macOS Saved Application State Folder (~/Library/Saved Application State)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete the contents of Saved Application State. Clearing these state folders will NOT delete your Mac files or app preferences.

What is the Saved Application State Folder?

Located at ~/Library/Saved Application State on macOS, this directory is managed by the macOS Resume feature.

When you quit or force-close a Mac application (like Safari, Preview, Photoshop, or Pages), macOS saves a snapshot of open windows, tab positions, and document scroll states inside .savedState subfolders. When you relaunch the app, macOS reads this folder to reopen your exact previous workspace.

If an application crashes due to a corrupt document or bad window state, macOS will repeatedly restore the exact crash state every time you open the app, trapping it in an infinite crash loop.

Can You Delete Saved Application State?

✅ Yes, it is completely safe to delete.

• Fixes crashing apps: Deleting an app’s .savedState folder forces it to launch cleanly with a fresh default window state.
• No document loss: Your saved files and documents remain 100% safe.

How to Safely Clean Up Saved Application State

Method 1: Delete via Mac Finder

1. Close the crashing Mac application.
2. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, paste ~/Library/Saved Application State, and press Enter.
3. Locate the folder for the problematic app (e.g., com.apple.Preview.savedState).
4. Move the folder to the Trash and relaunch the app.

Related Guides

• Learn about deleting macOS ~/Library/Caches.
• How to clean up macOS Application Support.
• Check if you can clean macOS Core Dumps.