claudevm.bundle is large. Should you delete it?
claudevm.bundle is a virtual-machine bundle found in local Claude Desktop Cowork installations. Size alone does not make it disposable. Keep it while local tasks depend on it; save your work, verify backups and fully quit Claude before considering removal. Cloud Cowork and local sessions have different storage, so first check which you use.
First, check whether your tasks are local
Anthropic’s documentation covers both cloud sessions and existing local desktop sessions, and running code locally uses a virtual machine. A task that runs in the cloud doesn’t mean your older local tasks or files moved with it.
When we checked on October 1, 2026, Anthropic had announced that new Pro and Max Cowork tasks move to the cloud on October 6, and that existing local tasks stay on the computer. Before you remove local data, check where the task lives and what export options it has.
Find the bundle and measure without deleting
In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Application Support/Claude. On the installation we looked at, claudevm.bundle was inside vm_bundles, and claude-code-sessions was a separate folder. Names and contents can change between versions.
Check the size in Get Info and compare it with this read-only Terminal command: du -sh "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Claude/vm_bundles". If the directory isn’t there, don’t create it, and don’t treat some other folder as the same thing.
In September 2026, our inventory found 10.9 GB of VM bundles on one developer Mac. That isn’t a typical size, and it isn’t what you’re guaranteed to get back. Sparse files and shared APFS blocks can make the size you see differ from the space the bundle takes on disk, so compare free space before and after any supported operation.
What to keep, and what to check before removal
- Keep the bundle if Claude or a local task is running, if you need to resume local work, or if you don’t know which files depend on it.
- Save your outputs in a folder you control. Export the task history you need with Claude’s own options, and check that your backups work. Being able to see a chat on the web doesn’t prove every local file is backed up.
- If you no longer need local Cowork, quit Claude completely. Then look at your version’s storage or reset options, or ask Anthropic support how to remove the bundle. Quitting doesn’t by itself show that deleting is harmless.
- Don’t clear the whole Claude support folder or claude-code-sessions instead. Settings, login state and local session data each have a different purpose.
Already deleted it, or the bundle came back?
Keep any copy in the Trash or a backup until you’ve checked your important tasks and files. Follow the recovery guidance for the version you have installed. The app opening doesn’t mean all your data is there.
A version that uses local Cowork may provision its runtime again, but a fresh runtime doesn’t bring back the earlier state. We haven’t verified recovery on every Claude version. If work is missing, stop cleaning up and contact support.
Use Mint to inspect storage first
Mint’s free Disk scan lists Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex and Cursor separately. In supported Direct and Setapp versions, a local Cowork bundle is a review item that starts unselected, and while Claude is running, Mint may not let you remove it. Read what your installed version says about the item before you act.
The scan can find a large folder. It can’t promise that a Claude task is disposable, or that deleted work can be recovered.
Frequently asked questions
Is claudevm.bundle just a cache?
Treat it as a local virtual-machine bundle, not an ordinary cache, and find out first which tasks and files depend on it.
Does deleting the bundle delete my chats?
Cloud chats, local Cowork tasks and Claude Code sessions are separate things. Don’t assume a copy on the web covers all your local work. Export and back up what you need.
Will the space stay free?
Not necessarily. A version that needs a local runtime can provision it again. How much you get back varies, and our 10.9 GB figure comes from one inventory.
Find what is taking space before removing it
Compare Claude, Codex, Cursor and other storage in a free local scan, then review each proposed action.