How to Configure Content Caching on a Mac
Did you know you’re able to set up content caching on your Mac to help reduce data usage and speed up Apple software updates and iCloud downloads? This handy feature can be used across multiple Apple devices—Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs.
Below, we’ll show you how to enable and configure content caching on your Mac. But before that, let’s quickly go over this feature so that you understand exactly how it works.
What Is Content Caching?
Content caching is an Apple feature that speeds up Apple software and iCloud downloads. it’s possible to enjoy this feature by enabling it on your Mac. Here’s how it works: when you download Apple software or an iCloud file on a device, your Mac stores a copy of it locally so that if you need to download the content on another device, it’ll download from the Mac instead of the internet.
To use content caching, your Mac and other Apple devices, known clients, must be connected to the same local network. It’s advisable to set up content caching on a Mac that uses a single wired Ethernet connection. However, it’s also fine if your Mac uses a Wi-Fi connection.
AnEthernet connection is faster than Wi-Fiand, thus, preferable. You can also share your Mac’s cached content with iOS devices connected via USB.
So, with content caching enabled on your Mac, your Mac caches content you download on a client device, like your iPhone. You can then download it from the Mac on another client, like your iPad. Content caching supports various types of content, such as software updates, app downloads, books, iCloud data, and more.
When you have multiple content caches on your local network, they are called peers and can share cached content with each other. This means if a client requests content that isn’t available on a content cache but available on a peer, the content is downloaded from the peer. If the content isn’t available on the peer, it will be downloaded from Apple’s servers via the internet.
One downside to content caching is that it takes up some storage space on your Mac because it stores a copy of all the content clients download. However, considering the amount of internet data you’ll save on downloads and updates, and the fact that apps will download much faster on your devices, it might be a fair trade-off for you. And you can alwaysfree up space on your Macif you need to.
Setting Up Content Caching on a Mac
In this section, we’ll teach you how to turn on content caching, select storage volume for caching, choose the cache size, and delete your cached content.
Turn Content Caching On or Off
Here’s how to enable content caching on your Mac:
If you want the cached content to show up immediately on the clients, restart the clients. If you don’t, the cached content will still appear but will take longer.
To disable content caching on your Mac, return to theSharingmenu and toggle offContentCaching.
Select a Storage Volume for Content Caching
Your Mac stores cached content on its startup or boot volume by default. This storage location provides a fixed amount of storage for data on the device. If you’vecreated another volume on your Mac, you can store cached content there instead.
To select a storage volume for content caching on your Mac, follow these steps:
Choose the Cache Size
Your Mac has a default amount of storage it uses for cached content, but you can change the cache size manually. Here’s how:
Once the available storage space for the cached content becomes low, the content that hasn’t been used recently is deleted to make space for new content; this will result in you having to re-download the content again from the internet. You can prevent this by setting a high cache size limit.
To keep track of content cache activity on your Mac, useActivity Monitor. You can use it to view stats such as the amount of data served from clients in the last hour, last 24 hours, last seven days, and last 30 days.
Delete All Your Cached Content
To get rid of all your cached content, do the following:
Enable Content Caching for Faster Downloads
Content caching is a feature you should consider using if you own multiple Apple devices besides a Mac. You get to save internet bandwidth and download software and iCloud content faster than if you were downloading it from the internet.
So, turn on content caching, select a volume for caching, choose your cache size, and enjoy the perks of content caching on your Mac.
You can use any of these methods to find out how much available storage is left on your Mac.
I plugged random USB devices into my phone and was pleasantly surprised by how many actually worked.
Freeing up vital memory on Windows only takes a moment, and your computer will feel much faster once you’re done.
Lose your laptop without this feature, and you’ll wish you had turned it on.
I gripped my chair the entire time—and then kept thinking about it when the screen turned off.
Not all true crime is about hacking, slashing, and gore.
