How do i delete cache and cookies

Q: What happens when you clear cookies and cache?

Clearing your browsers cache and cookies means that website settings (like usernames and passwords) will be deleted and some sites might appear to be a little slower because all of the images have to be loaded again.

Learn how to delete your history, cookies, and cache in Settings.

Table of Contents Show

Delete history, cache, and cookies
Block cookies
Use content blockers
References
About This Article
Reader Success Stories
Is this article up to date?
How do I clear my cache and cookies?
What happens when you clear cookies and cache?
Is deleting cookies the same as deleting cache?
How often should you clear cookies and cache?

Delete history, cache, and cookies

To clear your history and cookies, go to Settings > Safari, and tap Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.
To clear your cookies and keep your history, go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data, then tap Remove All Website Data.
To visit sites without leaving a history, turn Private Browsing on.

When there's no history or website data to clear, the setting turns gray. The setting might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time.

Block cookies

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device, so that site can remember you when you visit again. To choose whether Safari blocks cookies, tap Settings > Safari, then turn on Block All Cookies.

If you block cookies, some web pages might not work. Here are some examples:

You will likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct username and password.
You might see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are off.
Some features on a site might not work.

Use content blockers

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.
Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.
Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Published Date: December 16, 2021

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Maintaining your browser's cache and cookie collection can be convenient, since these are the items that determine which passwords are remembered and which sites pop up in your URL bar the quickest; however, not clearing your cache and cookies can lead to serious security issues (as well as slightly less serious dips in browsing speed). Luckily for both your patience level and your privacy, you can clear the cache and cookies on all major browsers, including the iOS and Android default mobile browsers.

1
Open Google Chrome. If you use Chrome often, you may notice some slow-down in your browser's processing speed; clearing the cookies and cache will amend that issue.
2
Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of your screen. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
- On the Chrome mobile app, this menu is labeled "More".
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3
Hover over the "More Tools" section. This will open another menu, complete with options for deleting your browser's data.
- On mobile, you'll tap the "History" option here.
4
Click "Clear browsing data". This will take you to your "History" page from which you can delete your browsing data.
- You can also hold down Ctrl (or ⌘ Command on a Mac) + ⇧ Shift and tap Delete to access this page.
5
Make sure all relevant boxes are checked. At the very least, you'll want to select "Cached images and files" and "Cookies and other site and plugin data".
6
Click the time span menu. This is next to the "Obliterate the following items from:" text; you can select how far back your data purge goes with this option.
7
Select your time span. You have a range of options:
- The past hour
- The past day
- The past week
- The past 4 weeks
- The beginning of time
- If you want to clear your entire cache and reset all of your data, make sure "The beginning of time" is selected.[1]
8
Click "Clear browsing data". This will wipe your selected criteria from whichever time span you chose off of your browser's History page!

1
Open Mozilla Firefox. Frequent Firefox usage will lead to a build-up in your cached pages, images, and cookies. Clearing these will reset your browser's memory, thereby increasing your browsing speed.
2
Click the menu button in the top right corner of your screen. This icon resembles three horizontal lines; clicking it will prompt a drop-down menu.
3
Click the "Advanced" option. You'll find this in the menu on the left side of the screen.
4
Click the "Network" tab. This is located in the middle of the toolbar beneath the "Advanced" heading.[2]
5
Click "Clear Now" on the right side of your screen. This will clear your cache!
6
Return to the Firefox menu. This is the stack of lines in the top right corner of your page.
7
Click the "History" option, then click "Clear Recent History". This will take you to your "History" page, from which you can clear all of your cookies.[3]
8
Select a time frame. This is the menu at the top of the "Clear Recent History" page next to the "Time range to clear:" text. For best results, select the "Everything" time range.
9
Select "Cookies" in the checkbox menu. With this option checked, you'll delete all of your browser's cookies. You can check other options as well:
- Browsing & Download History
- Form & Search History
- Active Logins (clear this if you're on a shared computer)
- Site Preferences
- You can also select "Cache" here for good measure; there's always a chance that your initial flush didn't get everything.
10
Click "Clear Now" at the bottom of the page. This will delete all of your cookies and clean up any remnants of your cache!

1
Open Safari. Safari is no longer supported on Windows platforms, but the Mac version is constantly updated to ensure optimal performance. Clearing your cookies and cache will only boost this performance.
2
Click your "Safari" menu in the top left corner of your screen. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
3
Click the "Preferences" option. This will open a window from which you can alter your privacy settings.[4]
4
Click the "Privacy" tab. This should be near the top of the "Preferences" window. From here, you can clear your cache and cookies.
5
Click "Remove All Website Data". Safari will ask you to confirm your decision.
6
Click "Remove Now" to confirm your decision. This will clear both your cookies and your site cache; if you haven't done this before, you should notice a difference in your browsing speed!
- You may have to exit out of Safari and re-open it in order for your changes to take place.

1
Open your default Safari app. If you're using a browser other than Safari on your iOS device, this method probably won't work.
2
Tap the book icon at the bottom of the page. This will bring up the last section of the "Bookmarks" menu you had open.
3
Tap the "Bookmarks" tap in the top left corner of your screen. If you're already on the "Bookmarks" page, ignore this step.
4
Tap the "History" tab. This will take you to your browsing history page.
5

Tap "Clear" in the bottom right corner of your screen. Safari will ask you for a duration:
- The last hour
- Today
- Today and yesterday
- All time (select this for best results)
6
Tap your preferred duration. This will clear your iOS device's cookies and website cache!
- For best results, close Safari and then re-open it to continue browsing.

1
Open your Android's default browser app. If you're using a browser other than the built-in browsing app, this method likely won't work.
2
Tap the "Menu" button. This will open a menu within your browser.
3
Tap "Settings". This should be at the bottom of the "More" menu.[5]
4
Tap "Clear All". This is toward the bottom of the Settings menu beneath the "Privacy" subheading. Tapping this option will clear both your cache and your cookies.
- You can also tap "Clear Cache" to clear just the cache, but this option won't delete your cookies.
5
Tap "OK" when prompted. Your cache and cookies have been cleared!
- For best results, exit your phone's browser and re-open it after doing this.

Add New Question

Question
I did this and now I cannot access my Facebook account. What do I do?

Clearing cookies will sign you out of your accounts. You should just have to reenter your login information. If you've forgotten your password, there should be a prompt on the main page that says "Forgot password?" Just follow the prompts to retrieve or change it.
Question
I have a tablet, so what do I do?

Miloš Vlajković
Community Answer
Just follow the instructions in the article. You'll know which instructions to follow, based on what browser you use on your tablet. It doesn't matter whether you use a tablet or a phone.

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Resetting your cookies and your cache will erase your saved passwords and usernames.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

References

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To clear your browser's cache and cookies on Google Chrome, first, open the browser and click on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen. From here, click “More tools” in the drop down menu. Under “More tools,” click “Clear browsing data…” which will take you to Chrome’s browsing history page. Once you’re on the history page, make sure all the boxes you want to clear are checked and choose a time span for which you want to delete your history. Then, click “Clear browsing data” to clear everything out. To learn how to delete the cache and cookies from other browsers, like Firefox and Safari, read on!

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Reader Success Stories

"I wanted to clear cache on Google Chrome, and was able to do this following the guidance given here."

Is this article up to date?

How do I clear my cache and cookies?

Clear all cookies.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app ..

To the right of the address bar, tap More. Settings..

Tap Privacy and security. Clear browsing data..

Choose a time range, like Last hour or All time..

Check Cookies and site data and uncheck all other items..

Tap Clear data. Clear..

What happens when you clear cookies and cache?

Clearing your browser's cache and cookies means that website settings (like usernames and passwords) will be deleted and some sites might appear to be a little slower because all of the images have to be loaded again.

Is deleting cookies the same as deleting cache?

In most browsers, the options for clearing the cache and clearing cookies are in the same place—but they're not the same thing. Your cache stores files downloaded directly from the websites you visit—fonts, images, that kind of thing.

How often should you clear cookies and cache?

Click See All Cookies and Site Data to see a list of the cookies actually installed locally on your computer. You can go through them one by one and delete as desired. It's not a bad idea to just do a Remove All on cookies every few months, just to clear things out.