# Application Support is too big on Mac: what you can delete

_Updated 2026-10-21_

> **Quick answer:** Application Support mixes data you must keep with caches and downloads you can remove. Sort by size, identify the app, delete only cache-like folders (`Cache`, `Code Cache`, `GPUCache`) and re-downloadable assets, and leave databases, profiles and virtual machines alone.


## What the folder is

`~/Library/Application Support` is where apps keep their own data: databases, settings, plug-ins, downloaded content and, often, their own cache folders. Unlike `~/Library/Caches`, macOS does not treat it as disposable, so you have to decide what is safe.


## Find the big ones

```
du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/* 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -15
```


## Four kinds of content

| Kind | Examples from a real Mac | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Re-downloadable assets | Downloaded wallpaper videos in `com.apple.wallpaper/aerials/videos` (1.0 GB), a browser updater's `GoogleUpdater/crx_cache` (748 MB) | Safe to delete. They are fetched again if needed |
| Cache folders inside an app's folder | `Cache`, `Code Cache`, `GPUCache`, `Service Worker/CacheStorage` in Chromium and Electron apps | Safe to delete after quitting the app |
| Your data | Databases, `Local Storage`, `IndexedDB`, profiles, game saves, virtual machines, Wine bottles (2.3 GB for one CrossOver) | Keep. Deleting signs you out or destroys data |
| Leftovers of removed apps | Folders of apps you no longer have | Safe to remove once you are sure the app is gone |


## Step by step

- Find the big folders with the command above.
- Quit the app that owns the folder.
- Look inside it and remove only the cache-like folders.
- Relaunch the app. It rebuilds what it needs.

```
du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/SomeApp/* | sort -h | tail
```


## Surprises to watch for

- **App-managed virtual machines.** On one Mac a desktop AI app's folder grew from under 1 GB to 12.7 GB, almost all of it one virtual-machine bundle. The app creates and manages it, so check the app's own settings before deleting anything. Removing it by hand may reset the feature.
- **iPhone and iPad backups.** They live in `MobileSync/Backup` and can be tens of gigabytes. Manage them through Finder as described in the questions below, never by deleting folders.


## What not to do

- Do not delete the whole Application Support folder.
- Do not remove `com.apple.*` folders you do not recognise.
- Do not delete a folder just because it is big. Big and useful is common here.

[See Your Disk](/) shows Application Support as its own block, so surprises like the ones above stand out. It marks updater downloads as Safe and the wallpaper videos as Review. Read [how it decides](/guides/how-see-your-disk-cleans/). To measure the rest of System Data, use the [Terminal audit](/guides/find-whats-inside-system-data-mac/).

Get See Your Disk: [Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clean-systemdata-seeyourdisk/id6817565741) · [GitHub](https://github.com/bikmeev/see-your-disk)

## Frequently asked questions

**Is it safe to delete the Application Support folder?**
No, not the folder as a whole. It holds the data and settings of your apps, and removing it would reset or break many of them. Delete only cache-like folders and files you know you can regenerate.

**Will deleting cache folders sign me out of apps?**
Folders called Cache, Code Cache and GPUCache do not hold logins. Local Storage, IndexedDB and cookie files can, so leave those alone.

**How do I know whether an app is still installed?**
Look in /Applications and ~/Applications. If the app is gone and you will not reinstall it, its folder in Application Support is a leftover that you can remove.

**Where are iPhone backups stored?**
In ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup. Do not delete them there by hand. Connect the device, select it in Finder, open General and choose Manage Backups to delete the ones you no longer need. A deleted backup cannot be recovered.

## Related guides

- [Is it safe to delete ~/Library/Caches on Mac?](https://seeyourdisk.com/guides/is-it-safe-to-delete-library-caches-mac/)
- [What is inside System Data on Mac: a Terminal audit](https://seeyourdisk.com/guides/find-whats-inside-system-data-mac/)
- [How to clear System Data on Mac safely](https://seeyourdisk.com/guides/how-to-clear-system-data-on-mac/)