# Is it safe to delete the Tart image cache (~/.tart/cache)?

- URL: https://moreroom.app/folders/vm-tart-cache
- Item: Tart image cache
- Location: `~/.tart/cache`
- Verdict: Review first — Might hold something you care about. Look inside before removing it.
- Comes back on its own: yes
- Typical size: 20–200 GB
- Source: MoreRoom rules catalogue (2026-10-17), by Yando Pte. Ltd.

## What is it?

When you pull or clone a VM image from a registry, Tart keeps a copy in `~/.tart/cache` (OCI images, plus IPSW restore images) so later clones are fast. Images are large, often 20–50 GB each.

## What happens if you delete it?

Tart downloads an image again the next time you pull or clone it, which can take a long time for macOS images. Your local VMs in `~/.tart/vms` are separate and stay intact.

## How to remove it properly

Run `tart prune --entries=caches --older-than=7` to remove cached images not used in the last 7 days, permanently. Otherwise move the folder to the Trash in Finder (Go › Go to Folder… `~/.tart/cache`). Tart also prunes this cache on its own when space runs low during a pull or clone.

## Before you delete it

On slow connections, or in CI where the same image is cloned often, keep the images you use regularly.