Clear Mac App Store Download Cache in macOS 13

Clearing the Mac App Store download cache in macOS 13 (Ventura) is an effective troubleshooting step when downloads become stuck, app updates fail repeatedly, or the storefront displays corrupted data. This guide walks you through quitting active storefront processes, accessing hidden system cache folders via Finder and Terminal, deleting corrupt temporary download files, and restarting background agents to restore proper functionality to the App Store.

Step 1: Force Quit the App Store

Before removing any files, ensure the App Store and its related background processes are completely closed.

  1. Press Command + Option + Escape to open the Force Quit Applications window.
  2. Select App Store if it appears in the list and click Force Quit.
  3. Alternatively, open Activity Monitor (via Spotlight or Applications > Utilities), search for appstoreagent, select it, and click the Stop (X) icon to force quit the background daemon.

Step 2: Clear the Hidden Temporary Download Cache via Terminal

macOS stores in-progress download packages in a private, system-generated temporary folder outside the standard user directory. Accessing and clearing this folder resolves most download errors.

  1. Open Terminal (press Command + Space, type Terminal, and press Return).

  2. Type the following command to open the exact cache directory in Finder:

    open $(getconf DARWIN_USER_CACHE_DIR)/com.apple.appstore

  3. Press Return. A Finder window will open showing the contents of the com.apple.appstore directory.

  4. Select all files and folders inside this directory by pressing Command + A.

  5. Right-click and choose Move to Trash (or press Command + Delete).

If you prefer to delete these files directly using Terminal, enter:

rm -rf $(getconf DARWIN_USER_CACHE_DIR)/com.apple.appstore/*

Step 3: Clear the User Library App Store Cache

The user-level cache stores catalog metadata and interface assets that can occasionally cause store glitches.

  1. Open Finder.

  2. Press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" prompt.

  3. Paste the following path into the field and press Return:

    ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore

  4. Select all items within this folder and move them to the Trash.

Step 4: Restart the Background Store Process

To make sure macOS reinitializes clean directories:

  1. Return to Terminal.

  2. Run the following command to terminate and automatically restart the store engine:

    killall -9 appstoreagent

  3. Empty your Mac's Trash.

Relaunch the Mac App Store. The storefront will take a few extra moments to load initially as it rebuilds the deleted cache files, after which pending downloads and updates should proceed normally.