# Saved Application State on Mac: Safe to Delete?

> Saved Application State stores the window layout macOS restores when an app reopens. Deleting it is safe; apps just open with fresh windows next time.

- Updated: 2026-10-10
- URL: https://fresh.ist/caches/saved-application-state/

**TL;DR:** Yes. ~/Library/Saved Application State holds one .savedState folder per app with the window positions and restorable UI state macOS uses to reopen apps the way you left them. Deleting it doesn't touch documents or settings. The next launch shows default windows, and it's also a common fix when an app crashes every time it reopens old windows.

## Facts from the Freshist app

- Category in Clean: Saved Application State — "Window-restore state — apps simply open with fresh windows."
- Location: `~/Library/Saved Application State`
- Risk level: Low risk — Rebuilt automatically by macOS or the app that made it. Freshist selects these for you — you still see every item before anything moves.
- Selected by default: yes
- What Freshist does: Moves the selected items to the Trash, so you can undo. Nothing is deleted outright.

## What macOS stores here

When you quit an app with windows open, macOS records enough about them to put them back next time: window frames, which documents were open, scroll positions, selected tabs and other restorable state the app chooses to save. Apple's Mac User Guide describes the result: windows that are open when you quit an app are shown the next time you open it.

Each app gets a folder named after its bundle ID with a `.savedState` extension, for example `com.apple.Preview.savedState`. Inside are small data files written by the system's state restoration machinery on behalf of the app.

## Why it grows (and why it usually doesn't)

These folders are small, typically kilobytes to a few megabytes. Size isn't the reason most people look here. The folder matters for two other reasons:

- **Leftovers** from apps you've removed, since deleting an app doesn't clear its saved state.
- **Crash loops**, where an app restores a window that triggers the same crash every launch.

On the Mac used to check this page, the folder held 0 bytes.

## What happens if you delete it

| Effect | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Window layout | Apps open with default windows instead of your last arrangement |
| Previously open documents | Not reopened automatically; open them from the File menu |
| Documents, settings, accounts | Unaffected; they live elsewhere |
| Crash-on-launch from a bad restore | Often fixed, since there's nothing left to restore |

## Taking a look

```bash
du -sh ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State
ls ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State | head -30
```

Folder names map to apps by bundle ID, so `com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState` belongs to VS Code.

## Clear it with Apple's setting or by hand

To stop restoration across the board, use the setting Apple documents for the current macOS: **System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Windows → Close windows when quitting an application**. New saved state then stops piling up for apps that follow the system behavior.

To reset one app:

1. Quit the app completely (**App menu → Quit**, not just closing the window).
2. In Finder, choose **Go → Go to Folder…** and enter `~/Library/Saved Application State`.
3. Move that app's `.savedState` folder to the Trash, then reopen the app.

You can remove the whole contents the same way after quitting everything you can.

## When to keep it

Keep it if you rely on apps coming back exactly as you left them, such as Terminal windows, Xcode tabs or a set of Preview documents. There's no space reason to clear it. The folder's role among other Library folders is described in the [Saved Application State reference](/library/saved-application-state/), and app data left behind by uninstalls is covered in [how to uninstall apps completely](/blog/uninstall-apps-mac-completely/).

## Sources

- [Apple Support: Quit apps on Mac (window reopening setting)](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchl834d18c2/mac)
- [Apple Developer: NSWindowRestoration](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nswindowrestoration)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I stop apps from reopening their old windows?

Yes. In System Settings, open Desktop & Dock, go to Windows and turn on Close windows when quitting an application. Apps then start with fresh windows instead of restoring the last session.

### Will deleting saved state lose unsaved documents?

Saved state is not where apps keep document content. Apps with autosave store it with the document or in their own folders. Still, quit the app and save your work first, because a restored window can be the only place an unsaved draft is visible.

### Why is the folder empty on my Mac?

macOS creates and removes these folders as apps quit and relaunch, and apps that don't use window restoration never write one. An empty or tiny folder is normal.

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Canonical page: https://fresh.ist/caches/saved-application-state/
Official site: https://fresh.ist/ (fresh.ist only)
Generated: 2026-10-10