How to clear the Dropbox cache folder

Updated Apr 17, 2026

If you deleted a large number of files from your Dropbox account, but your computer’s hard drive doesn't reflect these deletions, the files you may still be in the cache folder. Dropbox keeps a cache of files for efficiency and emergency purposes. It's also used as a staging area for downloading and uploading files.

Before you clear the cache

Make sure the Dropbox desktop app is fully closed:

On Windows, macOS (non-File Provider), and Linux, quit the Desktop app from the menu bar (Mac) or taskbar (Windows).
On File Provider setups, quit the Desktop app and wait for the DropboxFileProviderExtension process to stop.

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How to clear the Dropbox cache folder

The cache folder is automatically cleared every three days. If you need to delete sensitive files immediately, or you need to clear up some space on your hard drive, you can manually clear the cache with the steps below.

Open a new Windows Explorer or File Explorer window by clicking on the Start menu and then My Computer or My PC.
Enter the following in the address bar and press return:

%HOMEPATH%\Dropbox\.dropbox.cache
This will take you directly to the Dropbox cache folder in your Application Data folder.
Move the files to your Recycle Bin to delete them.

Dropbox team users:

If you have a Dropbox team account linked to the desktop, your Dropbox folder name includes your team name.

For example:
%HOMEPATH%\Organization Dropbox\.dropbox.cache

Note: Replace “Organization” with your Dropbox team name in the path above.

If you have a personal account linked to the desktop, the name of your Dropbox folder will be appended with your personal username in parentheses “(Personal)”.

For example:
%HOMEPATH%\Dropbox (Personal)\.dropbox.cache

Open your Dropbox folder in Finder.
Press shift-command-. (period).
- A folder named “.dropbox.cache” will appear.
Open the “.dropbox.cache” folder.
Move the files to your Trash.

Dropbox team users:
If you have a Dropbox team account linked to the desktop, your Dropbox folder name includes your team name.

For example:
~/Organization Dropbox/.dropbox.cache

If you have a personal account linked to the desktop, the name of your Dropbox folder will be appended with your personal username in parentheses “(Personal)”.

For example:
~/Dropbox (Personal)/.dropbox.cache

These steps apply if you’re using File Provider. Cache files are stored outside your Dropbox folder.

Open Finder.
Open the Library folder:
- Click Go in the menu bar.
- Hold the Option key and select Library.
Open Group Containers and select the folder ending in: “.com.getdropbox.dropbox.sync”.
Open the “root-mount” folder.
Move the files to your Trash.

Note: The “.com.getdropbox.dropbox.sync” folder includes a unique ID and may vary.

Open a Terminal window.
Run the following command to remove cache files:
- For individual accounts, enter the path: rm -R ~/Dropbox/.dropbox.cache/*
- For team accounts, enter the path: ~/Organization Dropbox/.dropbox.cache
- For personal linked accounts, enter the path: ~/Dropbox (Personal)/.dropbox.cache