What is this folder on my Mac?
Scary names, plain answers. What each folder is, whether it is safe to delete, and how to clear it yourself.
Adobe Media Cache Files holds audio, waveform and index files Premiere and After Effects rebuild on their own. Safe to clear. Keep the rest of Common.
What is Claude vm_bundles, and why is it so big?vm_bundles holds the Linux VM that Claude's Cowork runs code in. Quit Claude and delete it, and it downloads again. Keep the rest of the Claude folder.
What is com.apple.mobileAssetDesktop, and is it safe to delete?com.apple.mobileAssetDesktop holds Apple wallpapers you downloaded. It's safe to clear. Switch wallpapers first and keep any images you added yourself.
What is OptGuideOnDeviceModel, and why does Chrome keep putting it back?OptGuideOnDeviceModel holds Chrome's Gemini Nano AI model. No personal data lives there, but Chrome re-downloads it unless you turn off On-device AI.
What is MobileSync Backup, and which iPhone backups can you delete?MobileSync Backup holds your iPhone and iPad backups, so it's your data. Delete old ones in Finder's Manage Backups and keep each device's newest.
What is ~/Library/Caches, and is it safe to delete?~/Library/Caches holds files apps can rebuild, so clearing its contents is safe. How to empty it in Finder, which folders to skip, and why it refills.
What is com.apple.mediaanalysisd, and why is it so big?com.apple.mediaanalysisd holds caches for macOS photo analysis, not your photos. Clearing the cache inside is safe and macOS rebuilds it. Here's how.
What is the ~/Library/Developer folder on Mac, and what's safe to delete?~/Library/Developer holds Xcode's build files, device symbols, simulators and archives. DerivedData and old DeviceSupport are safe to clear. Keep Archives.
What is CoreSimulator on Mac, and can you delete it?CoreSimulator holds Xcode's simulators and their caches. The Caches folder is safe to empty. Remove simulators with simctl, not by trashing folders.
What is iOS DeviceSupport, and is it safe to delete?iOS DeviceSupport holds debug symbols Xcode copies from each iPhone or iPad you connect. It's safe to delete. Xcode copies them again when you reconnect.