Clear your Safari cache in three steps

To clear your cache in Safari, open the browser menu, select Safari in the top menu bar, then click Clear History and Website Data. A window will pop up asking what time period to clear — choose All Time to remove everything, or pick a specific range like "the last hour" or "today". Click Clear History and you're done.

Cache is the temporary files Safari stores from websites you visit — images, scripts, and other data that help pages load faster next time. Over time, this cache can grow large and sometimes cause pages to load incorrectly or slowly. Clearing it forces Safari to download fresh versions of everything the next time you visit those sites.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. You don't need to close Safari or restart your Mac first.

Key Takeaways

  • Cache is temporary website data Safari stores to make pages load faster, but clearing it can fix loading problems and free up storage space.
  • The fastest way to clear cache is through Safari menu > Clear History and Website Data, then select your time range.
  • Choosing All Time removes all cached data; choosing a shorter period like "today" clears only recent cache.
  • After clearing cache, websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them because Safari has to download everything fresh.

What gets deleted when you clear cache

When you click Clear History and Website Data, Safari removes three things: your browsing history (the list of sites you've visited), cookies (small files websites use to remember you), and cached website data (images, scripts, and other files stored on your Mac).

If you want to clear only the cache without losing your browsing history and cookies, Safari doesn't offer that option directly in the menu. However, you can use the time range selector to be more precise — if you clear only "the last hour", you'll remove recent cache without going back months or years.

Cookies are worth understanding separately: they're how websites remember your login, your shopping cart, or your preferences. Clearing them means you'll be logged out of most sites and may have to sign back in. If you want to keep cookies but still clear cache, you'll need to use Safari's advanced settings, which we cover below.

How to clear cache without clearing cookies and history

Safari's standard menu option clears everything at once. If you want to keep your login sessions and browsing history but remove only the cached files, you'll need to go into Safari's settings.

Open Safari > Settings (or Preferences on older Macs), then click the Privacy tab. At the bottom, you'll see Manage Website Data. Click that button to see a list of every website that has stored data on your Mac. You can select individual sites and click Remove, or click Remove All to clear everything without touching your history or cookies.

This method takes a bit longer but gives you more control. It's useful if you want to clear cache from one specific site that's giving you trouble, or if you want to keep your login sessions intact.

When to clear your cache and why it matters

Clear your cache if a website looks broken, won't load properly, or seems stuck showing old information. Sometimes Safari holds onto an outdated version of a page, and clearing cache forces it to download the current version.

You should also clear cache if you're running low on storage space on your Mac. Over months of browsing, cached files can add up to several gigabytes. Clearing cache won't free up huge amounts of space unless you haven't cleared it in years, but it's a quick way to reclaim some room.

Clear cache before selling or giving away your Mac, or before letting someone else use it. Cached data can include login information, search history, and other personal details. Clearing everything ensures that information doesn't stay behind.

You don't need to clear cache on a regular schedule just to keep Safari running well — modern browsers handle cache automatically. Only clear it when you have a specific reason, like a broken page or a privacy concern.

Clearing cache on iPhone and iPad Safari

On iPhone and iPad, the process is slightly different. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll to the bottom and tap Clear History and Website Data. A menu will ask what time period to clear — tap your choice and confirm.

You can also clear cache for individual apps on iOS by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage), finding Safari in the list, and tapping Offload App. This removes the app and its cache but keeps your data, or you can tap Delete App to remove everything and reinstall it fresh.

On mobile devices, cache fills up faster because storage is more limited. If Safari is running slowly or your iPhone is low on space, clearing cache is one of the first things to try.

Troubleshooting: cache still isn't clearing

If you've cleared cache but a website still looks broken or loads incorrectly, try these steps in order. First, force-quit Safari completely — close all Safari windows, then reopen it. Sometimes Safari keeps cache in memory even after you've cleared it from disk.

Second, try a hard refresh: hold down Shift and click the reload button in Safari's address bar. This tells Safari to ignore cached files and download everything fresh from the website's server.

Third, check if the problem is specific to one website or happens everywhere. If only one site is broken, the problem might be with that site's server, not your cache. Try visiting the site on a different browser like Chrome or Firefox to test.

If clearing cache doesn't fix the problem and the issue happens across multiple sites, restart your Mac. Sometimes Safari's cache system gets stuck, and a full restart clears it out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cache log me out of websites?

Yes, clearing cache also clears cookies, which is how websites remember you're logged in. You'll be logged out of most sites and will need to sign back in. If you want to stay logged in, use the Manage Website Data method instead, which lets you clear cache without touching cookies.

How much space does Safari cache actually take up?

It varies widely depending on how much you browse and how long it's been since you last cleared cache. For most people, Safari cache is between 100 MB and 2 GB. If you browse heavily and haven't cleared cache in years, it could be larger. Check by going to Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data to see the total size.

Does clearing cache make Safari faster?

Clearing cache won't make Safari noticeably faster in everyday use. In fact, websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cache, because Safari has to download everything fresh. Clearing cache helps when a specific site is broken or loading incorrectly, not for general speed.

Can I set Safari to clear cache automatically?

Safari doesn't have a built-in automatic cache-clearing schedule, but you can set it to clear cache when you close the browser. Go to Safari > Settings > Privacy and check the box next to Remove history items, then choose when closing Safari from the dropdown. This clears cache every time you fully quit the browser.

Is it safe to clear cache?

Yes, it's completely safe. Cache is just temporary data that Safari can always download again. Clearing it won't damage Safari, your Mac, or any websites. The only downside is that websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cache.