What it finds
Every folder Reclaim suggests deleting on a Mac, including .next, node_modules, vendor, DerivedData, Gradle, npm and pip caches, Docker and system junk.
Every suggestion comes from one of these rules. A rule looks only at a folder's name, where it is and the files beside it; once a folder matches, nothing inside it is listed again. ~ means your home folder.
Build caches
Output your project's tooling recreates on the next build or dev-server start. That first build is slower.
| What | Matched when | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Next.js build cache | .next beside a package.json | Safe |
| Nuxt build cache | .nuxt beside a package.json | Safe |
| SvelteKit build cache | .svelte-kit beside a package.json | Safe |
| Turborepo cache | any .turbo folder | Safe |
| Parcel cache | any .parcel-cache folder | Safe |
| Dart tool cache | .dart_tool beside a pubspec.yaml | Safe |
| Python bytecode cache | any __pycache__ folder | Safe |
| Rust build output | target beside a Cargo.toml | Safe |
| Gradle project cache | .gradle beside a Gradle build or settings file | Safe |
| Android build intermediates | build/intermediates; built APKs in build/outputs are kept | Safe |
| Xcode DerivedData | each project folder in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData | Safe |
Dependencies
Packages your project installed. Run the install command again before using the project.
| What | Matched when | To get it back | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node packages | node_modules beside a package.json | npm install, pnpm install or yarn | Rebuild |
| Composer packages | vendor beside a composer.json | composer install | Rebuild |
| CocoaPods | Pods beside a Podfile | pod install | Rebuild |
| Python virtual environment | venv, .venv or env containing pyvenv.cfg | python -m venv, then reinstall requirements | Rebuild |
~/.vscode/extensions or ~/.composer), in ~/Library, or in system and Homebrew locations. Deleting those would break the tool, and there is no project to reinstall into.Package caches
Downloads shared by every project, kept so they need not be fetched again. Deleting them only costs a re-download the next time a project needs them.
| What | Location | Level |
|---|---|---|
| npm cache | ~/.npm/_cacache | Safe |
| pnpm store | ~/Library/pnpm/store | Safe |
| Yarn cache | ~/Library/Caches/Yarn | Safe |
| pip cache | ~/Library/Caches/pip | Safe |
| Composer cache | ~/Library/Caches/composer, ~/.composer/cache | Safe |
| Gradle caches and wrapper downloads | ~/.gradle/caches, ~/.gradle/wrapper/dists | Safe |
| Homebrew downloads | ~/Library/Caches/Homebrew | Safe |
| CocoaPods cache | ~/Library/Caches/CocoaPods | Safe |
| Cargo downloads and sources | ~/.cargo/registry/cache, ~/.cargo/registry/src | Safe |
| Go build cache | ~/Library/Caches/go-build | Safe |
| Dart and Flutter packages | ~/.pub-cache; run flutter pub get afterwards | Rebuild |
| Playwright browsers | ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright; run npx playwright install afterwards | Rebuild |
App caches and logs
| What | Location | Level |
|---|---|---|
| App cache | each folder in ~/Library/Caches. The app rebuilds it and may start slower once. | Safe |
| Logs | each item in ~/Library/Logs, including crash reports | Safe |
If the app a cache belongs to is running, the item shows a warning. Quit the app first.
Mobile tooling
| What | Matched when | After deleting | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android emulator snapshots | snapshots inside an emulator folder | The emulator cold-boots once | Safe |
| Android emulator user data | userdata-qemu.img in an emulator folder | The emulator starts as if factory reset | Personal |
| iOS device support | each version in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport | Copied again when that device is connected | Rebuild |
| Simulator caches | ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Caches | Recreated when needed | Safe |
App leftovers
Folders in ~/Library/Containers and ~/Library/Application Support named after an app's identifier (such as com.docker.docker) when no installed app has that identifier. Apple's own folders are never included, and an extension's folder counts as its app's. Personal
Trash and old downloads
| What | Matched when | Level |
|---|---|---|
| In the Trash | each item in your Trash; deleting it is the same as emptying the Trash | Safe |
| Old download | each item in ~/Downloads not changed for 90 days (adjustable) | Personal |
Large files
Files of 500 MB or more (adjustable) that no rule above covers, outside apps and photo libraries. Personal
Docker
From Docker's own disk-usage report, when an engine is running. See Docker and OrbStack.
System junk
Most of these belong to root, so deleting them needs the helper. Items macOS protects are skipped even then.
| What | Location | Level |
|---|---|---|
| System cache | each folder in /Library/Caches | Safe |
| System logs | each item in /Library/Logs and /private/var/log | Safe |
Never suggested or deleted
- Anything inside an app, framework, photo or music library, or other bundle.
- Folders you list under Never scan these folders.
- Your Music, TV and Photos libraries, which macOS protects with permissions of their own.
- Protected folders, which cannot be deleted as a whole from anywhere in the app. See the FAQ.
Settings
Every Reclaim setting explained, from Trash mode and scan scope to thresholds, excluded folders, the menu bar, schedules, auto-clean, low-space alerts and accent colour.
FAQ
Answers about Reclaim for Mac, covering why there is no confirmation, protected folders, sizes compared with Finder, Full Disk Access, the root helper and privacy.