Why Xcode Eats 60GB of Storage (And How to Fix It)

Ask any iOS or macOS developer what their biggest frustration is, and "disk space" will be near the top. Xcode can easily consume 40–60GB of storage — and most of it is data you don't need.

The Hidden Xcode Storage Hogs

Xcode stores data in several locations that aren't obvious:

1. iOS Simulators (10–30GB)

Every time you test on a new iOS version or device, Xcode downloads a simulator runtime. These add up fast. Check ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator — you might be shocked at how much space is used.

2. Derived Data (5–20GB)

Xcode's build cache lives in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData. Every project you've ever built leaves cached build artifacts here. Deleting this folder is safe — Xcode will simply rebuild what it needs.

3. Archives (5–15GB)

Every time you archive a build for distribution, Xcode saves a copy in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives. Old archives from apps you've already shipped can be safely removed.

4. Device Support Files (3–10GB)

When you connect a physical device, Xcode downloads support files for that device's OS version. These live in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport.

How MacPrune Helps

MacPrune's Xcode Cleanup module specifically targets all of these locations. It identifies which simulators, archives, and caches are safe to remove and shows you exactly how much space each one is consuming.

One of our beta testers reclaimed 62GB just from Xcode data alone. That's more storage than some MacBook Air base models ship with in free space.

Safe Cleanup Checklist

Delete old simulators — Keep only the latest 2 iOS versions you actively test against
Purge Derived Data — Safe to delete entirely; Xcode rebuilds automatically
Remove old Archives — Keep only archives for apps currently in the App Store
Clean Device Support — Remove support files for iOS versions you no longer test
Use MacPrune — Let it handle the detection and cleanup automatically

Your Mac will thank you. And your builds might even run faster with a cleaner filesystem.