Is it safe to delete Xcode device support files?
Symbol files Xcode copies from each iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV or Apple Vision Pro you connect, one set per OS version.
Safe
Its owner recreates it by itself when it needs it, and nothing you made is lost.
~/
What it is
When you connect a device for development, Xcode copies the operating system's symbol files from it so it can debug your app and show readable crash reports. The symbols are specific to each OS release, device model and processor type, so a new set is added with every software update and older sets stay behind. Xcode copies them again the next time you connect a device.
If it's removed
Xcode copies the files again the next time you connect a device running that exact version, which takes a few minutes for an iPhone and can take much longer for an Apple Watch. Files for versions you no longer have a device for can't be copied again, so older crash reports from those versions may not show symbol names.
How it's removed
Moved to the Trash, where you can restore it. Quit Xcode first.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. Removing it is Pro, after a review sheet that lists every move and command. It starts checked in the Cleanup checklist, except inside Documents or Desktop.
Sources
- developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/acquiring-operating-system-symbol-information
- github.com/AvdLee/Xcode-Disk-Cleanup-Agent-Skill/blob/main/xcode-disk-cleanup/references/release-artifacts.md
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.