Chrome keeps what it stores in your profile folder, plus a separate cache folder on a Mac or Linux computer. What makes it big is usually the cache of images and files from pages you’ve visited, the data websites save on your computer, and on some computers Chrome’s on-device AI model. Files you download are not part of Chrome: they stay in your Downloads folder until you delete them. Here is how to find out which one it is and shrink it.
Find out how much space Chrome is using
Type chrome://version in the address bar. Profile Path shows your profile folder, and the folder above it is Chrome’s user data folder. By default, according to the Chromium documentation, it is:
- Windows:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data. The cache is inside the profile, so this folder is the whole total. - Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome, with the cache in~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome. - Linux:
~/.config/google-chrome, with the cache in~/.cache/google-chrome.
To see a folder’s size, right-click it and choose Properties in Windows File Explorer or Get Info in the Mac Finder. On Linux, run du -sh ~/.config/google-chrome ~/.cache/google-chrome.
Delete cached images and files
Chrome remembers parts of pages so they open faster next time. Deleting only the cache leaves your cookies and history alone, so you stay signed in to websites. Following Google’s steps:
- Select More (three dots) > Delete browsing data, or press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows, Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + Delete (Mac).
- Choose the time range All time.
- Check Cached images and files and uncheck everything else.
- Select Delete data.
The cache fills up again as you browse, because Chrome keeps saving parts of the pages you visit.
Remove the data websites store
Websites can save cookies and other data on your computer, which is how they keep you signed in and remember your preferences. You can delete one site’s data at a time, following Google’s cookie help:
- Select More > Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies.
- Select See all site data and permissions.
- Search for the website’s name, select Delete next to it, then Delete again to confirm.
To clear every site at once, use Delete browsing data as above and select the cookies and site data option instead of the cache. Google warns that deleting cookies may sign you out of sites that remember you and can delete your saved preferences on those sites.
Check the on-device AI model
On Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook Plus computers that meet Google’s hardware requirements, Chrome can download Gemini Nano, a built-in AI model that runs on the computer itself. It isn’t used on phones. Google says Chrome needs at least 22 GB of free space on the drive that holds your profile to download it. To see how big the model is on your computer, open chrome://on-device-internals. Chrome removes the model by itself if your free space falls below 10 GB, and downloads it again once there’s enough room (Chrome for Developers).
Clear out your downloads
Downloaded files are saved in your default download location, usually the Downloads folder, and they stay there until you delete them. To see them, select More > Downloads or press Ctrl + J (Windows, Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + J (Mac).
Selecting Remove on that page only takes the file off Chrome’s list. Google is clear that the file is not removed from your computer (Google’s download help). To free the space, open your Downloads folder and delete the files there. To see where your downloads go, or to change it, select More > Settings > Downloads.
Remove extensions and profiles you don’t use
Extensions can store data on your computer, so removing the ones you no longer use frees that space too. To remove an extension, select More > Extensions > Manage extensions, select Remove on the extension, then Remove again to confirm (Google’s steps).
Each Chrome profile has its own folder with its own cache and data. Removing a profile you no longer use erases its bookmarks, history, passwords and settings from the computer, so be sure nothing in it is needed. Select your Profile icon at the top right, then under “Other Chrome profiles” select Manage Chrome profiles. On the profile you want to remove, select More > Delete, then Delete to confirm (Google’s profile help).
Still too big? Start a fresh profile
If the profile folder is still very large after all this, you can delete it and start again with a new one. Your bookmarks, passwords, extensions and settings come back when you sign in, as long as they were saved in your Google Account. A clean install of Chrome shows how to do that safely.