How to clear your cache – a simple guide for many browsers

What is Browser Cache?

Browser cache is a temporary storage area in your computer or device that holds copies of frequently accessed web pages, images, and other files. The idea is to speed up the loading of these pages, as the browser doesn’t have to retrieve the data from the website every time you visit it. This makes the website load faster, as the data is already stored in the cache.

Why do we clear cache?

Clearing browser cache is an important maintenance task that can help improve the performance and stability of your browser. It helps free up space on your device, get rid of outdated data and resolve issues with website loading or formatting. Clearing cache can also help you see updated content and features on a website, as it ensures that your browser is not using the cached version of the page. Additionally, it can also increase privacy and security by removing stored sensitive information and cookies. Regular cache clearing is recommended to keep your browser running smoothly and efficiently. This can sometimes prove troublesome as we develop a website where the page, its contents and its associated files are changed regularly, this may be the reason why you are experiencing issues.

How do I clear my browsers cache?

We’ve put together a list of common browsers and instructions on how to clear your browser cache.

• > iPhone (Safari)
• > Android
• > Google Chrome
• > Safari
• > Microsoft Edge

iPhone (Safari)

Here are the steps to clear Safari cache on an iPhone:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Safari.”
3. Scroll down and tap on “Clear History and Website Data.”
4. Confirm the action by tapping on “Clear History and Data.”

Note: Clearing the Safari cache will also clear other website data, such as cookies, and remove stored website login credentials.

Android

Here are the steps to clear the browser cache on an Android phone:

1. Open the browser app: Launch the browser app that you use on your Android phone.
2. Go to Settings: Depending on the browser, you can access the settings by tapping on the menu icon (three dots) or by navigating to the “Settings” option.
3. Find the “Privacy” or “Advanced” section: Look for the section that deals with privacy or advanced options.
4. Tap on “Clear Browsing Data”: This option allows you to erase the cache, cookies, and other temporary data stored in the browser.
5. Choose what to clear: Select the type of data you want to remove, such as cache, cookies, or history. You can also choose a time range for which data should be deleted.
6. Confirm: Tap on the “Clear Data” or “Clear Browsing Data” button to erase the selected data.
7. Restart the browser: Once the cache is cleared, restart the browser to ensure that the changes take effect.

Note: The steps may vary slightly based on the browser app you use, but the general process should be similar for most Android browsers.

Google Chrome

Here are the steps to clear browser cache on Google Chrome for desktop:

1. Open Google Chrome: Launch the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on the “More” button: This is represented by three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
3. Select “More tools” and then “Clear browsing data”: This will open the Clear Browsing Data dialog box.
4. Choose the time range: Use the dropdown menu to select the time range for which you want to clear the cache, such as the last hour, last 7 days, or all time.
5. Select what to clear: Make sure “Cached images and files” is selected, and you can also choose other data types such as cookies or browsing history if desired.
6. Confirm: Click on the “Clear data” button to clear the cache.
7. Close and reopen the browser: After clearing the cache, close and reopen Google Chrome to ensure that the changes take effect.

Note: These steps apply to the latest version of Google Chrome on a desktop computer. The steps may vary slightly for different versions or for other browsers.

Safari

Here are the steps to clear browser cache for Safari on a desktop Mac:

1. Open Safari: Launch the Safari browser on your Mac.
2. Go to the Safari menu: Click on the Safari menu located in the upper-left corner of the screen.
3. Select “Preferences”: This will open the Safari preferences window.
4. Click on the “Advanced” tab: This is located at the top of the preferences window.
5. Check the “Show Develop menu in menu bar” option: This will add a “Develop” menu to the Safari menu bar.
6. Go to the Develop menu: Click on the “Develop” menu in the Safari menu bar.
7. Select “Empty Caches”: This will clear the cache for the Safari browser.
8. Close and reopen Safari: After clearing the cache, close and reopen Safari to ensure that the changes take effect.

Note: These steps apply to the latest version of Safari on a Mac. The steps may vary slightly for different versions or for other browsers.

Microsoft Edge

Here are the steps to clear your browser cache in Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click on the three dots (…) in the upper right corner of the browser window.
3. Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click on “Privacy & security.”
5. Scroll down and click on “Clear browsing data.”
6. In the “Time range” section, select “All time” or a specific time frame.
7. Check the box next to “Cached images and files.”
8. Click on the “Clear now” button.
9. Wait for the clearing process to finish, then close and reopen the browser.

Note: The steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Microsoft Edge you are using.