Xcode and iOS: DerivedData, simulators, archives

Xcode writes build data, device symbols, simulators and archives into ~/Library/Developer, and almost none of it is removed for you. These guides go folder by folder: what it is, how big it gets, and what rebuilds it.

The DerivedData folder with its parts Build, Index.noindex and SourcePackages, marked Safe and rebuilt on the next build

Xcode and iOS

How to delete Xcode DerivedData safely

Xcode DerivedData lives in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData. See its size per project, delete it in Terminal or Finder, and know what the next build costs.

11 Nov 2026, 5 min read

The command simctl delete unavailable above two rows marked Your call: the iOS 26.0.1 runtime at 7.5 GB and an iPhone 16e simulator at 4.2 GB

Xcode and iOS

Delete old iOS simulators and runtimes in Xcode

List every iOS simulator and runtime with xcrun simctl, see which ones are stale, and delete them safely. A single iOS runtime is about 7.5 GB on its own.

11 Nov 2026, 5 min read

Three folders in ~/Library/Developer: DerivedData and iOS DeviceSupport marked Safe, Archives marked Careful

Xcode and iOS

Xcode taking up space: archives, DeviceSupport and more

Where Xcode puts its gigabytes besides DerivedData: iOS DeviceSupport, archives, previews, simulator caches and old installers. What each is and what can go.

11 Nov 2026, 5 min read

The commands pod cache clean --all and swift package purge-cache, and a Pods folder marked Your call with pod install

Xcode and iOS

Clear the CocoaPods and Swift Package Manager caches

pod cache clean --all and swift package purge-cache: where CocoaPods, SwiftPM and Carthage keep downloads on a Mac, their size, and what restores them.

11 Nov 2026, 5 min read

New guides arrive in the Atom feed of the Wipzy blog. To see the app these guides lead to, watch Wipzy clean a Mac in 47 seconds, read how the four risk levels work, or see what is free and what Pro adds.