What is content caching on Mac?

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2021-06-22 14:00:08

Content caching is a macOS service that helps reduce internet data usage and speed up software installation on Mac computers, iOS and iPadOS devices, and Apple TV.

Content caching speeds up downloading of software distributed by Apple and data that users store in iCloud by saving content that local Mac computers, iOS and iPadOS devices, and Apple TV devices have already downloaded. The saved content is stored in a content cache on a Mac, and is available for other devices to retrieve without going out over the Internet.

You can use content caching on networks consisting of a NAT environment for the content cache and all devices, or on networks consisting of publicly routable IP addresses. Apple devices with iOS 7 or later and OS X 10.8.2 or later automatically contact a nearby content cache without any configuration.

Important: It’s strongly recommended that you set up content caching on a Mac that has a single wired Ethernet connection as its only connection to the network. Content caching can use a Wi-Fi connection instead of Ethernet, but performance might be affected.