# Is it safe to delete Homebrew’s cache on Mac?

- URL: https://moreroom.app/folders/homebrew-downloads
- Item: Homebrew downloads
- Location: `~/Library/Caches/Homebrew`
- Verdict: Safe to remove — Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed.
- Comes back on its own: yes
- Official command: `brew cleanup --prune=all`
- Source: MoreRoom rules catalogue (2026-10-17), by Yando Pte. Ltd.

## What is it?

Homebrew keeps the bottles, source archives and cask installers it downloads in `~/Library/Caches/Homebrew` (`brew --cache` shows the path), so reinstalling does not need another download. It removes downloads older than 120 days by default and runs a cleanup periodically, but the cache can still reach several gigabytes.

## What happens if you delete it?

Homebrew downloads files again only when you install, upgrade or reinstall a package that needs them. Installed packages keep working.

## How to remove it properly

Run `brew cleanup --prune=all` in Terminal: it deletes all cached downloads, removes old versions of installed formulae and, unless `HOMEBREW_NO_AUTOREMOVE` is set, dependencies nothing needs any more. It is permanent; `brew cleanup --prune=all --dry-run` shows what it would remove.