to Clear browsing data now, click Choose what to clear.
4. Pick a Time range; the longest clears the whole cache.
5. Select Cached images and files, and nothing else.
6. Click Clear now.

Microsoft describes the cache as stored copies of pages and media that help sites load faster on later visits. Cookies and other site data, which keep you signed in, are a separate checkbox.

What does sync change in Edge?

Microsoft says that with sync on, items that are synced are cleared on all your synced devices, and that to clear data only on the Mac you should turn sync off first. That matters for history, which syncs. The cache stays on each device.

So if you clear more than the cache, check whether sync is on before you click Clear now.

How do you delete one site's data in Edge?

The catalog's steps: open Settings, then Privacy, search, and services, then Cookies, then See all cookies and site data, and delete the sites you no longer use. Edge's website data is rated Usually safe, for the same reasons as Firefox's.

How do you remove an Edge profile?

1. Click the profile icon, then Profile settings.
2. Under More profiles, click the delete button next to the profile.
3. Choose Remove profile and confirm.

Microsoft says each profile keeps its own settings, bookmarks, extensions, themes and preferences. Export anything you want from a profile before removing it.

Brave on a Mac

Brave is also built on Chromium, and Brave's help center documents each step, including a way to clear data automatically when the browser quits.

Where does Brave keep its files?

Its cache is in ~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser, with a folder for each profile. Profiles are in ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser, which macOS 27 protects from other apps. The catalog's entry for Brave's cache rates it Safe.

How do you clear Brave's cache?

1. Click the menu icon at the top right and choose Settings.
2. Under Additional settings, go to Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data. Typing brave://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar opens it directly.
3. Choose a time range, select the cached images and files option, and clear the cookies and history checkboxes.
4. Click the button to delete the data.

Brave's help center lists the same dialog for clearing cookies; selecting only the cache keeps you signed in.

How do you remove one site's data in Brave?

Brave's steps: open Settings and, under Additional settings, go to Privacy and security, then Site and Shields Settings, then Cookies and site data, then View permissions and data stored across sites. Typing brave://settings/content/all opens it directly. Search for the site and remove its data.

Brave's website data is rated Usually safe: you're signed out of the sites you clear.

Can Brave clear data when it quits?

Yes. In the same Delete browsing data window, open the On exit tab, tick what Brave should clear, and click Save. Brave's help center notes a Mac detail: closing the window doesn't erase anything. You need to quit Brave completely, from its menu or the Dock, for the deletion to happen.

Arc on a Mac, before it shuts down

Arc's future is now settled. If you use it, the most important storage question isn't its cache: it's getting your data out before the browser stops working.

What's happening to Arc?

In May 2025, The Browser Company wrote to Arc members that it was no longer actively developing Arc, though it kept doing Chromium upgrades and security fixes, and was focusing on its new browser, Dia. In September 2025 Atlassian agreed to acquire the company, and its October 2025 shareholder letter confirmed the acquisition.

On October 22, 2026, Arc's help center announced the end. Arc for macOS stops working on December 22, 2026, and you can no longer sign in. New Arc accounts can't be created, and Arc gets basic updates and fixes until that date.

What happens to Arc's data on your Mac?

Arc's help center is direct about it: after December 22, you won't be able to open Arc to reach its data on your device. It says to import your data into Dia before then, or, if you're not moving to Dia, to save your Spaces and tabs as a list of links.

It also notes that a copy of your Arc account data, which you can request until December 15, 2026, doesn't include history or passwords stored on your Mac, because the company doesn't have access to them.

Where does Arc keep its files?

Its cache is in ~/Library/Caches/Arc, and its profile data in ~/Library/Application Support/Arc/User Data, in the Chromium layout. The catalog rates Arc's cache Safe and its website data Usually safe. Arc isn't on macOS 27's protected list.

How do you clear Arc's cache?

Arc's help center gives the steps:

1. Choose Arc › Settings, or press Command-Comma.
2. Click Profiles and select a profile.
3. Click Clear Browsing Data, then Delete Browsing Data.
4. Choose a time range and the data to delete, such as cached images and files, then click Delete Data.

With the shutdown weeks away, clearing Arc's cache is rarely worth doing. Moving your data comes first.

What can you remove once you've moved on?

After your passwords, bookmarks and tabs are safely in Dia or another browser, Arc's files are leftovers. The cache is Safe to move to the Trash. The profile data holds your old passwords and history, so remove it only once you've checked the import, then uninstall Arc.

The post on leftover files after uninstalling apps explains where other leftovers hide and how to judge them.

Arc date	What happens
October 22, 2026	Sunset announced; no new Arc accounts
November 23, 2026	Arc for macOS starts showing reminders
December 15, 2026	Last day to request your Arc account data
December 22, 2026	Arc stops working; accounts are deactivated

Opera and Vivaldi, in brief

Both are built on Chromium and follow the same pattern: a Safe cache in ~/Library/Caches and a profile you manage from the browser.

How do you clear Opera's cache and site data?

Opera keeps its cache in ~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Opera. The catalog's steps for site data: open Settings, select Privacy & security, click Delete browsing data, choose a time range, then the data types, and click Clear data. Select only cached images and files to clear the cache and stay signed in.

How do you clear Vivaldi's cache and site data?

Vivaldi keeps its cache in ~/Library/Caches/Vivaldi, with a folder for each profile. Its menu route is Tools › Delete Browsing Data: choose a time range, select what to delete, and click Delete. The catalog's entry for site data names the Cookies and Storage option.

Browser	Clear the cache	Clear site data	Cache level
Firefox	Clear browsing data, cached files only	Clear data for specific sites	Safe
Edge	Choose what to clear, cached images only	See all cookies and site data	Safe
Brave	Delete browsing data, cache only	View permissions and data stored across sites	Safe
Arc	Profiles › Clear Browsing Data	Same dialog, cookies and site data	Safe
Opera	Delete browsing data, cache only	Same dialog, cookies and site data	Safe
Vivaldi	Tools › Delete Browsing Data	Cookies and Storage	Safe

What not to delete, and other mistakes

Most problems come from deleting a profile folder to free space, or from ticking every checkbox in a clearing dialog.

Is it safe to delete a browser's profile folder?

No. The profile is your bookmarks, passwords, history, extensions and sign-ins. On macOS 27, Finder may not even be allowed to change Firefox's, Edge's or Brave's. Remove profiles you don't use from the browser's own profile manager, and clear site data from its settings.

Does clearing a browser's cache make your Mac faster?

No. The cache exists to make pages load faster, so clearing it makes the browser slower until it refills. It frees disk space and fixes stale or broken pages; it doesn't change how fast your Mac runs.

A browser using lots of memory is a separate issue, about RAM, which the post on memory and storage on a Mac explains.

Should you clear the cache regularly?

No. It refills as you browse, so clearing it every week wins back the same space each time and slows every first visit. Clear it when space is short, when a site misbehaves, or once after you stop using a browser.

Why does the cache come back so quickly?

Because it refills with the sites you visit every day. As you browse, the browser saves their images and scripts again, so much of what you cleared comes back. That's the cache doing its job, and why clearing it is a one-off gain.

What about cookies?

Cookies are tiny, and clearing them signs you out everywhere. They're about privacy, not space. The post on clearing cookies on a Mac covers when that's worth doing and how each browser handles it.

What about Chrome and Safari?

They have their own posts. Chrome's cache, profiles and its large on-device model are in Chrome taking up space on a Mac, and Safari's caches and website data in Safari's cache on a Mac.

And web apps you use in the browser?

Slack, Teams, Discord and WhatsApp Web keep their data in the browser's site data when you use them in a tab. Clearing that site's data signs you out there, and nothing else changes.

Their desktop apps keep separate caches. The post on Slack, Teams, Discord and Zoom caches covers the work apps, and the one on WhatsApp, Telegram and WeChat storage the messaging apps.

AI chat services work the same way: in a tab, their data is site data; as desktop apps, they keep their own folders, which the post on AI chat apps' storage explains.

Don't	Why	Instead
Delete a profile folder in Finder	It holds bookmarks and passwords	Use the browser's profile manager
Tick every box in a clearing dialog	You're signed out everywhere, and synced history goes	Select only the cache
Choose Delete Files without exporting	It can't be undone	Export bookmarks first
Clear a cache with the browser open	It writes to it as it runs	Quit the browser first
Wait until after December 22 to move from Arc	Arc won't open to reach its data	Import into another browser now
Paste a cleanup command from a web page	It skips the Trash and can't be undone	Use the browser's settings

A worked example

Say System Data has grown and you use Firefox daily, Edge for work and Arc out of habit. In Firefox, you clear only cached files, remove a Nightly profile you tried once after exporting its bookmarks, and remove two on-device models for features you don't use.

In Edge, you clear cached images and files and delete one old profile. You import Arc into another browser, check your passwords arrived, then uninstall Arc and move its cache to the Trash. Your sign-ins and bookmarks everywhere else are untouched.

How the app does it

Wombit is a native Mac app that shows what's using your storage, explains every item in plain language, and clears it safely: Trash first, undoable and logged. File names and paths never leave your Mac.

Each browser's folders appear on the map like everything else. Select one and the app says what it is, how safe it is to remove and what removing it costs, from a catalog written and checked by hand with sources:

• ~/Library/Caches/Firefox

  Firefox cache

  Web pages, images and other files that Firefox saved so websites load faster, with a folder for each profile.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

• ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/*/storage/default

  Firefox website data

  Offline data, databases and local storage that websites and web apps stored in Firefox, in a folder for each site.

  Usually safe · Explained only: the app shows you how

• ~/Library/Caches/Microsoft Edge

  Microsoft Edge cache

  Web pages, images and scripts that Edge saved so websites load faster, with a folder for each Edge profile.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

• ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/{Default,Profile *}/{Service Worker,IndexedDB}

  Microsoft Edge website data

  Offline data that websites and web apps stored in Edge, such as service worker caches and IndexedDB databases.

  Usually safe · Explained only: the app shows you how

• ~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser

  Brave cache

  Web pages, images and scripts that Brave saved so websites load faster, with a folder for each Brave profile.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

• ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/{Default,Profile *}/{Service Worker,IndexedDB}

  Brave website data

  Offline data that websites and web apps stored in Brave, such as service worker caches and IndexedDB databases.

  Usually safe · Explained only: the app shows you how

• ~/Library/Caches/Arc

  Arc cache

  Web pages, images and scripts that Arc saved so websites load faster.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

• ~/Library/Application Support/Arc/User Data/{Default,Profile *}/{Service Worker,IndexedDB}

  Arc website data

  Offline data that websites and web apps stored in Arc, such as service worker caches and IndexedDB databases.

  Usually safe · Explained only: the app shows you how

• ~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Opera

  Opera cache

  Web pages, images and scripts that Opera saved so websites load faster.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

• ~/Library/Caches/Vivaldi

  Vivaldi cache

  Web pages, images and scripts that Vivaldi saved so websites load faster, with a folder for each profile.

  Safe · Moves it to the Trash

The caches are Safe: they start checked in Cleanup and count in the headline number. Website data is Usually safe, with each browser's own steps to remove it, because that's the supported route.

On macOS 27, folders macOS doesn't let the app read, such as Firefox's, Edge's and Brave's data folders, are listed rather than skipped. If a browser is open, its items are left out of a cleanup, and the review sheet offers to quit it the way ⌘Q does.

Finding and explaining all of this is part of the free analyzer. Cleanup is PRO: one payment of $4.99 with lifetime access. Every Pro tool's review is free to open, so you see what would go and why before you buy.