Chromium
Chromium stores several layers of local browsing data under its profile, including HTTP disk cache entries, Code Cache bytecode for JavaScript and WebAssembly, GPUCache shader and pipeline data, Service Worker script caches, media caches, and SQLite databases with accompanying WAL and journal files. These files exist to speed up page loads, script startup, video playback, and rendering, but they can become stale, oversized, or internally fragmented over time. Kudu removes disposable Chromium cache data and cleans fragmented database storage while leaving bookmarks, saved passwords, cookies, history, extensions, and account data untouched.
Why clean Chromium?
- Corrupted HTTP disk cache entries can make sites load with missing images, outdated CSS, or pages that keep showing an old version even after a refresh
- Invalidated Code Cache after a Chromium update can cause noticeably slow first loads of JavaScript-heavy sites until V8 recompiles the bytecode
- Stale GPUCache data from a graphics driver update can trigger black rectangles, flickering tabs, or choppy scrolling until Chromium rebuilds its shader cache
- Broken Service Worker cache state can leave web apps stuck on an old offline shell, showing missing content or failing to update correctly
- Oversized media and network cache files consume gigabytes in the profile folder, which users notice as unexpected disk usage growth on the system drive
- Fragmented SQLite databases and growing WAL files make profile metadata less efficient to read; VACUUM rewrites the database pages into a compact file without deleting your actual rows
- Damaged cache records can cause repeated re-downloads, stalled page loads, or tab crashes because Chromium keeps trying to use unreadable local entries
Cache paths Kudu targets
These databases are vacuumed (compacted) — no data is deleted. SQLite VACUUM reclaims wasted space left over from normal usage.
Windows
%LocalAppData%/Chromium/User Data |
macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Chromium |
Linux
~/.config/chromium |
Common questions about Chromium
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.