The short answer
Yes. Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed.
What is it?
Gradle’s shared cache: every dependency downloaded from Maven repositories, transformed and compiled artifacts, compiled build scripts, the local build cache and caches for each Gradle version you have used. Gradle removes entries unused for a while on its own, but on Android or JVM developer Macs it typically holds 5 to 50 GB.
What happens if you delete it?
Everything is downloaded or rebuilt on the next build, which can take a long time and a lot of bandwidth for large projects. Offline builds fail until the dependencies have been fetched again.
How to remove it properly
Stop the Gradle daemons first with ./gradlew --stop in a project (or gradle --stop), quit Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA, then move ~/.gradle/caches to the Trash. To reclaim space without a full reset, removing only the subfolders of Gradle versions you no longer use (such as caches/7.6) is gentler.
Quit the app that uses it, then move it to the Trash. Empty the Trash when you’re sure.
Before you delete it
Avoid deleting it while a build is running or right before you need to work offline.
How MoreRoom helps
MoreRoom recognises this item, shows its real size and when it was last used, and labels it “Safe to remove”. In the free version you can move it to the Trash in one click, with Undo; Pro collects every safe item at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete ~/.gradle/caches on Mac?
Yes. Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed. Everything is downloaded or rebuilt on the next build, which can take a long time and a lot of bandwidth for large projects. Offline builds fail until the dependencies have been fetched again.
Will Gradle caches come back after I delete it?
Yes. Everything is downloaded or rebuilt on the next build, which can take a long time and a lot of bandwidth for large projects. Offline builds fail until the dependencies have been fetched again.
How do I remove Gradle caches properly?
Stop the Gradle daemons first with ./gradlew --stop in a project (or gradle --stop), quit Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA, then move ~/.gradle/caches to the Trash. To reclaim space without a full reset, removing only the subfolders of Gradle versions you no longer use (such as caches/7.6) is gentler.