How to Clear Your Cache: Browser & Computer

If your PC is constantly stalling when accessing sites and services online, it could be down to a number of factors – but one of the more common and persistent ones is thankfully one of the easiest to fix. 

If your computer’s browser cache is overloaded with data from previously visited sites, we’ll show you how to clear that data to help improve your system’s performance whether you’re a fan of Google’s Chrome Browser, Apple’s Safari, Microsoft’s Edge Browser or Firefox.  

Clearing your cache typically only takes a few taps or mouse clicks, it won’t harm your computer and if you do encounter larger issues that are more complex (Why Is My Computer So Slow? Top Solutions Revealed), Geeks2U’s army of expert technicians is always happy to help out in more complex cases.

What is a cache, and why does it need clearing?

When you visit a website for the very first time, your computer needs to to download the elements of that page in order to present it to you; everything from text to images, code snippets to video and everything in between. 

What a cache does is store elements of those pages, so that if you visit a second time, you don’t have to download elements it already knows about. Think of it like a newspaper; the banner at the top of the paper announces what it is, but never really changes, so grabbing it every single time isn’t likely to be necessary. Having a cache of your commonly visited pages can help speed up your web browsing considerably… at least in theory. 

Where it can come slightly unstuck is if a page undergoes some rapid changes, or you start to run low on temporary storage, leaving you with a system that can either serve up old content, because it’s already in the cache, or runs slowly as it tries to work out which elements are new, old, or in some cases obsolete.  

Clearing your cache from time to time can help fix some of those issues, though it’s not a routine that you should need to do until you’re having slowdown issues.  

Quick answer: how to clear your cache

The basic instructions above should cover or at least get you started with clearing your internet cache, but we’ve got more detailed step-by-step instructions for each major browser and systems below.

Still got a slow PC or device after clearing your cache? Geeks2U’s tech experts can diagnose your computer’s real issues and fix them for you.

How to clear your cache by browser

Clearing your browser’s cache can help solve problems with pages loading slowly or incorrectly.

How to clear cache in Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click or tap on the three dots at the top right of the browser window
3. Choose “Delete Browsing History”. If you’re running an older version of Chrome this may be under “More Tools” or “Settings/Privacy and Security”
4. Tick “Cached Images and Files” (desktop) or tap “More Options” (mobile) and then chose “Cached Images and Files”
5. Tick or tap “Delete Data”

How to clear cache in Safari

Apple iPhone/iPad

1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll down and tap on “Apps”
3. Scroll down and tap on “Safari”
4. Scroll down and tap on “Advanced”
5. Tap on “Website Data”
6. Tap the “Remove All Website Data” button at the bottom of the list
7. Choose “Remove Now”

Removing website data this way will also remove any stored cookie data (such as stored logins) for websites, so you will need to log into any of those pages afresh when you’ve completed these steps. 

Apple Mac

1. Open the Safari app
2. Click on “Safari” in the top menu bar on the upper left-hand side
3. Click on the “Advanced” tab
4. Check the box that says, “Show features for web developers”. A new menu option that says “Develop” will appear in the menu bar
5. Click on “Develop” and then choose “Empty caches”

How to clear cache in Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge 
2. Open the settings menu by clicking on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the browser window 
3. Click on “Settings” 
4. Click on the three lines (hamburger menu) on the upper left-hand side and click on “Privacy, search and services” 
5. Click on “Clear Browsing Data” 
6. By default, it’ll select most data. Click on each in turn to deselect all except “Cached images and files”. 
7. Click on “Clear Now” 

How to clear cache in Firefox

1. Open Firefox 
2. Click on the three-line menu (hamburger menu) in the top right corner 
3. Click on “Settings” 
4. Click on “Privacy and Security” 
5. Scroll down until you see the “Browsing Data” section 
6. Click on “Clear Browsing Data” 
7. Ensure that “Temporay cached files and pages” is selected (and nothing else) 
8. Click on “Clear” 

Tip: You can set Firefox to clear your cache every time you close your browser if preferred via the checkbox in the “Browsing Data” section. 

How to Clear Your Computer’s Cache (Not Just Your Browser)

Like your browsers, your computer uses a cache to store commonly accessed data so that it’s faster when you need it.  

This isn’t browser cache, but it does sometimes help to clear out your PC or Mac’s cache if it’s not running as fast as it used to. Of course, if you’re experiencing other issues with your laptop (Guide to Laptop Repairs and Maintenance) or desktop computer, a Geeks2U technician will be happy to help you in more complex cases.

Clearing cache on Mac

Apple’s macOS differentiates cache between application cache and system cache.  

It’s generally a very bad idea to try to clear system cache if you’re not tech-savvy, but clearing application caches carefully can help in some situations. 

Proceed with caution and make a backup before starting any cache clearing on a Mac. 

1. Open Finder
2. Click on “Go” in the menu bar at the top of the screen, and choose “Go to Folder” 
3. Type Library/Caches/ 
4. You’ll see the cache files for every app on your Mac. For those that are unwanted or where an app is misbehaving, you can clear their cache by dragging their cache files to the trash and then emptying the trash. 

Clearing cache on Windows

Windows makes it quite easy to clean up your temporary cache files, and it even has an automated system to do so periodically for you. Here’s how to make that work. 

1. In the search bar at the bottom of the screen, type “Settings” 
2. In the Settings panel, click on System 
3. Then click on “Storage”  
4. Windows 11: Under “Storage Management”, click on “Storage Sense” – and turn it on if it’s not already enabled. Windows 10: click on “Configure Storage Sense or run it now” 
5. Windows 11:  Click “Run Storage Sense Now” to clean up temporary files.
   Windows 10: Click on “Clean Now” and check the box to delete temporary files if not already ticked. 

Clearing files this way from Windows 10/11 is a safe operation; it won’t touch your own documents and can recover a surprisingly large amount of storage space too, which is always a win. 

What happens when your clear your cache? (What you keep, what you lose)

Clearing internet or computer caches can make a positive change to your device’s performance, but it’s vital to understand what you’re clearing when you do clear out cached files. 

Your saved passwords if you’re using a browser password manager and your bookmarks aren’t affected, but you may be logged out of sites you’ve automatically opted to stay logged into when clearing browser cache; have those passwords handy if you’re prompted to log in again after a cache clear. 

Clearing caches can improve performance, but the idea of the cache is to speed up loading common web site elements by having them ready when you need them.   

When you clear the cache, those common elements have to be downloaded afresh, so the first time you revisit a site, it may in fact load a little slower, because it’s got to grab everything as though it was new. The benefit here is that it should bypass layout or loading problems caused by an out-of-date or corrupted cache file. 

It’s also important to understand the difference between cache, cookies and history, though some clearing functions treat them as the same thing.  

History is like a log of the sites you’ve visited, but just their addresses, not actual site content.  

Cookies store information for tracking and in some cases stored passwords so that you’re automatically recognised on sites you’ve opted to log into that way.  

Finally, cache files store actual web page elements such as images, some text and web layout instructions, so that when you revisit a page, you only need to grab information that’s been updated since you last visited. 

Clearing your cache won’t hide your history, but equally clearing your history will do little to solve any cache-related issues you might hit. As always, if you’re still feeling stumped, a Geeks2U technician is only a phone call or web query away at any time to assist you. 

How often should you clear your cache?

Cache clearing isn’t something you should need to do every day, or even every week. For most users, it’s only advisable if a site isn’t loading properly or a browser update is causing issues with your online activities in most cases.  

A clear-out of your cache every couple of months is more than enough in most cases to keep the benefits of a cache while allowing for a little “spring cleaning” of your system. 

Still running slow? When it’s more than just cache

One common issue that affects performance is if you leave too many browser tabs open; they all want their share of your system’s memory after all. If your device is running low on storage, that can be another problem, as it affects not just how many files you can store, but also how well your device can run its own software. Viruses and other malware can seriously affect your performance too – and this is where it’s wise to get a Geeks2U technician to give your system a once-over to help resolve malware related issues (Virus Removal, Spyware & Malware Removal).

What to do next

If you’re concerned about your Internet performance, the steps above for clearing your cache may be all that you need to do to get back up and running. 

If your device is five or more years old, it’s also probably time to consider an upgrade to keep up with modern web browsing needs. Your local Officeworks store and team can help you find a PC, tablet or mobile device that suits your needs. 

Frequently asked questions

• What does clearing your cache do?

  Clearing cache removes the temporary files your device stores to speed up future operations, such as revisiting a web page. It can help if you’re having trouble with specific sites loading slowly or not showing fresh information or articles.

• Will clearing my cache delete my passwords?

  It won’t delete your passwords, and if you’re using an in-browser password manager those will remain accessible to you. However, clearing cache and cookies will log you out of any sites you’re otherwise “automatically” logged into, so you may need to log back in afresh to those sites after clearing cache and cookie files.

• Why is my browser still slow after clearing the cache?

  It may relate to the speed of your connection, issues with the site itself, other browser extensions causing load issues or possibly your browser itself being out of date and needing a refresh. A Geeks2U technician can look over your system and assess whether any of those problems need fixing and get you back up and running without fuss.

• How do I clear cache on my phone?

  We’ve got full instructions above for clearing your phone’s browser cache above; because the mobile versions of popular browsers such as Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari don’t differ that much from their desktop versions, you can use the guides above to help you.

• What’s the difference between clearing cache and clearing cookies?

  Clearing your cache cleans out data files that your computer stores for future reference, while cookies are used to store tracking and login information from your browser.

  For those sites where you expect to be logged in all the time, a cookie will be stored on your computer so that this happens.

  If you clear your cookies, that information is removed, so you’d need to log in when you next visit that page or use that service.

  Clearing your cache alone won’t clear out cookies, though some storage cleanup functions will clear both by default. Be careful what options you select when clearing up storage in your browser or on your PC.

• Is it safe to clear my cache regularly?

  For browsers, there isn’t much of a downside if you’re having browsing problems with refreshing your cache files, though you will see slightly slower performance at first as the cache files are rebuilt with fresh working copies of the files for sites you regularly visit.