Clear YouTube Cache Through Your Browser Settings

The fastest way to clear YouTube cache is through your browser's built-in cache-clearing tool. YouTube stores temporary files — thumbnails, video data, login information — in your browser's cache folder. Clearing this folder removes those files and often fixes playback problems, speeds up loading, or frees up disk space.

The exact steps depend on which browser you use. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open the Clear Browsing Data window. Set the time range to "All time" at the top, check the box for "Cached images and files", and click Clear Data. In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, select "Everything" under Time Range to Clear, check "Cache", and click Clear Now. In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, choose "All time" from the dropdown, check "Cached images and files", and select Clear Now.

This method clears cache for all websites, not just YouTube. If you want to clear only YouTube's cache without touching other sites, you can delete cookies specific to YouTube instead — though this will log you out of your account on that browser.

Key Takeaways

  • Use your browser's Clear Browsing Data tool (Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge) and select "Cached images and files" to remove YouTube's temporary files.
  • Clearing cache removes stored thumbnails, video data, and playback information, which often fixes buffering, freezing, or slow loading on YouTube.
  • You can also clear YouTube cache by deleting the browser cache folder directly through Windows File Explorer if the browser tool does not work.
  • Clearing cache logs you out of YouTube on that browser, so you will need to sign back in afterward.
  • If clearing cache does not fix your problem, restart your browser or disable browser extensions that may interfere with YouTube playback.

Delete YouTube Cache Directly From Your Hard Drive

If the browser method does not work, you can delete cache files directly from your computer's hard drive. Windows stores browser cache in specific folders that you can access through File Explorer.

For Chrome, open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar: %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache. Press Enter. Select all files in that folder (Ctrl+A), then delete them. For Firefox, paste %LocalAppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles, open the folder with a name ending in .default-release, then open the cache2 folder and delete its contents. For Edge, use %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Cache.

Close your browser completely before you delete these folders — if the browser is running, Windows will not let you remove the files. After deletion, restart your browser and YouTube will rebuild its cache as you use it.

Clear Cache Without Logging Out of YouTube

Clearing your browser's full cache logs you out of YouTube because the cache includes your login session. If you want to clear YouTube's video cache without signing out, delete only the cookies for YouTube instead of the entire cache.

In Chrome, go to Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Cookies and Other Site Data. Search for "youtube.com" in the search box, click the YouTube entry, and select Remove. In Firefox, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, click Manage Data, search for "youtube", select youtube.com, and click Remove Selected. In Edge, go to Settings, Privacy, Cookies and Other Site Data, Manage, search for "youtube.com", and click Remove.

This removes your login information but not the cached video files themselves. For a more complete clear that keeps you logged in, you can also disable cache in YouTube's settings — go to your YouTube account, select Settings, then Playback and Performance, and toggle off "Remember playback position".

When to Clear YouTube Cache and What It Fixes

Clear your YouTube cache if videos buffer constantly, the page loads slowly, thumbnails do not appear, or YouTube freezes during playback. These problems often happen because corrupted or outdated cache files interfere with loading new content. Clearing cache forces YouTube to read fresh files instead of using broken ones.

Cache buildup also takes up disk space over time. If your PC is running low on storage, clearing browser cache can free up several hundred megabytes, depending on how long it has been since you last cleared it. You do not need to clear cache regularly unless you notice performance problems — most users can clear it once every few months without issue.

Cache clearing does not fix problems caused by your internet connection, YouTube's servers, or your PC's hardware. If videos still buffer after clearing cache, restart your router, check your internet speed, or try a different browser to see if the problem is specific to one browser or affects YouTube across all of them.

Disable YouTube Cache to Prevent Buildup

You can prevent YouTube cache from building up by disabling certain caching features in your browser settings. This trades off some performance for less disk space use — pages load slightly slower because your browser downloads files fresh each time instead of using stored copies.

In Chrome, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Cookies and Other Site Data, and toggle on "Clear cookies and site data when you close Chrome". This automatically deletes YouTube's cache every time you close the browser. In Firefox, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, History, and select "Firefox will use custom settings for history". Check "Clear history when Firefox closes" and make sure "Cache" is checked in the list below.

You can also disable cache for YouTube only by blocking it from storing data. In Chrome, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Site Settings, and search for youtube.com. Under Cookies and Data, select "Block" to prevent YouTube from storing any cache on your computer. This keeps YouTube from working offline but removes the need to clear cache manually.

Restart Your Browser and PC if Cache Clearing Does Not Help

If YouTube still does not work after clearing cache, restart your browser completely — close all tabs and windows, then reopen it. A full restart clears temporary memory that cache clearing does not touch. Wait at least 10 seconds after closing before reopening to make sure the browser process fully shuts down.

If restarting the browser does not fix the problem, restart your PC. This clears your computer's RAM and resets network connections, which often fixes streaming problems that cache clearing alone cannot solve. After restart, open YouTube in a fresh browser window without any other tabs or programs running.

If YouTube still has problems, check whether a browser extension is interfering with playback. Disable all extensions (in Chrome, go to Settings, Extensions, and toggle off each one), then test YouTube. If it works with extensions off, turn them back on one at a time to find which one is causing the problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing YouTube cache delete my watch history or saved videos?

No. Cache is temporary playback data only — thumbnails, buffered video segments, and session information. Your watch history, playlists, and saved videos are stored on YouTube's servers and remain unchanged. You will stay logged in to your account unless you also clear cookies.

How much disk space does YouTube cache use?

YouTube cache typically uses between 100 and 500 megabytes, depending on how much you watch and how long since you last cleared it. Heavy users who watch for hours daily may accumulate more. Clearing cache is worth doing if your PC has less than 10 gigabytes of free space.

Do I need to clear cache if I use YouTube in incognito or private mode?

No. Incognito and private browsing modes do not save cache to your hard drive — they delete it automatically when you close the window. Use private mode if you want to watch YouTube without building up cache files.

Can I clear cache for YouTube only, without clearing cache for other websites?

Not through the standard cache-clearing tool — it clears all sites at once. You can delete YouTube cookies only (which logs you out but leaves other sites' cache intact), or you can delete the browser cache folder directly and then restore it from a backup if you want to keep other sites' cache. The easiest method is to use private browsing mode for YouTube only.

Why does YouTube cache keep coming back after I clear it?

YouTube rebuilds cache every time you watch a video — that is normal. Your browser stores new thumbnails, playback data, and session information as you use the site. If cache is growing too fast, disable the "Remember playback position" setting in YouTube's playback settings, or enable "Clear cookies and site data when you close [browser]" to delete cache automatically each time you quit.