Clear Epic Games Launcher Cache Without Uninstalling

If your Epic Games Launcher is slow to load, stuck on a blank screen, or failing to download updates, a corrupted cache is often the culprit. Clearing the launcher’s cache removes temporary files and forces a fresh start — without touching your installed games or their saves. This guide walks you through the process on Windows and macOS, and it should take less than five minutes.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your computer’s file manager (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on macOS).
• Administrator rights on Windows (to delete files in Program Files).
• Your Epic Games login credentials (you’ll need to sign in again after clearing).

Step-by-Step

1. Close the Epic Games Launcher completely. Right-click the system tray icon (bottom-right on Windows, top-right on macOS) and select Exit. On Windows, also check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and end any EpicGamesLauncher processes if they’re still running.
2. Open the launcher’s installation folder. The default locations are:
   • Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher
   • macOS: /Applications/Epic Games Launcher.app (right-click and choose Show Package Contents, then go to Contents/MacOS)
3. Delete the WebCache folder. Inside the launcher folder, locate the folder named WebCache (or webcache). Delete it entirely. This is the main cache that stores web content, images, and session data.
4. Delete the UnrealEngine folder (optional but recommended). In the same launcher folder, you’ll see a folder called UnrealEngine. This contains cached engine data. You can delete it — it will be recreated on next launch.
5. Clear the Epic Games cache in AppData (Windows only). Press Win + R, type %localappdata%, and hit Enter. Find the EpicGamesLauncher folder and open it. Delete the Saved folder inside it. This contains logs and temporary files. (On macOS, skip this step; the equivalent is inside the app’s container, which you don’t need to touch.)
6. Restart the launcher. Double-click the Epic Games Launcher icon. It will rebuild the cache from scratch. You’ll need to log in again, and your library will repopulate — your installed games will still be there (they’re stored in a separate folder, usually C:\Program Files\Epic Games).

Common Mistakes

• Deleting the entire Epic Games folder. This removes your installed games. Only delete the WebCache and UnrealEngine folders inside the Launcher subfolder.
• Not closing the launcher first. If the launcher is still running, it will recreate the cache immediately, and your problem persists.
• Deleting the Manifests folder. This folder contains the list of installed games. Deleting it will cause the launcher to forget your games, and you’ll have to re-locate them manually. Don’t touch it.
• Clearing the wrong AppData folder. On Windows, some guides tell you to delete %appdata%\EpicGamesLauncher. That’s the roaming folder, which is not the main cache. Stick to %localappdata%.

Tips

• Back up your Saved folder if you care about logs. It’s not necessary, but if you’re troubleshooting a specific issue with Epic support, they might ask for logs. You can rename the folder to Saved_old instead of deleting it.
• Clear the cache after every major launcher update. Updates sometimes leave behind incompatible cache files, which can cause issues.
• Use the built-in repair tool first. If you’re having a specific error, go to Settings > Verify on the game, or use the Repair option in the launcher’s settings. This is less invasive than clearing the cache.
• Keep your games folder separate. If you have space, install games on a different drive than the launcher. This makes it easier to reinstall the launcher without touching your games.

Troubleshooting

Launcher still stuck on a blank screen after clearing cache. Try these in order:

1. Restart your computer. This clears any lingering processes and file locks.
2. Run the launcher as administrator (Windows). Right-click the launcher shortcut and select Run as administrator. This gives it full access to recreate the cache.
3. Reinstall the launcher (not your games). Download the installer from the Epic Games website and run it. It will replace the launcher files while keeping your games intact. Your games are stored in a separate folder and will be detected automatically.
4. Check your antivirus or firewall. Sometimes security software blocks the launcher from writing new cache files. Temporarily disable it and see if the launcher works.
5. Clear the DNS cache (Windows). Open Command Prompt as administrator and run ipconfig /flushdns. This can help if the launcher is failing to load web content.

If none of this works, the issue might be with your network or Epic’s servers. Check Epic’s status page (status.epicgames.com) for outages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the cache delete my games? No. The cache folder only contains temporary files like images, session data, and logs. Your games are stored in a separate location (e.g., C:\Program Files\Epic Games) and remain untouched.

Will I lose my game saves? No. Game saves are stored in the cloud (if you have cloud saves enabled) or in your local user folder (e.g., Documents\My Games). The launcher cache has nothing to do with them.

Do I need to re-download my games after clearing the cache? No. The launcher will detect your existing game files and simply re-scan them. You might see a brief “verifying” process, but no download is needed.

How often should I clear the cache? Only when you encounter issues like slow loading, blank screens, or download errors. Clearing it regularly isn’t necessary and can slow down your first launch after clearing.

Can I clear the cache on a Mac the same way? Mostly yes, but the AppData step doesn’t apply. On macOS, you only need to delete the WebCache and UnrealEngine folders inside the app’s package contents.

What if I can’t find the WebCache folder? Some older versions of the launcher store it in a different location. Try searching your entire drive for “WebCache” using File Explorer or Finder. If you can’t find it, the launcher may have a different structure — in that case, reinstalling the launcher is the safest option.

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