Xcode takes too much space: what you can remove
Xcode is big, but the app itself is rarely the problem. What grows is the data around it: build products, simulators and device support files. Much of it comes back on its own when needed.
DerivedData: build products
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData holds intermediate files and results of your builds, one folder per project. You can move its contents to the Trash; Xcode rebuilds them with the next build, which then takes longer. Xcode › Settings › Locations shows the exact place.
Archives: your released builds
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Archives holds the archives you uploaded apps from, with the symbols for crash reports. Keep the archives of versions people still use. Manage them in the Organizer (Window › Organizer).
Device support
For every iOS version of a connected device, Xcode stores files in ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/iOS DeviceSupport. You can remove folders for versions none of your devices runs anymore. They come back when you connect a device with that version again.
Simulators
Simulators with their apps and data take a lot of space. “Unavailable” simulators belong to Xcode versions that are no longer installed. Remove them in Terminal with:
xcrun simctl delete unavailableThis does not use the Trash and cannot be undone. Manage the simulator runtimes in Xcode › Settings › Components (“Platforms” in older versions), or with xcrun simctl runtime list.
Package caches
Swift Package Manager, Homebrew, npm, pnpm, Yarn, pip, Cargo and Gradle keep downloaded packages. The tools have their own clean-up commands, such as brew cleanup or npm cache clean --force. Whatever is missing downloads again next time.
Where Searoom helps
Searoom's Developer page shows Xcode, simulators, the Docker disk image, package caches and old project folders (node_modules, .venv, target, .next, build) with their size and what rebuilds them. Select the safe items with one click and they go to the Trash. Archives are marked “Review”. “Remove Unavailable…” runs simctl and tells you first that it cannot be undone. Searoom looks for project folders only in folders you choose. The Developer page is part of Searoom Pro.
Searoom explains every storage item on your Mac in one sentence, only moves things to the Trash, removes apps with their leftovers and keeps your apps updated. 14 days with everything, then a free version stays, Pro is €29 once.
See Searoom