How to Clear Your Web Browser Cache on Any Platform

While your browser cache usually helps websites load faster, it can sometimes prevent you from seeing the most up-to-date version of a webpage. In some cases, an old or corrupted cache can even cause a webpage to load improperly or prevent it from loading at all! Fortunately, it's easy to clear your browser cache on any platform, whether you're using a computer, phone, or tablet. This tutorial will teach you the easiest ways to clear the cache on all popular browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

How to Clear Your Cache

In Chrome on a computer, go to ⋮ > Delete browsing data. Select All time, choose Cached images and files, and click Delete Data.
In the Chrome mobile app, go to ⋮ > Delete Browsing Data. Select All time, choose Cached images and files, and tap Delete Data.
In Safari on a Mac, you'll need to enable the Develop menu to clear your browser cache.

Method 1

Method 1 of 9:

Google Chrome on a Computer

Download Article

You'll see these three vertical dots at the top-right corner of your Chrome browser window. A menu will appear.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Click Delete browsing data…. It's in the menu. This opens a window with data-clearing options.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Select a time range. To clear your entire cache, select All Time. Otherwise, you can choose a different time period from the options at the top of the window.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Check the "Cached images and files" box. If the box is already checked, you're good to go.
- If you only want to clear the cache and not your cookies, download history, browsing history, or other options, uncheck everything else before you continue.
5
Click Delete Data. This instantly clears your Chrome browser cache.^{[4]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 9:

Google Chrome on Mobile

Download Article

If you're using Chrome on your Android, tap the three vertical dots ⋮ at the top-right. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the three horizontal dots … at the bottom-right.^{[5]
X
Research source}
2
Tap Delete Browsing Data. A pop-up window will appear.^{[6]
X
Research source}
3
Select a duration. To delete your entire cache from Chrome, select All Time. Otherwise, you can choose a different time range from the options.^{[7]
X
Research source}
4
Select the browsing data you want to delete. Tap Browsing data (iPhone/iPad) or More options (Android), then select Cached images and files. If you don't want to delete other types of browsing data, uncheck the other options.
- If you're using an iPhone or iPad, tap Confirm to continue.
5
Tap Delete data. This clears your browser cache for Chrome.^{[8]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 9:

Safari on a Mac

Download Article

1
Enable the Develop menu in Safari. If you already see a "Develop" menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen, you can skip this step. Otherwise, here's how to enable this menu in Safari:^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Click the Safari menu.
- Click Settings.
- Click the Advanced tab.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
- Check the box next to "Show features for web developers."
Now that you've enabled it, it's in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
This deletes your Safari cache on your Mac without clearing your cookies and other browsing data.^{[11]
X
Research source}

Method 4

Method 4 of 9:

Safari on iPhone/iPad

Download Article

Open your iPhone's Settings
. To clear your browser cache on Safari, you'll need to clear your cookies and browsing history as well. Start by opening the Settings app from your Home screen or App Library.^{[12]
X
Research source}
2
Scroll down and tap Apps. It's at the bottom of your Settings.
3
Tap Safari. Your Safari settings will expand.
4
Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data. You'll find this blue link near the middle of the page.^{[13]
X
Research source}
5
Select a timeframe. To clear your entire cache, all your cookies, and all browsing data, select All history. Otherwise, you can select a different timeframe here.
6
Tap Clear History. Doing so will clear all of your iPhone's Safari data, including the cached files and pages.^{[14]
X
Research source}[

Method 5

Method 5 of 9:

Microsoft Edge on Windows

Download Article

You'll see it at Edge's top-right corner.^{[15]
X
Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source}
It's on the menu.
This is in the left panel.^{[16]
X
Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source}
4
Click Clear browsing data. It's the rectangular button near the top, just below the "Privacy, search, and services" heading.
Select how much data to clear from the "Time range" menu at the top. To clear your entire cache, select All time.^{[17]
X
Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source}
If you only want to clear your cache and not cookies and other data, make sure none of the other boxes are checked.
This deletes your Edge browser cache.^{[18]
X
Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source}

Method 6

Method 6 of 9:

Firefox on a Computer

Download Article

It's the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner of the window.^{[19]
X
Research source}
It's toward the bottom of the menu.^{[20]
X
Research source}
You'll find this in the left panel.^{[21]
X
Research source}
4
Scroll down and click Clear browsing data. It's under "Cookies and Site Data" in the right panel.
5
Choose what to delete. Select a timeframe from the "When" menu (e.g., All Time to clear your entire cache). You'll definitely want to check the "Temporary cached files and pages" checkbox, but everything else is optional.^{[22]
X
Research source}
- If you only want to clear the cache, make sure everything else is deselected.
This clears your Firefox browser cache.^{[23]
X
Research source}

Method 7

Method 7 of 9:

Firefox for Android

Download Article

It's at the top-right corner of your web browser.^{[24]
X
Research source}
^{[25]
X
Research source}
^{[26]
X
Research source}
To delete just the cache, check the box next to "Cached images and files" and remove the other checkmarks.
A confirmation message will appear.^{[27]
X
Research source}
Your cache is now removed.^{[28]
X
Research source}

Method 8

Method 8 of 9:

Firefox for iPhone/iPad

Download Article

It's the three horizontal lines at the bottom-right corner.^{[29]
X
Research source}
It's the last option in the menu.^{[30]
X
Research source}
It's under the "Privacy" header.^{[31]
X
Research source}
It's at the bottom of the screen.^{[32]
X
Research source}
5
Toggle off all switches except "Cache." If you only want to delete your Firefox cache and not other history options, make sure "Cache" is the only option with its toggle switch enabled.
This deletes the Firefox browser cache on your iPhone or iPad.

Method 9

Method 9 of 9:

Samsung Internet on Android

Download Article

You'll see it at the bottom-right corner of your browser.^{[33]
X
Research source}
It's the gear icon in the menu.^{[34]
X
Research source}
This option is in the "Privacy" section.^{[35]
X
Research source}
It's near the top of the page.
If you don't want to clear other data, such as your browsing history or cookies, remove the checkmarks from other options.
It's at the bottom of the screen. Your Samsung Internet browser cache is now clear.^{[36]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How can I figure out which version of Firefox I have installed?

Community Answer

Right click the top of the Firefox window, click Menu Bar, click Help, About Firefox. Under the Firefox logo, it will say Firefox and then a number. That is the version you have.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 32 Helpful 45
Question

How do I clear my cache on my iPad?

Community Answer

Settings -> Safari -> Clear History and Website Data -> Clear History and Data.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 51 Helpful 59
Question

I am using Firefox 45, so how do I clear the Cache?

Community Answer

From the History menu, select Clear Recent History. If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt to make it visible. From the Time Range to Clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range; to clear your entire cache, select Everything. Next to "Details", click the down arrow to choose which elements of the history to clear; to clear your entire cache, select all items. Click Clear Now. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 41 Helpful 52

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Deleting your browser's cache is not the same thing as deleting cookies.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Your browser may load sites a little bit slower when accessing them for the first time after clearing the cache.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

On an iPhone, you can still clear your history. Pull up your history in Safari. There should be three tabs and the one on the right should be your browsing/search history. When you switch to the history tab, the “clear” button in the bottom right turns blue for half a second. Quickly switch to another tab and back to the history tab over and over and spam the “clear” button while doing so with your other hand until your history clears. This may take a couple of tries.
Google Chrome: On a Windows or Linux computer, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. On a Mac, press Command+Shift+Delete. This will open the "Clear browsing data" window. Select the desired time range from the dropdown menu (e.g., "the past hour"). Check the box next to "Cached images and files." You can also choose to clear other browsing data like cookies or browsing history. Click the "Clear data" button.
Clear your web browser's cache regularly to improve browsing speed and ensure you see the latest content on websites.

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!