Table of contents:
What is browser cache?
Browser cache refers to temporary web content storage that helps websites load quicker. Caching works by saving static files in the local computer memory. This reduces the number of requests sent to the web server that holds the actual files – meaning that your computer loads the page content from local storage, instead. That way, by caching elements such as HTML, CSS, JS, and images, the browser dramatically reduces the load time of a website and the overall resource usage.
What is cached data?
A cache is a term used to describe temporary storage. Cached data, on the other hand, is the collection of items saved within the cache storage location. Whenever your browser is requested to look up a specific file, it first checks if the resource is available locally. If not found, the browser sends a request to the corresponding web server and saves it as cached data depending on the file type.
What does clearing the cache do?
Clearing the browser cache removes all the data kept within the temporary local storage. As a result, once you first access a website after clearing all the cache, it will take longer to load. This occurs because no resources can be retrieved locally and all of them will have to be delivered by the corresponding web server.
Why clear cache?
The files gathered within the browser cache can take up quite a lot of disk space over time. This may result in your browser working slower than usual and utilizing additional resources. Furthermore, outdated resources within the cache may cause you to see incorrect content. For example, you may have difficulty viewing new changes and updates made on a website. That's why clearing the browser cache from time to time helps you access only the most up-to-date data.
How to clear browser cache on desktop
Clearing cache is a relatively easy task on most desktop browsers.
Google Chrome
Access the side menu bar and navigate to History › History section.
Select the Clear Browsing Data option.
Choose the time range. Select All Time to remove everything.
Pick what elements to clear – cached images and files, cookies, history.
Press the Clear Data button.
NOTE:
Windows users can go to the clearing tab by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Delete
Mac OS users can use the shortcut by pressing Command+Shift+Delete
Mozilla Firefox
Open up the side menu bar and go to Library › History › Clear Recent History section.
Select the time range. To clear out everything, select the All Time option.
Choose which elements to clear – Cache, Cookies, History among a few others.
Click the Clear Now button.
NOTE:
Windows users can use Ctrl+Shift+Delete to quick-access the clearing tab
Mac OS can do the same by pressing Command+Shift+Delete
Safari
Navigate to the History tab in the upper menu and select Clear History.
Choose the timeframe you want. To clear everything, select the All history option.
Safari removes history, cache, cookies without the option to choose only one.
Click the Clear History button.
NOTE:
Windows users can open the tab quicker by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Delete
Mac OS can perform the same action by pressing Command+Shift+Delete
Opera
Click the History icon located on the left-side menu. (clock icon)
Hit the Clear Browsing Data button.
Choose the time range. To delete everything, pick All time.
Select which elements to remove – Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files.
Click the Clear Data button.
NOTE:
Windows users may click Ctrl+Shift+Delete on the keyboard for a shortcut
Mac OS can use the same shortcut by pressing Command+Shift+Delete
Microsoft Edge
Navigate to the menu on the upper-right side and go to History.
Click Clear Browsing Data.
Choose the Time range you wish to delete, we recommend All Time.
Select the items you wish to delete from the list.
Click the Clear Now button and wait for the process to finish.
NOTE: Windows users may click Ctrl+Shift+Delete on the keyboard for a shortcut
How to clear browser cache on mobile devices
Mobile browsers utilize caching the same way as desktop browsers do.
Google Chrome (Android)
Access the menu in the top-right and select History.
Click on the Clear browsing data button.
Pick the Time range. To delete everything, choose the All Time option.
Select the elements you wish to clear – history, cookies, cache.
Click on the Clear Data button.
Mozilla Firefox (Android)
Go to the menu in the top-right corner and open up the History section.
Select the Clear Browsing History button at the bottom.
Confirm the pop-up message by pressing OK.
Opera Mini (Android)
Click the Opera icon at the bottom of the browser.
Choose the wrench icon, which will take you to Settings.
Select the Clear browsing data option.
Pick the elements that you wish to clear – history, cookies, cache.
Confirm by pressing OK.
Safari (iOS)
Navigate to the Settings of your iOS device.
Find the section for Safari and open it.
Scroll down until you find the Clear History and Website Data section.
Confirm the pop-up screen to remove everything.
Google Chrome (iOS)
Access the side menu on the upper-right side and go to History.
Click the button that says Clear Browsing Data.
Select which elements to delete – history, cookies, cache.
Confirm by pressing Clear Browsing Data again.
Mozilla Firefox (iOS)
Open the side menu at the bottom-right side and go to Settings.
Scroll down until you find the Clear Private Data section.
Select the elements you wish to remove – cache, cookies, history.
Click the red button that says Clear Private Data to confirm.
Once you see the pop-up, click OK.
