All Guides

Is ~/.pub-cache Safe to Delete?

Package ManagersTypical size: 500MB-5GB
Yes, Safe to Delete

Yes. This is the Dart/Flutter package cache. flutter pub get restores it.

Side effects: The next pub get re-downloads packages.

What is ~/.pub-cache?

Dart's pub client stores hosted packages in ~/.pub-cache. Fully regenerable. Safe on any Flutter or Dart machine.

Is it safe to delete?

Yes~/.pub-cache is generally safe to delete. The data in this folder is temporary and will be recreated by the application when needed.

Before deleting, make sure:

  • You don't have any important unsaved work in the related application
  • You're not in the middle of a critical task that might need this cached data
  • You understand that initial load times may be slower after deletion

What happens after deletion?

The next pub get re-downloads packages. The folder will be recreated automatically by the application when needed. This process is typically seamless but may take some time depending on the amount of data that needs to be regenerated.

How to delete it

Recommended

Use MacMop

MacMop finds this folder automatically and lets you delete it safely with one click.

Download MacMop

Terminal

rm -rf ~/.pub-cache

Warning: This command permanently deletes the folder. Double-check the path before running.

Finder

  1. Open Finder
  2. Press ⌘ + Shift + G (Go to Folder)
  3. Paste: ~/.pub-cache
  4. Move the folder to Trash

MacMop scans all your hidden caches and tells you exactly what's safe to delete.

Download MacMop Free