macOS processes

What is AssetCache on Mac?

AssetCache is the Content Caching service. It keeps Apple downloads on this Mac and gives them to other Apple devices on the same network.

Process: AssetCacheApplies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for the System Settings path. Seen on macOS 27.2.Checked: 29 October 2026

Where you see it

AssetCache is in the list in Activity Monitor › Network, in nettop or in Kilobat.
A firewall or network monitor asks if AssetCache can connect.
The Mac uploads a lot on the local network while other devices update.

The man page says that AssetCache speeds up Apple downloads by caching them on the local network. macOS starts it automatically.

Apple's settings let it cache software updates and apps, iCloud content, or both.

Downloads from Apple. It downloads content from Apple the first time a device on the network asks for it.
Uploads to other devices. Other Apple devices on the network then download the content from this Mac. This is local traffic.
Registration with Apple. Apple's list of hosts shows that a caching Mac contacts Apple servers to register.

Yes, if you turned on Content Caching. Large uploads on the local network are its purpose.

If you did not turn it on, a management profile from your organization can turn it on. Ask your administrator.

Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Click Network.
Type AssetCache in the search field. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show what it moved.
In Terminal, watch only this process. Press d to show the change per second, and q to quit.
```
nettop -p AssetCache -P
```
Show the status of the cache and the amount of data it served.
```
AssetCacheManagerUtil status
```

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Sharing.
Click the Info button next to Content Caching. Change the cache options, or turn Content Caching off.
On a hotspot, devices do not need this Mac's cache. Turn it off while you travel.

Open the Kilobat app list and search for AssetCache. Its row shows the live rate and the bytes it moved.
Kilobat puts this service in the System downloads group, with one line about what it does. Expand the group to see each service.
With the network filter on, click the service. The panel names the apps that the downloads were for, for example “For Music”.
Without the filter, macOS shows only the service. Then Kilobat cannot say which app a download was for.
Kilobat shows local network traffic apart from Internet traffic. Local uploads do not count toward a data budget.
In Terminal, see the same live list. Press / and type the name to search.
```
kilobat status --watch
```
Show its traffic over one day. Names match kilobat report --summary.
```
kilobat bandwidth AssetCache day
```
Through MCP, an AI agent gets the same history with get_app_bandwidth and the name AssetCache.
The live view is free. History in the app needs Pro. Kilobat records history only while the app runs.

Does Content Caching use my internet data?

It downloads each item from Apple once. The uploads to other devices stay on the local network.

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.