Sandboxed App Caches
macOS sandboxed apps store their app-specific working files under ~/Library/Containers, where each container can hold browser-style disk caches, NSURLCache responses, WebKit website data, temporary downloads, Core Data journals, and SQLite WAL or shm files created to speed up launches and reduce network or database work. These files accumulate as apps render web content, cache thumbnails, keep offline copies, and journal database writes inside the sandbox. Kudu removes disposable cache and temporary data from sandbox containers while leaving documents, app settings, accounts, passwords, and other user-created content untouched.
Why clean Sandboxed App Caches?
- Corrupted NSURLCache or WebKit response data inside a container can leave a sandboxed app showing blank pages, outdated content, or repeated sign-in loops until the cache is rebuilt
- Old GPU and WebKit rendering caches from a previous macOS or graphics driver update can cause black windows, flickering views, or sluggish scrolling in sandboxed apps that embed web content
- Temporary downloads and preview thumbnails often accumulate in container caches, so the app appears to use far more disk space than its visible documents actually account for
- Stale sandbox temp files can make an app reopen old export jobs, repeatedly fail an attachment download, or hang while preparing a share sheet because it keeps reusing broken intermediates
- Core Data SQLite journals and WAL files can grow after crashes or interrupted sync activity, leading to long launch times while the app replays transactions even though your actual records are still intact
- SQLite page fragmentation inside sandbox databases wastes space and slows reads; VACUUM rewrites the database into a compact file without deleting rows, which can reduce bloat after heavy churn
- When a container cache exceeds what the app expects, users often notice endless loading spinners, missing thumbnails, or delayed search results until stale cached metadata is cleared
Cache paths Kudu targets
macOS
~/Library/Containers |
Common questions about Sandboxed App Caches
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.