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Guide

How to empty the After Effects disk cache on a Mac

After Effects saves rendered frames to disk so playback is faster next time. By default it can use 10% of the disk, up to 100 GB.

Empty it in After Effects

  1. Open After Effects > Settings > Media & Disk Cache.
  2. Click Empty Disk Cache.

Or choose Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache to empty memory and the disk cache together.

Purge vs empty

  • Edit > Purge > All Memory clears RAM only. RAM is also cleared when you quit.
  • Empty Disk Cache clears the frames saved to disk, which stay between sessions and projects.
  • Clean Database & Cache works on the media cache, not the disk cache, and only removes files whose footage is missing. Connect every drive with footage first.

Each version of After Effects has its own disk cache. Emptying one doesn't empty the others.

Where the disk cache lives

Usually in ~/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects/<version>/, in folders named Disk Cache and 3D Cache. Old versions you no longer use leave theirs behind.

Where After Effects keeps its disk cache on a Mac, one folder per version.

Is it safe?

Yes. The disk cache only holds frames After Effects can render again. Your project and footage aren't in it.

The faster way: Caretaker

Caretaker clears the After Effects disk cache, including what old versions left behind, together with the media cache Premiere Pro and After Effects share. They are deleted for good, since the apps make them again.

Caretaker's Clean page: safe to clear, system junk and creative app caches, in dots.
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Questions

Why is my After Effects disk cache so big?

By default After Effects may use 10% of the disk, up to 100 GB, and each version keeps its own cache.

Does emptying the disk cache slow After Effects down?

Only until frames are cached again. The first playback renders them, then it's as fast as before.