What clearing your cache does and why you might need to
Cache is temporary data your browser and computer store to load websites and programs faster. When you visit a website, your browser saves images, scripts, and other files so it doesn't have to read them again. Over time, this cache can grow large, slow down your computer, or cause websites to load outdated versions of pages.
Clearing your cache frees up storage space, can fix loading problems on websites that seem broken, and removes stored login information if you're using a shared computer. Most people clear cache every few months, or more often if they notice their browser running slowly.
The steps differ depending on whether you use Windows or Mac, and which browser you have open. This guide covers the most common browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
Key Takeaways
- Cache is temporary data your browser stores to load websites faster, and clearing it frees up space and can fix loading problems.
- On Windows, Chrome and Edge use nearly identical steps: press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, select the time range, check the boxes for cache and cookies, and click Clear Data.
- On Mac, Safari requires going to History menu, then clicking Clear History, while Chrome and Firefox use the same keyboard shortcut as Windows.
- You can set your browser to clear cache automatically when you close it, which removes the need to do it manually.
- Clearing cache will log you out of most websites, so you'll need to sign back in afterward.
Clearing cache in Chrome on Windows
Open Chrome and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on your keyboard. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window directly. At the top, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "All time" — click it and choose how far back you want to clear. Select "All time" to remove everything, or pick a specific range like "Last 24 hours" or "Last 7 days".
Below that, make sure the box next to Cookies and other site data is checked, and the box next to Cached images and files is checked. You can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what you want to remove. Then click the blue Clear data button. Chrome will clear the cache in a few seconds, and you'll see a message confirming it's done.
Clearing cache in Firefox on Windows
Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. This opens the Clear Recent History window. At the top, click the dropdown that says "Everything" to choose your time range, or leave it set to "Everything" to clear all cache.
Make sure Cache is checked in the list below. You'll also see options for cookies, browsing history, and other data — check whichever you want to remove. Click the blue Clear Now button. Firefox will clear the cache when ready.
Clearing cache in Edge on Windows
Open Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. The Clear Browsing Data window opens on the right side of your screen. At the top, choose your time range from the dropdown — "All time" removes everything. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are both checked.
Click the blue Clear now button. Edge will clear the cache in a few seconds. If you want to clear cache every time you close Edge automatically, check the box that says "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser" before closing the window.
Clearing cache in Safari on Mac
Open Safari and click the History menu at the top of your screen. At the bottom of the menu, click Clear History. A small window will pop up asking how far back you want to clear — choose "All history" to remove everything, or pick a specific time range.
Click the blue Clear History button. Safari will clear the cache when ready. Note that Safari doesn't have a separate "cookies" option in this menu — clearing history in Safari removes both cache and cookies together.
Clearing cache in Chrome and Firefox on Mac
On Mac, Chrome and Firefox work the same way as they do on Windows, but you'll use a different keyboard shortcut. Open Chrome or Firefox and press Command+Shift+Delete (Command is the key with the ⌘ symbol). This opens the Clear Browsing Data or Clear Recent History window, and the steps are identical to the Windows version above.
Choose your time range, check the boxes for cache and cookies, and click Clear Data or Clear Now. The cache will be removed in a few seconds.
Setting your browser to clear cache automatically
If you want to clear cache without doing it manually, most browsers let you set this to happen automatically when you close the browser. In Chrome on Windows, click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to Settings, click Privacy and Security on the left, then turn on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome". In Firefox, go to Settings, click Privacy & Security on the left, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed".
On Mac Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, go to Settings, click the Privacy tab, and check "Remove all website data when quitting Safari". On Edge, click the three-dot menu, go to Settings, click Privacy, search, and services, and turn on "Clear browsing data".
What happens after you clear cache
After clearing cache, websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them because your browser has to read all the files again. You'll also be logged out of most websites — when you visit them next, you'll need to sign in again with your username and password. This is normal and expected.
If a website was displaying an old or broken version of a page, clearing cache usually fixes it. If you cleared cache by accident and want to undo it, you can't — cache can't be recovered once it's deleted. However, you can straightforward use your browser normally and the cache will rebuild over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cache delete my passwords?
Clearing cache alone does not delete saved passwords. Passwords are stored separately from cache. If you want to remove saved passwords, you need to go to your browser's password settings and delete them individually. However, clearing cache will log you out of websites, so you'll need to sign back in.
How much space does cache usually take up?
Cache size varies widely depending on how much you browse. For most people, cache takes up between 100 MB and 1 GB of storage. Clearing it won't dramatically speed up your computer unless your cache has grown very large, but it's still a good maintenance habit.
Is it safe to clear cache?
Yes, clearing cache is completely safe. Cache is temporary data that your browser can rebuild on its own. You won't lose any important files or settings by clearing it. The only downside is that websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing.
Can I clear cache for just one website?
Most browsers don't have a built-in option to clear cache for a single website. However, you can clear all cache and then visit only the websites you want to rebuild cache for. Alternatively, you can use your browser's private or incognito mode, which doesn't store cache at all.
What's the difference between cache and cookies?
Cache stores images, scripts, and other files to make websites load faster. Cookies store information like your login status and preferences. Both are temporary data, but they serve different purposes. Most browsers let you clear them together or separately.