If you’ve experienced the good side of cache you noticed web pages loaded faster, apps launched quicker, and generally, your Mac is firing on all cylinders and behaving beautifully. If you have experienced the not so good side of cache, you would have seen your Mac turn from a princess into a toad.
This is because cache can accelerate your Mac on the good side, but make it slow and malfunction on the bad side.
And the bad side is inevitable because cache files grow and expand like rabbits, and they can become outmoded. Neither is good for your computing experience or your mental health!
As such, can you remove cache files safely? Read on to find out.
Cache What is it?
Cache are small files that are generated by the OS, your apps, and the websites you visit. The idea is that cache helps everything load that little bit faster making for a great experience. When the files get too big, and they build rapidly or become out of date, problems occur.
The answer is to remove the cache to have a good computer once more. Read more about cache.
Dangers of Removing Cache on a Mac
Cache files do need to be kept under control. In the worst case scenario, they can damage your Mac which spoils the fun. There are certain dangers to manual removal of cache files that you should be aware of.
They are:
- System cache – If you remove the wrong system cache file you can mess up your whole system or at least stop part of it from working as it should. This is thankfully quite difficult to do but it is still possible.
- App or User cache – Here, remove the wrong app cache file and your app might stop functioning as it should, or it might simply not load at all. Either way, this is not a good scenario especially if the app is mission critical say to your work.
- Browser cache – Browser cache generally doesn’t come with the same dangers, but it can be annoying if you lose something you wanted to keep from one of your favourite websites.
As such, removing cache needs to be done with care.
Removing Cache with a Dedicated Cache Cleaning Tool
One solution and a simple one is to remove cache using a dedicated tool. Good ones can do it at a button push, and there is far less risk of removing a file that you needed to keep.
Pros
- Less risk.
- Faster way to remove cache.
- Often comes packaged with system features that help to keep your Mac beautiful.
Cons
- Good ones come with a price although often you can try before you buy.
- You may download one that isn’t very good and actually hurt your machine.
The golden rule is to do your research and ‘free trial’ a dedicated cleaning tool if you can.
Removing Cache Manually
Removing cache manually is a bit of a faff and carries risks although it is a straightforward thing to do.
Pros
- No costs
Cons
- You may remove the wrong files resulting in the malfunction of an app or your whole machine.
- Time consuming and a chore.
- You may not remove everything as you’re dealing with lots of files and it is easy to miss one.
There you have it. For more information visit Apple Support.
