Xcode quietly hoards build artifacts, simulator data, and device support files. It is common for Xcode alone to hold 50-100 GB of a developer's Mac.

Short answer: delete the Derived Data folder, trim old iOS Device Support versions, and remove archives you no longer need — Xcode regenerates what it still needs on the next build.

Where the weight actually lives

Xcode scatters its footprint across a few hidden folders:

  • ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData — intermediate build results and indexes
  • ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport — symbols for every iOS version you have ever debugged against
  • ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives — shipped .xcarchive builds

Derived Data is the first place to look because Xcode rarely cleans it up between projects or branch switches.

Clearing Derived Data manually

  1. open Finder
  2. press Command + Shift + G
  3. paste ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData and press Enter
  4. select everything inside and move it to the Trash
  5. empty the Trash

The next build will be slightly slower while indexes rebuild, but nothing breaks.

Trimming Device Support and Archives

If Derived Data is clean and Xcode is still huge:

  • open ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport and remove folders for iOS versions you no longer debug
  • open ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives and remove archives that have already been uploaded to App Store Connect

For a faster path, DevCleaner for Xcode (free on the Mac App Store) gives a visual breakdown of all three categories and removes them in one pass.

Better next routes

If Xcode is not the source of your bloat, continue with How to Find Large Hidden Files on Mac.

If "System Data" is still huge after this cleanup, use What Is Purgeable Storage on Mac?.