Clean Xcode DerivedData & dev caches.
When macOS System Data balloons past 100 GB on a developer Mac, Xcode build caches are almost always the culprit. Below are the exact folder paths to clear DerivedData and simulator caches by hand in Terminal or Xcode — or in two clicks with Dockspace’s free Disk Doctor.
1. Fast manual cleanup (Terminal or Xcode)
Quit Xcode first (⌘Q) so it is not writing build indexes while you clean. To clear all DerivedData from Terminal:
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*Prefer Xcode’s own interface? Open Xcode › Settings › Locations and click the small arrow beside ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData to move folders to the Trash in Finder, or open Window › Projects to clear DerivedData for a single workspace.
Three sibling folders inside ~/Library/Developer often hide even more gigabytes under macOS System Data:
- Simulator caches (safe):
~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Caches/*— temporary simulator caches that regenerate automatically. - Old iOS DeviceSupport (review):
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport/— multi-gigabyte debug symbols from older iOS versions you no longer test on physical devices. - Xcode Archives (careful):
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives/— past release builds with.dSYMsymbols. Keep archives for versions still live with users.
2. Visual cleanup with free Disk Doctor
Instead of running rm -rf blindly across hidden ~/Library paths, click the free Disk tile in Dockspace (getdock.space) to open Disk Doctor. The simple screen groups reclaimable space into five clear buckets: Developer junk, Old downloads, Big old files, Duplicates and Trash.
Under the hood, Disk Doctor flags Xcode DerivedData, old Xcode archives, stale build folders in older projects, app caches, forgotten .dmg installers in Downloads, duplicate files and old Desktop screenshots. Every finding carries a safe, review or careful label with a plain-English note before you touch it.
Sunburst explorer & 25× faster iCloud-safe scans
Want a free visual alternative to DaisyDisk? Switch to Disk Doctor’s Explorer tab for an interactive Sunburst chart of your Home folder or any project directory: click a ring to drill into a folder, or click the center to step back.
The scanner skips evicted iCloud Drive and FileProvider dataless placeholders so Home scans finish up to 25× faster without triggering cloud downloads. It never follows symbolic links, never crosses volumes and skips protected macOS system paths; installed simulator runtimes are shown for reference so you manage them cleanly inside Xcode.
Thanos snap to the macOS Trash — never rm -rf
Select the caches you want gone and confirm in the sheet. In v1.1.13, a 2D Canvas Thanos finger-snap disintegrates the clutter on screen while Disk Doctor safely moves every selected folder to the macOS Trash — never permanently deleting files behind your back. Anything currently in use stays untouched and is listed in the summary.
Full Disk Access is optional: Dockspace works without it, and granting it only lets Disk Doctor inspect macOS-protected cache directories.
100% free forever, no account
The Disk tile and Disk Doctor stay free forever, alongside nine other free widgets: the Notch Clipboard Shelf, Wallpaper, CPU (with top-5 processes), Battery, Weather, Clock, Date, Folders and Dock Buddy.
Upgrade to Dockspace Pro ($11.99/year or from $19.99 once) only if you want all 174 widgets and live Claude Code, Codex and Antigravity limits. Needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Common questions
- Where is Xcode DerivedData located on macOS, and is it safe to delete?
- By default, Xcode stores DerivedData in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData. Deleting its contents is safe once Xcode is closed: it holds intermediate build artifacts and symbol indexes that Xcode automatically regenerates on your next build.
- Why is macOS System Data over 100 GB on a developer Mac?
- macOS lumps ~/Library/Developer and ~/Library/Caches into System Data. Old Xcode DerivedData, CoreSimulator caches, iOS DeviceSupport debug symbols, Xcode Archives and package caches routinely add up to 40–150 GB without showing up in Downloads or Applications.
- Is Disk Doctor really free in Dockspace?
- Yes. The Disk widget and Disk Doctor — including the interactive Sunburst folder explorer and Trash-safe cleanup — stay 100% free forever with no trial timer or account.
Free to start. Yours to keep.
macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel. Download the disk image and try ten widgets free forever, or unlock all 174 with Pro.