[Full Guide] How to Clear Download Cache on Steam?

Here we offer you guidance on how do you clear download cache on Steam?

Steam normally works swimmingly, but there are times when it may operate slower than usual. Perhaps downloading a game from the platform is slower. Maybe games that run on Steam are showing errors randomly. Either way, the slower performance is most likely due to an issue with Steam. If that’s the case, there are several potential reasons, and one such reason is that the Steam download cache is full or at least almost full. If so, then there’s no wonder Steam is slow.

If you didn’t know, the Steam download cache is where unfinished downloads go to. If it’s full, even if your computer has enough space, you cannot download any new games. So, how do you clear download cache on Steam? Read on to find out.

Should You Clear Download Cache?

Before anything else, it’s important to understand what happens when you clear download cache on Steam. To start with, you must know why you must clear the cache in the first place. That’s because when you attempt to download a game, the download files typically go to the download cache folder. Those files are incomplete during the download, and only when it’s complete that the app able to assemble the files and create a functional game. When that happens, Steam transfers all the download files on the cache and places them to its dedicated folder that the platform created for that specific game.

Unfortunately, there are times when you may stop the download. When that happens, the files remain on the download cache. So, the next time you download it again, it will simply resume so the progress remains and your time isn’t wasted.

However, it would be a different story if after you stopped the download, you also removed the game from your list. In that case, you’re saying you don’t want to install the game again, so Steam naturally makes it so the next time you download it, it’ll start a completely new download. In many cases, that often leads to Steam not being able to recognize the already existing download files. As a result, it isn’t able to start the download again, which is why you’re facing the issue now. That’s why it’s advisable to clear download cache on Steam every now and then to fix this issue.

When you clear the download cache, you don’t lose any files from your already installed games. It only deletes the download files that you no longer need anyway, so there’s no data loss involved. There are generally two ways to do this.

Method #1: Clear Download Cache on Steam Through The Platform’s Settings

The first and also the official method to clear download cache on Steam is through the platform’s settings itself. Steam specifically has a feature designed for this, so it’s rather convenient. Here’s how you can use that particular feature:

1. Open Steam on your computer.
2. Click the Steam option from the top-left corner of your computer.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
4. A popup menu should appear consisting of numerous options on its left sidebar. Go to the Downloads section.
5. At the bottom of the menu, you’ll find a button that says Clear Download Cache. Click that button.
6. Click OK if a popup window appears to confirm your decision.

Method #2: Clear Download Cache on Steam Via Finder

Your other method is to use the Finder app, which is the file management app for macOS computers. With Finder, you’re able to navigate to the folders that contain the Steam download cache and clear them yourself. Here’s how you can pull this off:

1. On your computer, open a session of Finder.
2. Click the Go option from the top menu bar of the app.
3. Select Go to Folder… from the resulting dropdown menu.
4. A popup window should appear. On the text bar, type in the following text: /Library/Application Support/Steam. This is the main library folder of Steam and it should contain the download cache.
5. Click the Go button to navigate to the specified file path.
6. Once the folder is in sight, drag and drop it into the Trash icon on your Dock to delete it.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for the following file paths:
   1. ~/Library/caches
   2. ~/Library/Preferences
   3. ~/Library/Logs

The aforementioned three file paths correspond to your Steam user library, which is indicated by the tilde (~). Since Steam has yet to disclose which folder contains the download cache, there’s no guarantee the Application Support folder would have it. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to at least try a few different file paths. Similar to the download cache, deleting these folders will not harm your computer, much less the Steam app as they consist of only temporary or cache files.

Method #3: Clear Download Cache on Steam With Mac Cleaner

When you try to clear download cache on Steam through Finder, you might encounter an error that says the folder is encrypted or protected, meaning you cannot delete it unless you gain administrative privileges. Similarly, when you use the first and official method, you may find that it didn’t all files, which is mainly because of the encryption. If that’s what you’re dealing with, you may need a cleaning app that can bypass this protection. For that, we recommend Mac Cleaner.

Mac Cleaner is a modular app that can delete unnecessary files from your computer. As you might imagine, it can also clear download cache on Steam. If you wish to use the software for your purposes, here’s what you need to do:

Step #1: Download, Install, and Launch Mac Cleaner

To start with the process, you must first get the software. To do that, open a browser and navigate to the Mac Cleaner download site. Click the Download Now buttonthat’s located on that site to download a DMG file. The DMG file corresponds to the installer, which you must then open. On the installer window, follow the onscreen instructions from start to finish. The Mac Cleaner software should open automatically once the installation is complete.

Step #2: Select Clean Up Junk

The next step is to select a module. You’ll find your options from the left side of the interface. There are a total of six options, namely (1) Clean Up Junk, (2) Delete Large Files, (3) Delete Duplicate Files, (4) Erase Private Data, (5) Speed Up Your Mac, and (6) Manage Apps & Extensions. Since your goal is to clear download cache on Steam, you’ll only need the Clean Up Junk module. It allows you to clear System Junk, Trash Bin, iTunes Junk, and most importantly, App Junk, which is where the Steam download cache belongs to. You can select the module by clicking on it from the left sidebar of the interface.

Step #3: Choose an Option and Click Scan

The software will then split into two sides. The left side says Quick Clean while the right side says Deep Clean. Quick Clean scans the computer for System Junk, App Junk, Trash Bin, and iTunes Junk, while Deep Clean scans the computer for Downloads, iOS Junk, and Unused Disk Images on top of the aforementioned file types. You simply have to select between these two options. Once you’ve selected an option, click the Scan button below the interface t[o proceed to the next step.

Step #4: Choose a File Category and File/s

Upon clicking the Scan button, the software will take you to the next page wherein you’ll find a list on the left side of the interface. The list contains several items, which correspond to the file categories that the module can scan, including System Junk, Downloads, Trash Bin, and Unused Disk Images. To proceed, you must select a file category, and upon doing so, you’ll find another list on the right side of the interface. That list will consist of actual files from which you must select the ones you want to delete. You can do so by clicking on their checkboxes. You may also click the Select All checkbox to include all items.

Step #5: Click the Clean Button

To finalize the process, you simply have to click the Clean button found at the top-right corner of the window. That will initiate the cleaning process and all you have to do at that point is wait for a few minutes for the software to delete the files.

The best part about this is that you can also delete other junk files aside from the download cache. After all, though it was stated in the earlier sections that you cannot download games from Steam even if you have enough disk space, the opposite applies. If your computer has insufficient space, you also cannot download games even if Steam has an empty download cache. That’s why it’s equally important to make sure your computer has sufficient space, and you can do that with Mac Cleaner as well by deleting unnecessary files. You also can use other modules to do the same in different ways.

Closing Thoughts

Steam might be a powerful platform, but it has its limits. In particular, its cache has limits, which is why you must always ensure it has sufficient space. You can do that if you clear download cache on Steam, which you should know by now as this article tackled the appropriate methods. If that didn’t solve your problem of not being able to download games, then you can also use yet another one of our recommendations, which is to delete unnecessary files from your main drive using Mac Cleaner. If that still didn’t work, chances are Steam is under maintenance and you simply have to wait.