Xcode Download Cache
Xcode keeps a download cache under com.apple.dt.Xcode for items it fetches from Apple and developer services, including simulator runtime packages, documentation and symbol archives, and other temporary download payloads used during installs and updates. Those files are meant to speed up retries and avoid re-downloading large assets, but interrupted transfers, expired metadata, and partial package fragments can accumulate and stop matching what Xcode expects. Kudu removes the cached download payloads and related temporary fetch data while leaving your projects, signing identities, accounts, preferences, and installed SDKs untouched.
Why clean Xcode Download Cache?
- A partially downloaded simulator runtime or platform package can make Xcode repeatedly fail verification, so you see the same install error every time without the download progressing
- Expired or mismatched download metadata causes Xcode to offer an update that never completes, with the Downloads window looping between preparing, waiting, and failed states
- Corrupted cached documentation or symbol archives can trigger checksum or extraction errors, which shows up as stalled installs or repeated prompts to download the same components again
- Old download payloads consume tens of gigabytes under Library/Caches, leaving macOS low on free space and causing Xcode updates or simulator installs to abort with storage-related warnings
- After a network interruption, leftover temporary package fragments can make resumed downloads immediately fail, so clearing the cache forces Xcode to fetch a clean copy instead of reusing bad data
- Stale cached assets from a previous Xcode release can confuse component delivery, leading to missing simulator runtimes in Settings or downloads that appear complete but never become usable
Cache paths Kudu targets
macOS
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode |
Common questions about Xcode Download Cache
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.