Clear iMovie Cache on Mac
Over time, iMovie accumulates render files, originals in ~/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibrary that can grow to 1 GB – 100 GB. Clearing them often fixes glitches, login loops and frees serious disk space.
~/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibraryManual Cleanup Steps
- Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
- Open Finder and press ⌘+Shift+G to open "Go to Folder".
- Paste this path and press Enter:
~/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibrary - Select the files you no longer need and move them to Trash. Empty Trash to reclaim the space.
Manual cleanup is tedious and easy to get wrong. OptiClear scans your entire Mac in seconds, finds every related file, and removes them safely — files always go to Trash first, never permanent deletion.
Download OptiClear — Free for macOSOne-Click Cleanup with OptiClear
Manual cleanup is tedious and easy to get wrong. OptiClear scans your entire Mac in seconds, finds every related file, and removes them safely — files always go to Trash first, never permanent deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete these files manually?
Yes — files in ~/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibrary are app-generated and safe to remove after quitting the app. Risk level: Caution. macOS or the app will recreate anything still needed.
Will I lose my settings or data?
Manual removal of the support folder resets the app to defaults. To keep settings, back up the location first or use OptiClear's selective cleanup.