How to Clear System Cache on macOS 13 Ventura

Clearing system and user caches in macOS 13 Ventura is an effective way to reclaim gigabytes of storage space and resolve sluggish system performance. Over time, macOS and your applications store temporary files to speed up everyday tasks, but these files often become bloated, corrupted, or obsolete. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions to safely remove user cache, system cache, and DNS cache to free up valuable disk space on your Mac.

Step 1: Clear User Cache Files

User cache generally takes up the most space on your drive and is completely safe to remove, as applications will regenerate these files as needed.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Click Go in the top menu bar and select Go to Folder... (or press Command + Shift + G).
  3. Type ~/Library/Caches into the search bar and press Return.
  4. Press Command + A to select all files and folders inside the directory, or select specific application folders you suspect are taking up too much space.
  5. Right-click and choose Move to Trash, or drag the selected files to the Trash.

Step 2: Clear System Caches

System caches are generated by core macOS processes. While removing them is safe, delete only the contents within the folders rather than the main folders themselves.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Click Go in the menu bar and select Go to Folder....
  3. Type /Library/Caches (without the tilde ~) and press Return.
  4. Open the cache folders, select the temporary files inside, and move them to the Trash. macOS will prompt you to enter your administrator password to confirm.

Step 3: Clear System Cache via Safe Mode

The safest and most thorough way to clear core system and kernel caches in macOS 13 without risking operating system stability is to boot into Safe Mode. Safe Mode automatically flushes system-level cache directories during startup.

For Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Macs:

  1. Shut down your Mac completely.
  2. Press and hold the power button until you see Loading startup options.
  3. Select your startup volume.
  4. Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.
  5. Once your desktop loads, restart your Mac normally.

For Intel-based Macs:

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Turn it on and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
  3. Release the key when the login window appears.
  4. Log in, then restart your Mac normally.

Step 4: Flush the DNS Cache

Flushing the DNS cache frees up network memory and fixes internet connectivity errors.

  1. Open Terminal by pressing Command + Space, typing Terminal, and pressing Return.

  2. Paste the following command:

    sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

  3. Press Return, enter your administrator password, and press Return again.

Step 5: Empty the Trash and Restart

To permanently reclaim your storage space after deleting cache files:

  1. Right-click the Trash icon in your Dock.
  2. Select Empty Trash and confirm.
  3. Restart your Mac to let macOS rebuild clean, optimized cache files.