What is Xcode DerivedData?
DerivedData is the folder where Xcode stores build products, indexes, and intermediate compiler output for every project you've opened. It lives at ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData, with a separate subfolder per project.
Why does DerivedData get so large?
Every build, every SwiftUI preview render, and every code-index update writes more data into DerivedData. On a Mac used for active iOS or macOS development, it's common to see individual project folders reach several gigabytes, and the whole DerivedData directory climb past 20-50GB after a few months without cleanup - especially with large projects or frequent Swift Package Manager resolution.
Is it safe to delete Xcode DerivedData?
Yes, completely. DerivedData is a build cache, not source code or project data. Xcode regenerates it automatically the next time you build or open a project - you'll just see a longer first build afterward while it re-indexes and recompiles from scratch.
How to clear DerivedData from within Xcode
- Quit any running builds
- Go to Xcode > Settings (or Preferences on older versions)
- Open the Locations tab
- Click the arrow next to the Derived Data path to reveal it in Finder
- Or, from the Xcode menu bar, hold Option and choose Product > Clean Build Folder for a targeted clean of the current project
How to clear DerivedData manually via Finder or Terminal
With Xcode closed, delete the entire folder:
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*Or in Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G, paste ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData, and delete the project folders you don't need cached anymore.
Should I clear all of DerivedData or just one project?
If you're low on space right now, clearing everything is the fastest win. If you only want to fix a specific build issue (like stale caching causing weird SwiftUI preview errors), delete just that project's subfolder - it's named after the project with a random suffix, e.g. MyApp-abcdefg.
Does clearing DerivedData fix Xcode build errors?
Often, yes. Stale indexes and cached build artifacts are a common cause of Xcode showing false errors, failing to find symbols that clearly exist, or SwiftUI previews getting stuck. Clearing DerivedData and rebuilding is one of the most reliable general-purpose fixes developers reach for.
Other Xcode-related storage to check
- Archives (
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives) - old app archives from App Store submissions, safe to remove once uploaded - iOS Device Support (
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport) - symbol files for every iOS version you've debugged on a physical device; safe to remove entries for OS versions you no longer test - Simulator devices - unused simulators accumulate their own storage; clean up via Xcode > Settings > Platforms or the Simulator app
Once you've cleared the caches, DustByte's Large & Old Files tool can help you spot any of these developer folders again if they creep back up over time.
