how to clear cache on Any Device or Browser

A website won’t load properly, an app keeps showing outdated information, or your device feels unusually slow. Sometimes, the problem isn’t your internet connection or hardware. It’s cached data.

Learning how to clear cache can help fix website display errors, remove outdated temporary files, and resolve certain app performance problems. The process varies depending on whether you’re using a web browser, smartphone, or computer.

To clear cache, open your browser or device settings, find the storage, privacy, or browsing data section, select cached files, and confirm the deletion. In Google Chrome, you can open the Delete browsing data menu, select Cached images and files, choose a time range, and delete the data. Other browsers and operating systems have similar options.

This guide explains how caching works, when clearing it makes sense, and the correct steps for popular browsers and devices.

What Is Cache and Why Should You Clear It?

A cache is a temporary storage area that saves copies of frequently accessed information. Instead of downloading or rebuilding the same information repeatedly, your browser, application, or operating system can retrieve it from local storage.

For example, when you visit a website, your browser may store images, stylesheets, fonts, and other resources. The next time you visit, some of those files can load from the browser cache rather than being downloaded again.

Caching generally improves performance. However, cached information can occasionally become outdated, corrupted, or inconsistent with newer content.

Different Types of Cache

Cache type	What it stores	Common purpose
Browser cache	Images, CSS, JavaScript, website resources	Faster webpage loading
App cache	Temporary application files	Faster app operation
System cache	Operating system temporary data	Improve system responsiveness
DNS cache	Recently resolved domain names and IP addresses	Faster domain lookups
CDN cache	Website resources stored on distributed servers	Faster content delivery
Website or server cache	Generated pages and application responses	Reduce server processing

These caches operate differently. Clearing one type does not automatically clear the others.

When Should You Clear Cache?

Clearing cache can be useful when:

• A website displays outdated images or formatting.
• A page fails to load even though your internet connection works.
• An app repeatedly crashes or behaves unexpectedly.
• Recent website changes aren’t appearing.
• A browser loads an old version of a webpage.
• Temporary application files occupy excessive storage.
• A DNS change isn’t resolving correctly on your computer.

However, clearing cache isn’t necessary every day. Cached files are designed to improve performance, and deleting them too frequently may make websites and applications slower initially.

How to Clear Cache in Google Chrome

For Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook

Google Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers. It stores website resources locally to reduce loading times.

Clear Chrome Cache on a Computer

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Delete browsing data. Depending on your Chrome version, this may appear under Settings or the menu.
4. Choose a time range, such as Last hour, Last 7 days, or All time.
5. Select Cached images and files.
6. Uncheck Browsing history and Cookies and other site data if you want to preserve them.
7. Click Delete data.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut:

Operating system	Shortcut
Windows and Linux	Ctrl + Shift + Delete
macOS	Command + Shift + Delete

The shortcut opens the browsing data deletion interface.

How to Clear Cache for One Website in Chrome

If only one website is malfunctioning, you may not need to clear the entire browser cache.

Try a forced reload first:

• Windows or Linux: Ctrl + Shift + R
• Mac: Command + Shift + R

A forced reload tells the browser to request fresh resources for the current page.

For more targeted troubleshooting, Chrome DevTools provides another method:

1. Open the affected website.
2. Press F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I on Windows, or Command + Option + I on Mac.
3. Keep Developer Tools open.
4. Right-click or long-press the browser reload button.
5. Select Empty Cache and Hard Reload.

This option is useful for website developers testing changes to CSS, JavaScript, or other resources.

How to Clear Cache in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Safari is Apple’s default browser. Its cache helps websites load efficiently across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Clear Safari Cache on iPhone

On recent iOS versions:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and select Apps.
3. Tap Safari.
4. Select Clear History and Website Data.
5. Choose the available history timeframe.
6. Confirm by tapping Clear History.

This method removes more than cached files. It can also delete browsing history and website cookies, potentially signing you out of websites.

If you want to remove website data without deleting your browsing history, look under Settings → Apps → Safari → Advanced → Website Data. The available removal controls can vary by iOS version.

On older iOS versions, Safari settings may appear directly in Settings rather than under Apps.

Clear Safari Cache on Mac

Safari provides website data management and developer-oriented cache controls.

To remove stored website data:

1. Open Safari.
2. Select Safari → Settings.
3. Open the Privacy tab.
4. Click Manage Website Data.
5. Select individual websites or choose Remove All.
6. Confirm your selection.

Removing website data may sign you out of websites or reset stored preferences.

For a cache-focused approach, enable Safari’s developer features through Safari → Settings → Advanced. Depending on your Safari version, the option may be labeled Show features for web developers or Show Develop menu.

You can then use the available Empty Caches command from the developer menu.

How to Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox

Both Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox provide built-in tools for managing temporary browsing files.

Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu.
3. Select Settings.
4. Open Privacy, search, and services, or the corresponding privacy section in your version.
5. Find the browsing data deletion controls.
6. Select Choose what to clear.
7. Choose a time range.
8. Check Cached images and files.
9. Click Clear now.

You can open the deletion window directly with Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows.

Edge also provides options to automatically delete selected browsing data when the browser closes.

Clear Cache in Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Click the three-line menu.
3. Select Settings.
4. Open Privacy & Security.
5. Locate Cookies and Site Data.
6. Choose the available browsing data deletion or cache clearing option.
7. Select temporary cached files and pages.
8. Confirm the deletion.

Firefox’s menu labels can vary between versions.

You can also press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac to open the history and data clearing dialog.

Be careful not to select cookies or browsing history if you only intend to remove temporary cached resources.

How to Clear Cache on Android Phones

Android devices maintain temporary files for applications and web browsers. These files can include image thumbnails, downloaded resources, and other reusable data.

Clear an Individual App’s Cache

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Apps or Applications.
3. Choose the app experiencing problems.
4. Tap Storage or Storage & cache.
5. Select Clear cache.

The exact menu names depend on your Android version and phone manufacturer.

This method is commonly available on Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and other Android devices, although the interface differs.

Clear Chrome Cache on Android

1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu.
3. Select Delete browsing data.
4. Choose the desired time range.
5. Select cached images and files.
6. Deselect other data types you want to keep.
7. Tap Delete data.

Clear Cache vs. Clear Data on Android

These two options are not interchangeable.

Option	What happens	Potential effect
Clear cache	Removes temporary application files	App generally retains settings and account data
Clear storage/data	Resets stored app information	May remove settings, downloads, and sign-in information
Uninstall app	Removes the installed application	Local data may also be removed

Clear cache is generally the safer first troubleshooting step.

If the application continues malfunctioning, clearing its storage may help, but check whether important local information is backed up first.

How to Clear Cache on iPhone and iPad

Unlike Android, iOS generally does not provide a universal Clear cache button for every installed application.

Instead, cache management depends on the application and the storage options provided by Apple.

Clear App Cache Using Built-In Settings

Some apps include their own cache management controls.

For example, certain messaging, social media, and streaming applications allow users to delete downloaded media or temporary files without uninstalling the application.

Open the app’s settings and look for options such as:

• Storage
• Data and storage
• Manage storage
• Clear cache
• Downloads

Not every application offers these controls.

Offload an App on iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Select General.
3. Tap iPhone Storage.
4. Choose an application.
5. Select Offload App.

Offloading removes the app itself while preserving its documents and data for reinstallation.

It may reduce storage usage, but it does not guarantee that all cached information will be removed.

Delete and Reinstall an App

If an application has no built-in cache controls, deleting and reinstalling it can sometimes remove accumulated temporary files.

Before doing this, confirm that your important information is synced or backed up.

Deleting an application can remove locally stored documents, settings, and downloaded content. Reinstalling does not necessarily restore that information.

How to Clear Cache on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Windows stores several types of temporary files, including system-generated data, application resources, and update-related files.

The correct removal method depends on which type of cache you want to clear.

Clear Temporary Files Through Windows Settings

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select System.
3. Open Storage.
4. Click Temporary files.
5. Wait for Windows to calculate removable items.
6. Review the categories carefully.
7. Select the files you want to delete.
8. Click Remove files.

Avoid selecting Downloads unless you intentionally want to remove files from that folder.

Use Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup remains useful for removing certain temporary system files.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type cleanmgr.
3. Press Enter.
4. Select the appropriate drive.
5. Choose temporary files and other categories you want removed.
6. Click OK.
7. Confirm the deletion.

For additional system cleanup options, select Clean up system files when available.

Clear DNS Cache on Windows

The Domain Name System, or DNS, translates domain names into IP addresses. Windows can store recent DNS lookup results locally.

If a website has changed servers or DNS records, flushing the local resolver cache may help troubleshoot stale records.

1. Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal.
2. Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

3. Press Enter.

Windows should display a confirmation when the DNS resolver cache has been successfully flushed.

This command does not delete your browser history, cookies, or saved passwords.

It also does not guarantee that a DNS issue will disappear, because stale records may exist elsewhere, including upstream DNS resolvers.

How to Clear Cache on Mac

macOS manages temporary system files automatically, but individual applications and browsers may retain cached resources.

Clear Browser Cache on Mac

For most browsers, use the appropriate keyboard shortcut:

Browser	Shortcut
Google Chrome	Command + Shift + Delete
Mozilla Firefox	Command + Shift + Delete
Microsoft Edge	Command + Shift + Delete
Safari	Use Safari settings or developer features

After opening the deletion interface, choose the cached files category and confirm.

Clear Application Cache on macOS

Some applications store temporary files in the user Library folder.

To inspect them:

1. Open Finder.
2. Select Go → Go to Folder.
3. Enter ~/Library/Caches.
4. Press Return.
5. Review the application-specific cache folders.

Avoid deleting folders indiscriminately. Some applications rely on particular files, and removing them while an application is running may cause problems.

Prefer an application’s built-in cache management option whenever possible. If manual removal is necessary, close the application first and remove only cache files you can confidently identify.

Restart the application afterward so it can rebuild the required temporary resources.

How to Clear Cache Without Deleting Passwords or Cookies

One of the most common concerns is whether clearing cache will erase saved passwords, browsing history, or active login sessions.

The answer depends on which data categories you select.

Cache vs. Cookies vs. Browsing History

Data type	Purpose	Effect of deleting
Cache	Stores reusable website resources	Resources must be downloaded again
Cookies	Stores session identifiers and preferences	Websites may sign you out
Browsing history	Records previously visited pages	Removes local browsing records
Saved passwords	Stores login credentials	May remove stored credentials if explicitly selected
Autofill data	Remembers addresses and form details	Removes selected saved form information

To preserve your sign-in sessions, select only Cached images and files where your browser provides that option.

Google’s Chrome documentation distinguishes cached resources from cookies, browsing history, and saved passwords.

Google Chrome Help

+1

Safari’s website data removal options work differently and may delete cookies along with cached website information.

Does Clearing Cache Delete Photos or Downloads?

Clearing ordinary browser cache does not delete photos saved in your device’s photo library or files stored in your Downloads folder.

However, system storage cleanup tools and application data deletion options may include downloaded files.

Always review the selected categories before confirming a deletion.

What Happens After You Clear Cache?

The immediate effects depend on the cache type and how much information was removed.

Websites May Load Slower Initially

After deleting browser cache, websites must retrieve resources that were previously available locally.

Images, stylesheets, and scripts may need to be downloaded again.

Once these resources are cached again, subsequent visits may become faster.

Website Changes May Appear

If a browser has been using an outdated resource, clearing its cache can allow it to retrieve the current version.

This is particularly useful after website updates, including changes to:

• CSS stylesheets
• JavaScript files
• Website logos and images
• Fonts
• Layout components
• Interactive elements

However, if outdated content originates from a server or content delivery network, clearing your local browser cache may not be sufficient.

Storage Space May Increase Temporarily

Deleting temporary files can free some storage space.

The amount varies considerably depending on browser activity, application behavior, and device settings.

Cache files will gradually accumulate again as you continue using websites and applications.

Some Problems May Remain

Clearing cache cannot fix every performance issue.

For example, it generally won’t resolve inadequate RAM, a failing storage drive, a malfunctioning internet connection, or a website server outage.

Microsoft also recommends checking extensions, software updates, and network issues when browser problems continue after clearing cached data.

Microsoft Support

How to Clear Cache When a Website Still Won’t Load

If deleting temporary files doesn’t resolve the issue, use a more targeted troubleshooting process.

1. Reload the Website

Start with a normal refresh.

If the page still appears outdated, try a forced reload using Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or Command + Shift + R on Mac in supported browsers.

2. Test a Private Browsing Window

Open the website in Chrome Incognito, Firefox Private Browsing, Edge InPrivate, or Safari Private Browsing.

These modes generally use separate temporary browsing sessions, although they do not bypass every cache or network layer.

If the website works privately but fails in a regular window, browser extensions, cookies, stored website data, or profile settings may be involved.

3. Disable Problematic Extensions

Ad blockers, privacy extensions, script managers, and security add-ons can occasionally interfere with website functionality.

Temporarily disable suspected extensions and reload the affected page.

Re-enable them individually to identify a possible conflict.

4. Check Your Internet Connection

Try opening another website or switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

If multiple websites fail, investigate your connection, router, or DNS settings before repeatedly deleting cached files.

5. Check for Browser Updates

Outdated browsers may have compatibility problems with newer web technologies.

Install available updates and restart the browser.

6. Consider Server-Side Caching

Website owners may use caching technologies such as Cloudflare, Fastly, Varnish, or WordPress caching plugins.

These systems can deliver cached pages or assets independently of the visitor’s browser.

If you manage the affected website, review its server cache, CDN cache, and cache-control headers.

For ordinary visitors, contacting the website administrator may be necessary when outdated information persists across multiple browsers and devices.

How Often Should You Clear Cache?

There is no universal schedule for clearing cache.

Modern browsers and operating systems manage cached resources automatically. In most situations, manual clearing is unnecessary unless a specific problem occurs.

Situation	Recommended approach
Browser works normally	Leave cache enabled
One website looks outdated	Try a forced reload first
Website repeatedly fails	Clear that site’s data or browser cache
Android app behaves incorrectly	Clear the affected app’s cache
Device storage is low	Review temporary files and large downloads
Website was recently updated	Check browser and server-side caching
DNS records recently changed	Consider flushing local DNS cache

Clearing cache every day does not automatically make a device faster.

In fact, frequent deletion can increase network activity and make previously visited websites take longer to load.

A better approach is to remove cached information when troubleshooting a specific issue or reclaiming storage space.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Clearing Cache

The process is straightforward, but several mistakes can cause unnecessary inconvenience.

Deleting all browsing data without reviewing selections: Choosing every category may remove browsing history, cookies, saved form information, and other useful data. Select only what you intend to delete.

Confusing app cache with app storage: On Android, Clear cache and Clear storage perform different operations. Clearing storage can permanently delete locally stored application information.

Android Help

Expecting permanent storage savings: Applications automatically recreate temporary files as needed. Cache removal usually provides temporary storage relief rather than a permanent reduction.

Using untrusted cleaning applications: Third-party cleaners may request extensive permissions or delete files beyond what is necessary. Built-in browser and operating system tools are generally sufficient.

Deleting system folders manually: Removing unfamiliar files from operating system directories can create stability problems. Use supported cleanup utilities instead.

Assuming cache clearing guarantees privacy: Browser cache is only one category of stored information. Websites, accounts, network providers, and other services may retain separate records of activity.

Final Thoughts on How to Clear Cache

Knowing how to clear cache helps you troubleshoot outdated webpages, malfunctioning applications, and unnecessary temporary files without immediately resorting to more disruptive fixes.

For browsers such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, the quickest approach is usually to open the browsing data deletion menu and select cached images and files. Android users can clear individual app caches through Settings, while iPhone users may need Safari’s website data controls or application-specific storage options.

Start with the least disruptive solution: refresh the affected page, clear only the relevant cache, and preserve cookies, passwords, and personal data whenever possible.

Cache is normally beneficial. Clear it when there’s a reason, not simply because it exists.