Is it safe to delete Playwright browsers?
Chromium, Firefox and WebKit builds that Playwright downloads to run browser tests, in one folder per browser version.
Usually safe
It can be recreated, but it takes a download, a reinstall or the tool's own command.
~/
- Never inside ~/
Library/ Caches/ ms-playwright/ mcp-*
What it is
Playwright's install step downloads the browsers it tests with into this folder, shared by every project on your Mac. Playwright keeps track of which projects use each version and deletes versions that no project needs anymore. A browser that's removed isn't downloaded again until Playwright's install step runs.
If it's removed
Tests and tools that use Playwright can't start that browser until it's installed again, which downloads a few hundred megabytes per browser.
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.