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Is AppInstallationBinaryDeltas Safe to Delete?

General macOSTypical size: 20MB-500MB
Yes, Safe to Delete

Yes. These are binary delta files from Apple device/Xcode app installations.

Side effects: Future device installs may take slightly longer without cached deltas.

What is ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.CoreDevice.CoreDeviceService/Data/Library/Caches/AppInstallationBinaryDeltas?

com.apple.CoreDevice.CoreDeviceService stores AppInstallationBinaryDeltas inside its sandbox container. These are incremental update files used when installing apps on connected iPhones or iPads via Xcode. Safe to delete — macOS recreates them as needed.

Is it safe to delete?

Yes~/Library/Containers/com.apple.CoreDevice.CoreDeviceService/Data/Library/Caches/AppInstallationBinaryDeltas is generally safe to delete. The data in this folder is temporary and will be recreated by the application when needed.

Before deleting, make sure:

  • You don't have any important unsaved work in the related application
  • You're not in the middle of a critical task that might need this cached data
  • You understand that initial load times may be slower after deletion

What happens after deletion?

Future device installs may take slightly longer without cached deltas. The folder will be recreated automatically by the application when needed. This process is typically seamless but may take some time depending on the amount of data that needs to be regenerated.

How to delete it

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Terminal

rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.CoreDevice.CoreDeviceService/Data/Library/Caches/AppInstallationBinaryDeltas

Warning: This command permanently deletes the folder. Double-check the path before running.

Finder

  1. Open Finder
  2. Press ⌘ + Shift + G (Go to Folder)
  3. Paste: ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.CoreDevice.CoreDeviceService/Data/Library/Caches/AppInstallationBinaryDeltas
  4. Move the folder to Trash

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