Safe to Delete

Discord Cache & Code Cache Folders (%AppData%\discord\Cache)

Quick Answer: Discord Cache and GPUCache store media previews and Electron app assets. Deleting them is safe and resolves Discord black screen or streaming bugs.

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete the Discord Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache folders. Clearing these caches will not delete your Discord account, messages, friends list, or server memberships.


What are the Discord Cache Folders?

Located at %AppData%\discord\Cache, %AppData%\discord\Code Cache, and %AppData%\discord\GPUCache on Windows (or ~/Library/Application Support/discord/Cache on macOS), these directories are used by the Discord desktop client.

Because Discord is built on the Electron framework (Chromium browser runtime), it caches every image, GIF, video preview, custom emoji, and avatar shared in your voice and text channels. Over months of active Discord use, these cache folders hoard thousands of leftover media files taking up 2 GB to 5 GB+.


Can You Delete Discord Cache?

✅ Yes, it is completely safe to delete.

  • No chat data lost: Chat logs, server history, and messages are stored on Discord’s servers, not your PC.
  • Troubleshooting fix: Clearing Discord cache is the #1 recommended fix for Discord black screen bugs, failed screen-shares, or custom emoji rendering issues.

How to Safely Clean Up Discord Cache

Method 1: Manual Deletion via Windows File Explorer

  1. Close the Discord app completely (right-click Discord in your system tray > Quit Discord).
  2. Press Win + R, type %AppData%\discord, and press Enter.
  3. Select and delete these 3 subfolders:
    • Cache
    • Code Cache
    • GPUCache
  4. Relaunch Discord.

Method 2: Delete via macOS Finder / Terminal

# macOS Terminal
rm -rf ~/Library/Application/Support/discord/Cache/*
rm -rf ~/Library/Application/Support/discord/Code\ Cache/*

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