Is it safe to delete Per-user temporary files and caches?
Private temporary folders and caches that macOS creates for each user account, in hidden folders with random names.
Managed by macOS
macOS manages it. It's never moved to the Trash.
/
What it is
macOS gives each user account a private folder here, with a temporary items folder and a cache folder that apps and system services use while they work. By default, macOS removes temporary items that haven't been used for three days. The cache part isn't cleared on a schedule, so it can grow, and macOS and apps create what they need again when it's missing.
If it's removed
Removing files here while apps are using them can make those apps lose work in progress or quit unexpectedly.
What to do instead
Leave it to macOS. It removes old temporary items on its own, and apps manage their caches here.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. The app never removes it.
Sources
- developer.apple.com/forums/thread/71382
- keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/confstr.3.html
- magnusviri.com/what-is-var-folders
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.