What is a cache and what does it do?

A cache is a data store on your laptop or computer. It temporarily stores data like files, images and scripts to make your device’s memory more efficient, quickly retrieving data and reducing latency.

It’s important to clear your cache regularly (but not too often) to free up memory space. Clearing your cache can also improve security and decrease the risk of your device crashing.

How do I clear my cache?

Clearing you cache is easy and can be done in a few simple steps. The process can differ slightly, however, depending on your device or browser type.

Before you clear your cache, it’s also important to remember that you may lose data like saved passwords, address bar predictions and shopping carts.

How to clear your cache on different devices

Clear your system cache on a MAC

1. Open ‘Finder’, click ‘Go’, select ‘Go to Folder’
2. Type: “~/Library/Caches/” into the search box and click ‘Go’
3. Select your ‘System’ or ‘Library’ caches, depending on what you’re looking for and delete the files you no longer need

Clear your cache for Windows 10

1. Click ‘Start’
2. Select ‘Desk Cleanup’ from the search results
3. Select drive ‘C:’ and click ‘OK’
4. Tick the ‘Temporary files’ box
5. Click ‘OK’

How to clear your cache on an Android phone

1. Open ‘Settings’ and tap ‘Storage’
2. In the resulting list, tap the ‘Apps’ (or ‘Other Apps’ on Android 11 and earlier)
3. Choose the app of which cache you want to clear
4. On the app’s info page, tap the ‘Clear Cache’ option

How to clear your cache on an Iphone

1. Open the browser you most often use (e.g. Safari)
2. On Safari, tap the booklet icon, then the clock icon
3. Tap ‘Clear’
4. Under ‘Clear Timeframe’, pick how much of your browsing history to clear
5. Tap ‘Clear History’

Clearing your cache in Chrome

1. Open Chrome.
2. In the top right, click ‘More’ (3 little dots)
3. Click ‘More tools’ > ‘Clear browsing data’
4. Choose a time range. To delete everything, select ‘All time’
5. Tick the boxes next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files”
6. Click ‘Clear data’

Clearing your cache in Safari

1. Click on the ‘Safari’ drop-down menu and select ‘Preferences’.
2. Click the ‘Advanced’ tab. Select the ‘Show Develop’ menu in menu bar checkbox and close the Preferences window.
3. Select the ‘Develop’ drop-down menu. Click ‘Empty Cache’

How to clear your cache in Firefox

1. Click on the menu button and select ‘Settings’
2. Select ‘Privacy & Security’
3. In the ‘Cookies and Site Data’ section, click ‘Clear Data’
4. Untick ‘Cookies and Site Data’
5. Tick ‘Cached Web Content’ and click ‘Clear’

How to clear your cache in Microsoft Edge

1. Go to ‘Settings’, then click on ‘Privacy & services’
2. Under ‘Clear Browsing Data’, select ‘Choose what to clear’
3. Tick ‘Cached images and files’ and ‘Cookies and other site data’, then click ‘Clear now’

Why is it good to clear your cache?

Clearing your cache frees up memory space and helps your device to keep running smoothly, decreasing the risk of lag or crashed. Clearing your cache can also improve security since you may have passwords or personal data stored in your cache.

However, you don’t need to clear your cache every day – just enough to keep out-of-date files from clogging up your device. We recommend once or twice a month, assuming you use your device a lot.

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