Understanding Cache on Your Mac
Cache is temporary data your Mac stores to accelerate browsing and enhance app performance. Safari saves images and scripts for faster page loading, Chrome keeps cached copies of site assets, and your favorite applications store logs and workspace files.
Over time, cache data can become outdated or corrupted, which slows down your Mac significantly. Clearing cache removes these temporary files without affecting your bookmarks, messages, photos, documents, or passwords, potentially delivering a major performance boost to your system.
Cache vs. Cookies: What’s the Difference?
These two terms are often confused, but they serve different purposes.
Cache data consists of locally saved files like images, scripts, and thumbnails that help webpages and apps load faster. Cookies, on the other hand, store small bits of personal data such as your preferences and shopping cart contents.
When you clear cache, you’re removing temporary files stored on your Mac. However, clearing cookies will log you out of sites, services, and apps, though your passwords and bookmarks remain accessible.
Recommended Cache Clearing Schedule
Here’s an optimal maintenance routine for your Mac:
- Browser cache: Once a month, or whenever pages act slow or glitchy
- App caches: Every few months, especially for video or photo editing software and large applications
- System restart: Daily if possible, or at least once weekly
- When storage is low: Navigate to System Settings > General > Storage to remove unwanted apps and reduce clutter
Clearing Cache in Different Browsers and Apps
The cache clearing process varies across different applications on your Mac.
Firefox
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security, then click Clear Data under Cookies and Site Data.
Microsoft Edge
Open the three-dot menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy, search, and services, then select Choose what to clear under Clear browsing data.
Other Applications
Other apps may vary in their approach. Look for a “clear cache” setting in the app’s preferences, or delete cache files manually in ~/Library/Caches. However, avoid the manual route if you’re inexperienced. Never touch system files if you’re unsure about their function.
Should You Use Third-Party Cleaner Apps?
The short answer is no. You can effectively clear your cache using the built-in methods described above, avoiding the risk of installing unreliable third-party software that might accidentally delete important files.
If you do decide to use a cleaner app, ensure it’s reputable and transparent about what it’s deleting. Research the app thoroughly before installation.
How to Check Your Mac’s Storage
Monitoring your Mac’s storage is straightforward through System Settings:
- Open System Settings
- Click General
- Select Storage
- Wait for the storage breakdown to appear
- Select Applications to view your installed apps sorted by size
Understanding and Clearing DNS Cache
A DNS cache on your Mac is a small database of website lookups your computer saves locally, enabling pages to load faster on subsequent visits. However, problems can arise.
When DNS Cache Causes Issues
If a site changes servers, your network settings become corrupted, or something attempts to redirect you incorrectly, old DNS entries can cause pages to load slowly, display wrong content, or fail to load entirely.
In these situations, clearing your DNS cache provides a quick fix. With MacOS 26, the process is simple.
How to Clear DNS Cache
Open the Terminal app and type:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache;sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Press Enter.
The DNS cache will be wiped instantly, forcing your system to fetch new, accurate information the next time you browse the web. This simple command can resolve numerous browsing issues related to outdated DNS entries.
