How to Delete Cache From Your Computer (Windows & Mac)

Cache files are one of those invisible layers of your computer's operation that quietly accumulate over time. Clearing them is one of the most common maintenance tasks users can perform — but "cache" isn't one thing. It's several, spread across your operating system, browsers, and apps. Knowing which type you're dealing with changes how you approach the process entirely.

What Cache Actually Is

Cache is temporary data your computer saves to speed things up later. When your browser loads a website, it stores images, scripts, and stylesheets locally so the page loads faster on your next visit. When Windows or macOS runs applications, it creates temporary files that help programs launch more quickly.

The tradeoff: cache builds up. Over weeks and months, gigabytes of temporary files can accumulate — some outdated, some redundant, some simply taking up space without offering any real speed benefit anymore.

Clearing cache doesn't delete your personal files, passwords (usually), or installed programs. It removes the temporary shortcut data, which your system or browser will simply regenerate as you use things again.

Types of Cache on Your Computer

Understanding the distinction matters because each type lives in a different place and requires different steps.

Each of these can be cleared independently, and not every user needs to clear all of them at once.

How to Clear Cache on Windows 🖥️

Browser Cache (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)

In most browsers, the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete opens the "Clear browsing data" panel. From there:

• Select Cached images and files
• Choose your time range (last hour, last 7 days, all time)
• Click Clear data

This works across Chrome, Edge, and Firefox with minor variations in wording.

Windows Temporary Files

Windows stores temp files in two main locations:

1. Press Windows + R, type %temp%, press Enter — this opens your user-level temp folder. Select all files and delete. Some files may be in use and will be skipped; that's normal.
2. Press Windows + R, type temp, press Enter — this opens the system-level temp folder. Same process.

On Windows 10 and 11, you can also use the built-in Storage Sense or the Disk Cleanup utility:

• Search for Disk Cleanup in the Start menu
• Select your C: drive
• Check Temporary files, Thumbnails, and optionally Temporary Internet Files
• Click OK

Windows 11 users can find a more modern version under Settings → System → Storage → Temporary Files.

DNS Cache

To flush DNS on Windows, open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

ipconfig /flushdns 

This clears stored website address lookups — useful if you're seeing incorrect website routing or connection errors after a site has moved.

How to Clear Cache on macOS 🍎

Browser Cache

The same Cmd + Shift + Delete shortcut works in Chrome. In Safari, go to Develop → Empty Caches (you may need to enable the Develop menu under Safari → Settings → Advanced first). Firefox on Mac follows the same logic as Windows.

System Cache Files

macOS stores user-level cache files at ~/Library/Caches. To get there:

• Open Finder
• Press Cmd + Shift + G
• Type ~/Library/Caches and press Go

You can delete the contents of individual app folders here, though it's generally safer to clear specific folders rather than deleting everything wholesale — some apps recreate needed data on next launch, while others may briefly misbehave until they do.

For a more guided approach, macOS Ventura and later includes System Settings → General → Storage, where you can review storage categories and remove certain cached data from there.

DNS Cache on Mac

Open Terminal and run the appropriate command for your macOS version. On recent versions (Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma):

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder 

You'll be prompted for your administrator password.

How Often Should You Clear Cache?

There's no universal answer. Browser cache is worth clearing if pages aren't loading correctly, you're seeing outdated content, or you're troubleshooting login issues. Temp files are reasonable to clear every few months or when you notice storage running low.

Some variables that affect your personal calculus:

• Storage capacity: On a 256GB SSD, accumulated cache matters more than on a 2TB drive
• How many browsers or apps you use: Power users accumulate cache faster
• Whether you're troubleshooting: Clearing cache is a standard first diagnostic step for browser or app misbehavior
• Technical comfort level: Manual folder deletion vs. built-in tools vs. third-party cleanup utilities each suit different users differently

Third-party tools like CCleaner (Windows) or CleanMyMac (macOS) automate much of this process and can reach cache locations that manual methods miss — but they also require trust in the software and a comfort level with giving it access to your system.

The right approach depends on which types of cache are actually causing your issue, how your machine is configured, and how hands-on you want to be with system maintenance. Those factors vary enough from setup to setup that the same steps that resolve things on one machine may be overkill — or insufficient — on another.