How to Clear Your Browser’s Cache
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When you use a web browser, by default, it saves certain data from websites you visit in its cache and cookies. Sometimes you need to know how to clear your browser’s cache.
- The cache remembers parts of web pages, like images, which reduces the loading time for the next time you go to the page.
- Cookies are files that make your online experience easier by saving browsing data, including passwords, addresses, and shopping cart contents.
Why do I need to clear my web browser’s cache? Clearing your browser’s cache periodically can prevent and resolve performance problems, like loading or formatting issues. If your website is in development, clearing the cache may be necessary to reflect any updates to the site. It can also help you avoid being tracked online.
Instructions for Desktop and Mobile Browsers
Chrome
- Hold down Ctrl+Shift+Delete. (Or enter chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in the browser bar.)
- At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select “All time’.
- Check the box next to “Cached images and files”.
- Click “Clear data”.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Firefox
- Hold down Ctrl+Shift+Delete. (Or in the top right, click the menu icon, open the Library, and from the History menu, select “Clear Recent History”.)
- From the “Time range to clear:” drop-down menu, select the desired range.
- Under “History” and “Data”, select “Cache”.
- Click “Clear Now”.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Microsoft Edge
- In the top right, click the Hub icon (a star with three lines), then click on History and select “Clear all history”.
- Select the “cached data and files” box and click Clear.
- After the “All Clear!” message appears, exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Safari
- Click Safari in the upper left side of your screen and then Preferences.
- Select the Advanced tab and check the box next to “Show Develop menu in menu bar”.
- Select the Develop drop-down menu. Click “Empty Cache”.
- Close the browser window and re-open the browser.
Android
- Go to Settings and choose Apps or Application Manager.
- Swipe to the All tab.
- In the list of installed apps, find and tap your web browser. Tap Clear Data and then Clear Cache.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
*The steps may differ depending on the model of your device and your preferred browser.
Chrome for Android
- Tap Chrome menu and click Settings.
- Tap Privacy.
- From the “Time Range” drop-down menu, select “All Time”.
- Check “Cached Images and Files”
- Tap “Clear data”.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Safari for iOS
- Go to Settings and tap Safari.
- Tap “Clear History and Website Data” and confirm.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Chrome for iOS
- Tap Chrome menu and then Settings.
- Tap “Privacy”.
- Tap “Clear Browsing Data”.
- Choose the data type you want to clear.
- Tap “Clear Browsing Data”.
- Exit the browser window and re-open the browser.
Last updated: May 2019