What is a cache?

The term ‘cache’ refers to the portion of your hard drive dedicated to storing browser files that your browser thinks it may use again. Without this feature, your browser would operate more slowly since every website you opened would need to download a large number of files from scratch each time.

This includes elements like the website logo, background images, fonts, plus technical aspects. Cumulatively, these can add up to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of files for just one website. The cache stores these files locally, so future website visits are quicker, improving your overall internet experience.

So, why clear cache?  

Clearing your cache means deleting all the saved information from your local hard drive that has been stored in the cache. Some of the reasons why you may want to clear browsing history include:

Maximizing performance:

Depending on your settings, your cache can grow quite large and take up significant disk space on your computer. The more information saved in the cache, the slower your computer will be when browsing online. Deleting your cache can help increase website loading times and improve the performance of your device.

Viewing most recent pages:

In theory, whenever you revisit a website, your cache checks to see if it has changed so it can show you the most up-to-date pages. However, this doesn’t always happen: sometimes the cache will load its older stored pages instead, which means you may not see the newest version. By periodically clearing your cache, you force your browser to start afresh, ensuring that you view the latest pages and information.

Maintaining security:

If you are using a public or shared computer, clearing your cache may help protect your privacy. If you don't clear your cache, then anyone who uses the computer after you may be able to see your browser history. The cache can also store private data required by some websites, which could give the next user on the computer access to sensitive or personal information. The cache's temporary files may also be a target for adware, malware, and viruses.

Fixing browser errors:

Your cache can sometimes cause browser issues. For example, you may find that certain websites are slow to load or only partially load, will not open, return an error message, or otherwise don’t respond as they should. Often, you can fix these types of errors by clearing your cache before closing and reopening your browser.

COMPUTERS

How to delete history on Google Chrome:

1. Click the Tools menu (i.e., three dotted lines in the upper-right corner).

2. Select History.

3. Select Clear Browsing Data from the left-hand side. Set the Time Range set to All Time. Check-mark Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files and select Clear Data.

4. If you are on a Windows computer, close and reopen Chrome to save your changes. If you are on an Apple computer, go to the Chrome menu on the top menu bar and select Quit for the changes to take effect.

How to clear history on Safari for macOS:

1. Click on Safari on the top menu bar.

2. Click Preferences.

3. Click the Privacy tab.

4. Click Manage Website Data.

5. Click Remove All.

6. Click Remove Now.

7. Go to the Safari menu on the top menu bar.

Select Quit to close Safari and save your changes.

How to clear history on Microsoft Edge for Windows 10:

1. Click the Tools menu (three dotted lines in the upper-right corner), and open the Settings menu

2. Click Privacy, search, and services on the left-side menu.

3. Under the section Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.

4. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.

5. Click Clear Now.

6. Close Microsoft Edge for your changes to take effect.
   

 Android Users

1. Open Settings

2. Swipe to and tap Apps

3. Select or search for the app you want to clear

4. Tap Storage, and then tap Clear cache.
   

The only way to clear the cache on every app at the same time would be to perform a factory reset on your phone.

 iOS Users

This can be done per-app basis if the app provides an option or by offloading the app:

1. Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.

2. Scroll to General: Select General.

3. Tap iPhone Storage: You will see a list of apps and how much space they are using.

4. Select the App: Tap on the app you want to clear the cache for.

5. Offload App: If available, you can tap Offload App to remove the app but keep its documents and data. Reinstalling the app will often clear cached data.

   Alternatively, if the app doesn’t provide a clear cache option, you may need to Delete App and then Reinstall it to clear its cache.

Clear Cache for Third-Party Browsers (e.g., Chrome):

For browsers other than Safari, such as Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open the Browser App: Open the Chrome app (or any other third-party browser).
2. Access Settings: Tap the More button (three dots) at the bottom or top of the screen.
3. Go to Privacy: Select Settings and then tap Privacy.
4. Clear Browsing Data: Tap Clear Browsing Data. Choose the types of data you want to clear, including cached images and files.

Restart Your iPhone:

Sometimes, simply restarting your device can help clear temporary files and free up space.

1. Press and Hold: Press and hold the power button (and the volume button on newer models) until the power off slider appears.
2. Slide to Power Off: Slide to power off, wait a few seconds, and then press and hold the power button again to turn it back on.

Update iOS:

Ensuring your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS can sometimes help with performance issues related to caching.

1. Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.
2. Go to General: Select General.
3. Tap Software Update: Check if an update is available and follow the prompts to install it.

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