Google Drive Cache Taking Space on Mac? What to Check
Google Drive can use local disk space even when your files are streamed. Before clearing anything, distinguish downloaded content, deliberately offline files and work still waiting to upload. A folder named cache is not proof that every file in it can be downloaded again.
Separate streaming, mirroring and pending uploads
Google's streaming and mirroring guide explains the difference. Streaming keeps files primarily in the cloud, with local content for files you use; mirroring keeps My Drive files on both the Mac and in the cloud.
| Local data | Why it uses space | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Streamed content cache | Files opened or used recently | Whether the cloud copy is accessible |
| Files marked for offline use | Content deliberately kept on the Mac | Which files you still need without internet |
| Mirrored My Drive folder | A full local copy | Whether you actually want mirroring |
| Pending uploads | Changes not yet stored in the cloud | Finish uploading or keep an independent copy |
If you want to stop using Drive altogether, follow the separate Google Drive removal guide, rather than treating cache management as an uninstall.
Locate the data and identify File Provider
Google's advanced configuration reference names this default cache directory for the legacy implementation:
~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS
The same reference warns that this data can contain files before they upload. Do not delete the directory, its numbered account folders or their contents to test a theory.
On macOS 12.1 and later, Google's macOS guide
describes File Provider streaming. In Drive preferences, open the settings at the top
right and check the streaming-location notice: a location controlled by macOS identifies
File Provider. Its Finder location is under ~/Library/CloudStorage; that is not a
disposable cache. For the related Apple service, see iCloud Drive disk use.
Review offline files before resetting anything
Open Drive's menu, then Settings › Offline files, to review local offline content, as described in Drive's settings guide. Record what is taking space and which items you still need away from the network.
Google's offline-file guide explains that marking a folder offline also keeps its contents, including newly added files. Review a large offline folder before blaming a cache that keeps growing.
Use Drive's offline controls to unpin content you no longer need locally, after confirming the upload. Google's troubleshooting guide includes unpinning as a response to low local storage. Do not use Finder's Trash on an active Drive file: deletion and removal of an offline requirement are different actions.
Use an account reset only with verified copies
Google documents that disconnecting a streaming account removes its offline files. If a reset is needed, first finish uploads, open recent files on the web and copy irreplaceable work outside Drive. Check any Lost and Found notification too: Google's troubleshooting guide says those files are deleted when the account is disconnected.
Only then use Settings › Preferences › Advanced Settings, select the account and disconnect it using Google's settings instructions. Reconnect through Drive, restore only the offline selections you need and test a recent file. This is an account-level reset, not a routine cache-cleaning button or a reason to erase DriveFS manually.
Move the cache only when the setting is available
For a legacy setup, Google's settings guide gives Settings › Preferences › Advanced Settings › Local cache files directory › Change. Record the old location, select a new supported location and confirm the change. The advanced reference says cached data moves when Drive restarts; use the same control to return to the recorded location.
This setting is unavailable with macOS File Provider. The destination must not be inside a mirrored folder, or a parent or child of a streaming location, and Drive cannot use an unavailable cache path. Moving the cache changes its location, not how much content you chose to keep offline.
Where Mole Fits
Mole Mac's Clean catalog includes the separate ~/Library/Caches/com.google.GoogleDrive
path when eligible, but has no DriveFS content-cache entry under Application Support.
Do not interpret that cache row as clearing your streamed documents. The Google Drive tested-app guide covers uninstall review instead.
FAQ
Can I delete the whole DriveFS folder?
Do not use that as routine cache cleanup. Google warns that the cache can contain pending uploads, and deleting those files before upload finishes loses them.
Why can I not change the cache location on my Mac?
Google disables that setting for File Provider, where macOS controls cached data. Check the streaming-location notice before following instructions for a legacy setup.
Will offline files come back after a reset?
They can be downloaded again only while the source files and your access remain available. Reapply the offline selections and test them before travelling; synchronization is not an independent backup, and unuploaded work needs its own retained copy.