How to Clear Outlook Cache on Mac OS?

Is your Outlook freezing or stuck on completing the task? Then, one of the methods to fix this issue users should do is to clear cache files of Outlook. There are multiple benefits of removing the cluttered temporary files to improve performance. This comprehensive guide will give various methods to clear Outlook cache on Mac, with which users can resolve common performance issues and thereby ensure a smooth user experience.

As time goes on, the cache files will become outdated, corrupted or too large, which will cause a variety of problems. The issues range from slow loading and synchronisation errors to unexpected crashes. Therefore, by clearing the temporary files, we force the application to download a fresh and new copy of the data from the mail server.

What are Outlook Cache Files and Why Clean Them?

Just like any other Cache files, Microsoft Outlook also saves temporary files on the Mac’s hard drive to speed up common tasks. It includes things like:

• It stores profile data, which is the account information and preferences, for faster loading.
• Emails and attachments are cached so that you can easily view messages recently opened, even when you are offline.
• Folder structure as cache data will allow you to navigate between the inbox, sent items and other folders.

As per the above information, it is clear that cache is designed to improve performance, but over time, it could become corrupted or outdated. This could cause various issues, such as those mentioned below:

• Crashing: When these cache files get cluttered in the system, Outlook becomes unresponsive and unexpectedly shuts down. For more details, visit: Outlook crashes immediately after opening.
• Slow and lags: Outlook takes a longer time to launch or switch between messages and folders.
• Synchronisation Errors: The emails won’t send or receive properly, or the mailbox does not sync with the server.
• Excessive Disk Space: As any files large number of cache files could consume valuable storage space on the system.

Therefore, clearing the caches in Outlook Mac will allow you to download a fresh, clean copy of data from the mail server after a proper connection.

Check out other related articles: Why Outlook storage is still full after deleting emails?

How to Clear Outlook Cache on Mac?

There are multiple methods to clear the Outlook cache on Mac. We will here give the built-in resent account in the new Outlook, manually delete the cache folder, and Empty Cache in legacy Outlook on Mac. All of the method is carried out in different Outlook versions, ensuring you can effectively manage the temporary Outlook files.

Method 1: Clear the Cache in the New Outlook for Mac

The process to clear Outlook cache on Mac is now simpler than before. The new outlook, i.e., the Microsoft 365 users, relies on a direct account reset to clear the cache files.

How to clear New Outlook cache on Mac

1. Close Outlook Completely.
2. Open the Outlook application.
3. From the top menu, go to Tools > Accounts.
4. Select the account you want to reset.
5. Click on the three dots icon and choose Reset Account from the dropdown menu.
6. A confirmation message and a reset to confirm.

Outlook will then begin to re-synchronise all of your data from the server. This process may take a while, depending on the size of your mailbox.

Method 2: Clear the Cache in the Legacy Outlook.

It is the classic Outlook for Mac; the process is done differently from the new Outlook to clear the cache. It is useful for large mailboxes connected to the Exchange account.

How to Clear Cache from Legacy Outlook

1. Quit Outlook.
2. Open Outlook and go to the folder list.
3. Go to the folder where you want to clear the cache.
4. Right-click on the folder and select Folder.
5. In the Properties window, click on the General tab.
6. Click the Empty Cache button.

Outlook will empty the cache from the folder and download the new items from the server.

Method 3: Manual Method to Clear Outlook Cache on Mac

If the above method did not work, and you want to clean it properly, then the manual method is the most reliable to clear Outlook Cache on Mac. It consists of navigating to the hidden files and deleting them.

Steps for the Manual Method

1. Firstly, close Outlook.
2. Open a new Finder Window.
3. Go to the top menu and click on Go.
4. Hold the Option key on the keyboard. It shows the hidden library folders.
5. Click on Library.
6. In the new Finder Windows, go to the Caches folder.
7. Inside the Caches folder, locate the folder named com.microsoft.outlook
8. Right-click on the folder and select Outlook, select Move to Trash.
9. Now empty your Trash.

Restart Outlook. Thus, the application is forced to rebuild its cache files from scratch, drawing all data fresh from the server.

Is it Safe to Clear Outlook Cache on Mac?

Yes, it is generally safe to clear the Outlook cache. The cache only stores temporary files and copies of the Outlook data. It does not contain any original emails, contacts, or account settings. All the vital information is stored on the mail server. When we clear the cache, it removes the locally copied files; that’s it.

The moment you open Outlook, the app will automatically re-download all the necessary data from the server, ensuring you lose no essential information.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the choice is yours to pick the desired method to clear Outlook cache on Mac system. We have prepared methods for all the versions of Outlook for all users for ease. You can effectively eliminate corrupted or outdated temporary files. This process ensures that Outlook is running on a clean slate. Delete the Outlook cache on Mac and improve the performance immediately.