Steps on Screen

Browser cache

How to Clear Your Browser's Cache on a Phone

Your phone's browser keeps copies of pictures and other parts of the web pages you visit, so that the pages open faster the next time. These copies are called the cache. Clearing the cache deletes the copies, and the browser gets new ones from each website the next time you open that website.

For a computer, see How to Clear Your Browser's Cache on a Computer.

Why you might clear it

People usually clear the cache for one of these reasons:

  • A website's help page, or a support person for that website, asked you to clear your browser's cache.
  • A web page keeps showing something old after the website changed it, such as an old picture.

Clearing the cache does not remove viruses, and it does not stop scam warnings, pop-ups or notifications, so a warning on a web page is not a reason to clear it. If a web page says your phone has a virus or tells you to call a number, see Fake virus warnings & tech support in the Scam Hub.

What clearing changes

In Google Chrome on an Android phone, the steps below clear only the browser's copies, which Chrome calls Cached images and files. When you clear only these:

  • You stay signed in to websites, and the passwords Chrome saved stay saved.
  • Your browsing history, the list of websites you visited, stays.
  • A page you open again may take a little longer to appear the first time, while the browser gets new copies.

Safari on an iPhone cannot clear only these copies. Its steps below delete the copies together with the cookies of every website, so you may need to sign in to websites again. Your browsing history stays.

Leave the other boxes empty in Chrome

The page you use to clear the cache in Chrome also lists other things the browser keeps, each with a box. Some boxes already have a check mark when the page opens. Before you delete anything, make sure that only Cached images and files has a check mark. The boxes to leave empty include:

  • Cookies and site data. Websites use these to remember that you signed in. Deleting them signs you out of most websites.
  • Browsing history, the list of websites you visited.

Tapping a box adds or removes its check mark. The page also has the words sign out of Chrome. Do not tap them: clearing the cache does not need them, and they sign you out of Chrome.

Steps for your browser

This page has steps for Google Chrome on an Android phone and Safari on an iPhone. Tap the name of your browser to open its steps. Google Chrome's picture is a red, yellow and green circle with a blue center. Safari's picture is a blue compass. Some Android phones also have another browser, such as Samsung Internet; these steps are for Chrome.

Google Chrome on an Android phone
  1. On the Home screen, tap Chrome. If it is not there, swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen to see all your apps, then tap Chrome.
  2. Tap the three dots standing one above the other beside the address bar, at the top right of the screen or at the bottom if your Chrome is set that way. Then tap Delete browsing data. A panel named Delete browsing data opens from the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tap More options in the panel. Do not tap Delete data in this first panel: it also deletes cookies, which signs you out of websites. A page named Delete browsing data opens, with a list of boxes.
  4. Tap the time shown under Time range, near the top of the page, then tap All time.
  5. Tap each box that has a check mark, except Cached images and files, so that its check mark goes away. These are usually Browsing history and Cookies and site data. Scroll down to see every box. If Cached images and files has no check mark, tap it.
  6. Check that only Cached images and files has a check mark, then tap Delete data at the bottom of the page. If a message asks Also clear data from these sites?, tap Delete. The page closes, and Deleted appears at the bottom of the screen for a moment.

Google's instructions for deleting browsing data on Android

Safari on an iPhone

These steps delete the data Safari keeps for every website, including its copies and its cookies, and keep your browsing history. Passwords saved on your iPhone stay saved, but you may need to sign in to websites again afterwards, so before you begin, make sure you know your passwords for the websites you use.

  1. On the Home screen, tap Settings, the gray icon with gears.
  2. Scroll down and tap Apps, then tap Safari. If you do not see Apps, tap Safari in the list of settings instead.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of Safari's settings and tap Advanced. Do not tap Clear History and Website Data on the way, which also deletes your history.
  4. Tap Website Data. A list of websites appears after a moment.
  5. Tap Remove All Website Data, below the list.
  6. A message asks you to confirm. Tap Remove Now. The list of websites becomes empty.

Apple's instructions for clearing Safari's cache and cookies on iPhone

After you clear it

Open the website again, the way you usually reach it. The browser gets new copies from the website as its page loads. If the website asks you to sign in, sign in again.