How to Clear Cache (Browser, Phone, and Computer)

To clear your browser cache, open the browser’s settings and choose “Clear browsing data” (Chrome/Edge) or “Clear recent history” (Firefox), then delete only “Cached images and files.” This frees space and fixes stale or broken pages without logging you out. Phones and computers keep their own separate caches, so clear the one that’s actually causing the problem.

The most common mistake is clearing everything and wiping your logins by accident. The fix is to know what each type of data does before you delete it.

Cache vs cookies vs history: what you’re actually clearing

These three live in the same menu but do very different things. Deleting the wrong one is why people get logged out or lose their autocomplete.

Rule of thumb: clear cache to fix a broken or stale page. Clear cookies only when you want to log out or troubleshoot a misbehaving login.

Chrome and Edge (Windows, Mac, Linux)

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac). You can also open the menu and go to Settings → Privacy and security → Delete browsing data (Chrome) or Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Choose what to clear (Edge).
2. Set the time range to All time.
3. Tick Cached images and files only — untick Cookies and Browsing history if you want to stay logged in.
4. Click Delete data (Chrome) or Clear now (Edge).
5. Restart the browser.

Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac).
2. In the Clear Recent History dialog, set Time range to clear to Everything.
3. Open Details and tick only Cache. Leave Cookies and Active Logins unticked to stay signed in.
4. Click OK.

To clear cached files without touching history at all, use Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Clear Data, then tick Cached Web Content only.

Safari (Mac)

1. Open Safari → Settings (or Preferences), then go to the Advanced tab.
2. Tick Show features for web developers.
3. In the menu bar, open Develop → Empty Caches.

For a full reset — history, cookies, and cache — use History → Clear History. Note this will log you out of sites. For a targeted cleanup, use Safari → Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data → Remove All.

iPhone and iPad (Safari)

1. Open Settings → Safari.
2. Tap Clear History and Website Data, then confirm.

Important: on iPhone, this clears history and cookies too, so you’ll be signed out of sites. For cache only, go to Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data → Remove All Website Data, which targets stored site data rather than your history.

For apps, iOS doesn’t offer a direct “clear cache” button. The workaround is Settings → General → iPhone Storage → [app] → Offload App, then reinstall. Offloading keeps the app’s documents and data while removing the app itself; reinstalling rebuilds a clean cache.

Android (Chrome and apps)

1. Open Chrome and tap the ⋮ menu.
2. Tap Delete browsing data (older versions: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data).
3. Choose All time, tick Cached images and files, and tap Delete browsing data.

To clear an individual app’s cache: Settings → Apps → [app] → Storage → Clear cache. Clearing cache is safe. Clear storage (or “Clear data”) is not — it resets the app to a fresh install and deletes its files and logins.

Windows system cache

Disk Cleanup is deprecated by Microsoft, so use the modern path first:

1. Open Settings → System → Storage.
2. Click Temporary files.
3. Tick Temporary files (and Thumbnails if you like), then click Remove files.
4. Turn on Storage Sense to let Windows clean temp files automatically.

You can also safely empty the user temp folder: press Win + R, type %temp%, press Enter, and delete the contents (skip files still in use).

macOS system cache

1. Open Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder (or press Cmd + Shift + G).
2. Type ~/Library/Caches and press Enter.
3. Select the contents and move them to the Trash, then empty it.
4. For system-wide caches, repeat in /Library/Caches (you may need an admin password).

For a guided option, open System Settings → General → Storage, review the recommendations, and restart your Mac afterwards so apps rebuild their caches cleanly.

If clearing the cache didn’t fix it

Cache is the usual culprit, but not the only one. Work through these in order:

1. Hard refresh the page. Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to bypass the cache for one load.
2. Try a private window. If the page works in Incognito/Private mode, an extension or a cookie is the problem.
3. Disable extensions one at a time to find the offender.
4. Clear cookies for that one site (click the padlock in the address bar → Cookies and site data → Manage).
5. Flush DNS. On Windows, open Command Prompt as admin and run ipconfig /flushdns; on Mac, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache.
6. Check the clock. A wrong system date or time can break secure connections and make pages behave oddly.
7. Update the browser and OS, then restart.
8. Test another browser or network. If it works elsewhere, the fault is the browser or your connection, not the site’s cache.
9. Check the site itself. A status page or a quick search will tell you if the site is down for everyone.

If the real issue is a full drive rather than a stale page, clearing cache only helps a little — see how to free up disk space and how to speed up a slow computer for the bigger wins.

Accidentally deleted something while tidying up? Cache clearing doesn’t remove files, but if you did lose data see how to recover deleted files.

FAQ

Is clearing cache safe?

Yes. The cache is just temporary copies of website files. Clearing it doesn’t touch your passwords, logins, or personal files — those live in cookies and your password manager, not the cache.

Does clearing cache log me out of websites?

Not by itself. Logins are controlled by cookies, so clearing cache alone keeps you signed in. Just be aware that iPhone’s Clear History and Website Data and Safari’s Clear History delete cookies as well.

How often should I clear cache?

Only when you notice a problem — a slow browser, a stale page, or an app misbehaving. There’s no benefit to clearing it on a schedule; you’ll just make sites load slower while the cache rebuilds.

Will clearing cache free up storage?

A little. Browser caches can grow to a few hundred MB. For meaningful space, clear app caches on your phone and use Storage settings on Windows or macOS.

What’s the difference between clearing cache and clearing cookies?

Cache stores page files to make sites load faster; cookies store your logins and site preferences. Clear cache to fix display or loading problems, and clear cookies when you want to sign out or reset a site.