Font Registry Cache
macOS keeps a Font Registry cache in ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.FontRegistry to store indexed font metadata, activation state, PostScript names, family mappings, and other lookup records so apps can enumerate and match fonts quickly. When this registry cache becomes stale or inconsistent after font installs, removals, restores from backup, or system updates, applications can show duplicate families, missing fonts, wrong style variants, or slow font menus. Kudu removes the cached Font Registry database files so macOS can rebuild a clean font index without touching installed font files, user documents, settings, accounts, or passwords.
Why clean Font Registry Cache?
- Stale registry entries after installing or removing fonts leave apps showing missing or duplicate font families in menus even though the actual font files are present or gone
- Incorrect PostScript name and family mapping records cause the wrong weight or italic variant to open, so documents suddenly render with an unexpected style
- Corrupted activation state in the cache makes some fonts appear disabled or unavailable until the registry is rebuilt, which users notice as fonts disappearing from Pages, Adobe apps, or design tools
- A bloated or inconsistent font index slows enumeration, leading to long delays when opening font pickers, launching creative apps, or previewing text styles
- Cache data carried over from a macOS update or restored backup can point to outdated font locations, producing substitution warnings, fallback fonts, or garbled typography in existing documents
- Fragmented SQLite pages inside the font registry database waste space and slow lookups; rebuilding effectively does what VACUUM does by rewriting compact pages without deleting actual installed fonts
Cache paths Kudu targets
macOS
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.FontRegistry |
Common questions about Font Registry Cache
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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.