macOS Private Temp Folder (/var/folders)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to clear temporary files inside /var/folders. Restarting your Mac or deleting temporary cache files will NOT corrupt macOS system files or delete user documents.

What is the /var/folders Directory?

Located at /var/folders (or /private/var/folders) on macOS, this hidden root directory is the main private per-user temporary storage for macOS.

To enforce App Sandbox security, macOS assigns each user account a randomized two-character subfolder inside /var/folders (e.g. /var/folders/zz/pkg_.../C/).

Mac applications use /var/folders to store:

• Temporary Cache Files (/C/): QuickLook-cache)-cache)-cache)-cache)-cache)-cache)-cache) preview databases, font caches, and WebKit cache.
• Temporary Work Files (/T/): Photoshop scratch files, video editor render caches, and uncompressed zip archives.

If Mac applications force-close or crash, orphaned working files remain trapped in /var/folders, hoarding 10 GB to 40 GB+ categorized under “System Data”.

Can You Delete /var/folders?

✅ Yes, it is safe to clean up (via reboot or safe mode).

• Safe reboot cleanup: macOS automatically purges /var/folders when you restart your Mac or boot into Safe Mode.
• Safety rule: Do not manually delete the root /var/folders folder while macOS is running; restart your Mac to trigger automatic purging.

How to Safely Clean Up /var/folders on Mac

Method 1: Restart into Safe Mode (Recommended)

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Shift (or hold Power button on Apple Silicon Macs and select Options).
3. Log into Safe Mode. macOS automatically executes system maintenance scripts that wipe orphaned /var/folders temporary caches.
4. Restart your Mac normally.

Related Guides

• Learn about deleting macOS ~/Library/Caches.
• How to clean up macOS QuickLook cache.
• Check if you can clean macOS Time Machine Snapshots.