Apps
Pidgin
Buddy list conversations in Pidgin download and store contact avatars as cached buddy icon image files under the .purple profile so libpurple does not have to fetch the same images from each protocol repeatedly. Over time that icon cache accumulates outdated or duplicate image files when contacts change avatars, accounts are removed, or protocol plugins leave old icon entries behind. Kudu clears only the cached buddy icon files, which forces Pidgin to fetch fresh avatars again without touching accounts, chat logs, preferences, or passwords.
Why clean Pidgin?
- Contacts who changed their avatar can keep showing an old picture because libpurple is still serving the cached buddy icon file from .purple/icons
- Removed accounts and old contacts leave orphaned icon images behind, so disk usage grows even though those buddies no longer appear in your list
- Corrupt cached avatar files can make some buddies show blank icons or broken images in the buddy list and conversation windows
- Protocol-side avatar updates sometimes do not replace the local cached copy correctly, so you see mismatched buddy photos until the icon cache is rebuilt
- Large collections of stale buddy icons slow profile cleanup and make backups of the .purple folder larger than expected because unnecessary image files keep accumulating
- If the same contact appears through multiple protocols or renamed accounts, duplicate cached icons can pile up and make the icons folder much bigger than the current active buddy list suggests
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%AppData%/.purple/icons |
Linux
~/.purple/icons |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Pidgin
Related cleaners
Free & open source
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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.