How to clear the Steam cache on Mac and make it run faster


Steam is known to be a gaming platform that lots of people go to. It allows its users to be able to play, discuss, and create new online games. This platform has some flaws and when using it, you would need to be able to know how to clear the download cache.

Why should you clear the download cache?

Clearing download cache in Steam allows you to be able to have your computer run more smoothly. The common problem encountered when playing games is that in the long run, you may notice the game to be running slower than usual. Being able to clear the cache allows you to restore the system and make it run fast again. This process was found to be effective by gamers alike when they encounter some lagging in their game. However, the downside of clearing the cache is that any of your mods will be deleted as well. What can be done is you can move your mods to another location prior to clearing the download cache of your Steam platform.

How to clear the download cache on your computer?

When you have already secured your mods, you can commence clearing your download cache. Here are the steps you could follow in clearing your download cache in Steam through the app:

  1. Open the Steam application. You need to launch the application on your Mac computer.
  2. Click the “Steam” menu. You could see this in the upper left corner of your screen when you are in the application. After locating it, click on “Preferences…”. There will be a pop-up window that will open after clicking it.
  3. Click on Downloads. In the pop-up window, locate the Downloads tab.
  4. Clear Download Cache. In the lower right part of the window after clicking the downloads tab, you will see the “clear download cache” button. Click on it.
  5. Log in to your Steam account. After clearing the download cache, the platform will automatically log you out of your account. You can just sign in again and see if there are any changes in the performance of the platform. By this, we mean the reduction of lag time or games loading faster than before.

There are other ways of clearing the download cache as well. You can also choose to individually remove the different files and folders in your system. Here are the steps to do that:

  1. Go to Finder. You then must click the Go menu. Then choose the option of Go To Folder.
  2. Find the following Locations one by one:
  3. ~/Library/caches
  4. ~/Library/Logs
  5. ~/Library/Preferences
  6. ~/Library/Application Support/Steam
  7. Look for folders that are related to Steam applications. Drag the files mentioned previously to trash.
  8. Make sure to empty the trash off your computer.

How can you clear the download cache more easily?

The previous steps discuss to you a more manual way of clearing your download cache. Fortunately, there are convenient tools that let you do it in a more automated way. There is a cleaner app for Mac that can be easily installed on your computer. This app allows you to scan for files that are unnecessary to be maintained in your system. Already saving you the trouble of locating it manually and deleting it one by one. Such an application is a good tool to help you optimize the performance of the Steam application. This also helps to free up space in your computer contributing to the potential boost in the speed of operating the Steam app. The added features of the application also help you protect your privacy.

Clearing up the download cache in Steam helps you enjoy the application better. It also allows you to troubleshoot any problems you may encounter in a newly downloaded game. Besides that, clearing the download cache allows you to free up space from unnecessary files stored in your Mac. There are multiple ways that you could clear up the download cache. You can end up doing it manually through the Steam app or through Finder. If you are a heavy user of Steam, it would be wise to resort to using a cleaner app as you would frequently need to clean up your Mac from unnecessary files.


Kossi Adzo

Kossi Adzo is a technology enthusiast and digital strategist with a fervent passion for Apple products and the innovative technologies that orbit them. With a background in computer science and a decade of experience in app development and digital marketing, Kossi brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the Apple Gazette team.

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