Where Is the Maven Local Repository?
Maven ~/.m2/repository local repo on every OS plus settings.xml for mirrors and proxies.
Last updated
Maven caches every downloaded dependency in a repository folder under .m2 in your home folder, on every OS identically. That folder is why second builds run offline.
settings.xml next to it holds mirrors, proxies and server credentials. A custom localRepository entry there moves the cache; check it before assuming the default.
Where Maven stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\.m2\repository
settings.xml sits in .m2 beside repository. Purge scoped subfolders (not the whole repo) when one artifact corrupts.
~/.m2/repository
Same layout. IDE bundled Mavens share this default unless the IDE overrides the settings path.
~/.m2/repository
Same layout. CI images often mount this as a cache volume between runs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I force Maven to re download a dependency?
Delete that artifact group folder under repository and rebuild. The dependency plugin purge command does this scoped safely.
Where do Maven proxy passwords go?
In .m2/settings.xml under servers and proxies. That file deserves owner only permissions.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.