How to Clear Cache on iPhone in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox
Your iPhone is at its best when switching between apps and opening internet tabs. But sometimes the shortcuts he uses to stay fast can slow things down over time. Clearing your cache is a quick way to speed things up again.
Typically, visiting a website requires your phone to download information such as photos, banners, and other data. To speed up this process, most Internet browsers store some of this data in a cache so that it is easier to retrieve. Think of it like storing a 24-beverage pack in your fridge so you don’t have to go to the grocery store every time you want a drink. In small doses, it is convenient.
Things become less convenient when your browser’s cache becomes outdated and the data retrieved no longer matches the data actually used on the website. The result? Slower load speeds and wobbly website formatting. That’s why clearing your cache can help: It gives sites a fresh start in your browser and frees up space in your storage.
Note that clearing your cache will disconnect you from sites you are currently connected to. Still, it’s usually worth the slight inconvenience every now and then to get things moving quickly.
Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your cache on your iPhone, based on the browser you use.
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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Safari
Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your cache in a few short steps. Note that starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices connected to your iCloud account. As a result, all the caches on your devices will be cleared and you will have to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here’s what to do:
1. Open the Settings application on your iPhone.
2. To select Safari from the list of applications.
3. Scroll down and select Clear history and website data.
4. Confirm your selection in the pop-up window.
Then you are ready!
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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Chrome
Chromium is another popular browser for iPhone users. The overall process of clearing your Chrome cache requires a few more steps and you will need to perform some operations through the Chrome browser itself. Here’s how.
1. Open the Chromium application.
2. Select the three dots at the bottom right to open more options.
3. Scroll down and select Settings.
4. To select Privacy in the next menu.
5. Then select Clear browsing data to open a final menu.
6. Select the desired time slot at the top of the menu (from last hour to all times).
7. Be sure that Cookies, site data is selected, with Cached images and files. Finally, hit Clear browsing data at the bottom of the screen.
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How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox
If you are a Firefox devotee, do not worry. Clearly clearing your iPhone’s cache is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.
1. Click on the hamburger menu in the lower right corner to open more options.
2. To select Privacy in the next menu.
3. To select Settings at the bottom of this menu.
4. To select Data management.
5. You can select Website data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear private data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.
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What happens when you clear the cache?
Emptying your cache removes website data stored locally on your phone to avoid having to download this data on each new visit. The data in your cache accumulates over time and can eventually slow down if it gets too large. (My phone had around 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing this data gives sites a fresh start, which can fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. However, clearing your cache also logs you out of pages, so be prepared to log back into everything.
How often should I clear my cache?
Most people don’t need to clear their caches more than once a month or every two months. This is usually when your browser will create a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a lot of sites, try to clear your cache more often.
For more information, see how to FaceTime between an iPhone and Android, how to download iOS 15 on your iPhone right now, and 5 creative and fun photo projects to try with your phone at home.