The short answer
Yes. Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed.
What is it?
Conda keeps every package it downloads, both the archive and an unpacked copy, in the pkgs folder of your Miniforge install (~/miniforge3/pkgs). Environments are built by hard-linking files from here, so part of its size is shared with your environments, and old versions stay after updates. It commonly grows to several gigabytes.
What happens if you delete it?
Packages that are still needed are downloaded again the next time you create or update an environment. Existing environments keep working, because their files are hard links rather than references to this folder.
How to remove it properly
Run conda clean --all in Terminal (add --dry-run first to preview), conda’s own command: it removes unused packages, downloaded archives and index caches, and deletes them permanently. Avoid emptying pkgs by hand, which frees less than expected because of the hard links.
Use the tool’s official command: conda clean --all
How MoreRoom helps
MoreRoom recognises this item, shows its real size and when it was last used, and labels it “Safe to remove”. In the free version you can move it to the Trash in one click, with Undo; Pro collects every safe item at once.
When the tool is installed, MoreRoom runs its official command for you (conda clean --all) instead of deleting files — and tells you that this step can’t be undone.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete Miniforge’s pkgs folder?
Yes. Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed. Packages that are still needed are downloaded again the next time you create or update an environment. Existing environments keep working, because their files are hard links rather than references to this folder.
Will Conda package cache (Miniforge) come back after I delete it?
Yes. Packages that are still needed are downloaded again the next time you create or update an environment. Existing environments keep working, because their files are hard links rather than references to this folder.
How do I remove Conda package cache (Miniforge) properly?
Run conda clean --all in Terminal (add --dry-run first to preview), conda’s own command: it removes unused packages, downloaded archives and index caches, and deletes them permanently. Avoid emptying pkgs by hand, which frees less than expected because of the hard links.