Is it safe to delete Core dumps?
Copies of a crashed process's memory that macOS saves in /cores, only when core dumps have been turned on.
Review first
It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.
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- Files only
What it is
When core dumps are turned on, macOS writes the memory of a crashing process to a file in /cores named core followed by the process ID. They're off by default, and developers usually turn them on to examine a crash in a debugger. Each file holds the process's whole memory, so it can be very large, and it stays until it's removed.
If it's removed
You can't examine those crashes in a debugger afterward. New core dumps are written only while core dumps stay turned on.
How it's removed
Moved to the Trash, where you can restore it.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. Removing it is Pro, after a review sheet that lists every move and command. It's never checked for you: it waits for your choice.
Sources
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.