What "game data" means and why you might want to clear it
Game data is everything your phone remembers about a game you play — your progress, your settings, your saved games, your high scores, and sometimes login information. When you clear game data, you erase all of that. The game itself stays on your phone, but it resets to the state it was in the first time you opened it.
You might clear game data because you want to start over, because a game is glitching and a fresh start fixes it, because you want to free up storage space, or because you're selling or giving away your phone. On most phones, game data takes up more space than the game itself — sometimes much more.
The steps differ slightly between Android and iPhone, and the exact menu names vary by phone model. This guide covers both.
Key Takeaways
- On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, find the game, and tap Storage to see the Clear Data button.
- On iPhone, the fastest way is to delete and reinstall the game, which removes all data automatically.
- Clearing game data erases progress and saved games permanently — there is no undo.
- Game data and game cache are different; clearing cache frees space but keeps your progress.
- If you want to keep your progress, check whether the game syncs to a cloud account before you clear anything.
How to clear game data on Android
Open the Settings app on your Android phone. The icon usually looks like a gear. Scroll down and tap Apps (sometimes called Applications or App Manager — the exact name depends on your phone brand).
Find the game you want to clear data from. You may need to scroll through a long list. Tap the game name. You will see a screen with information about the app, including how much storage it uses. Look for a button that says Storage or Storage and Cache. Tap it.
You will see two buttons: Clear Cache and Clear Data (or Clear Storage). Tap Clear Data. A warning will appear asking you to confirm. Tap OK or Clear. The game data is now gone. The game itself remains on your phone and will work the next time you open it, but all your progress is erased.
If you want to free up space but keep your progress, tap Clear Cache instead. Cache is temporary data the game uses to run faster; clearing it does not erase your saved games or settings.
How to clear game data on iPhone
iPhone does not have a built-in "clear game data" button the way Android does. The fastest way to erase all game data is to delete the game and reinstall it. Open the App Store, search for the game, and tap the cloud icon with a down arrow to reinstall it. When you open it, it will be completely fresh.
If you want to keep the game installed but are willing to wait a few minutes, you can offload it instead. Go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage. Find the game in the list and tap it. Tap Offload App. This removes the game but keeps your data. Tap Reinstall App to put the game back. Your progress will still be there.
Offloading is useful if you want to free up space temporarily without losing progress. Deleting and reinstalling is the only way to erase the data completely.
Check for cloud saves before you clear anything
Some games automatically save your progress to a cloud account — usually through Google Play Games on Android, Game Center on iPhone, or the game's own account system. If your game does this, your progress may survive even after you clear the data, because the game will download it again the next time you play.
Before you clear game data, open the game and look in its settings menu for options like "Cloud Save", "Sync", "Backup", or "Account". If you see one of these, tap it and check whether it is turned on. If it is, your progress is probably backed up. If you are not sure, take a screenshot of your progress before you clear the data, just in case.
If the game is connected to a social media account like Facebook, your progress may be tied to that account. Clearing the data will not erase it — you can log back in and your progress will return.
The difference between clearing data and clearing cache
Cache is temporary files the game downloads and stores to run faster. Data is everything else — your saved games, settings, account information, and progress. Clearing cache frees up space but does not erase your progress. Clearing data erases everything.
If your game is running slowly, glitching, or crashing, try clearing the cache first. This often fixes the problem and takes up much less space than clearing all the data. On Android, you can clear cache without erasing your progress. On iPhone, you cannot clear cache separately; you have to delete and reinstall the game.
What to do if you cannot find the game in Settings
If you search for a game in your phone's app list and it does not appear, the game may have already been deleted. You can still clear any leftover data by looking for the game name in your phone's storage settings. On Android, go to Settings, then Storage, then Other Apps or Files, and search for the game folder. On iPhone, this is not usually possible — if the app is deleted, the data goes with it.
If the game appears in your app list but the Storage button does not show up, the game may not have downloaded fully or may be corrupted. Try deleting and reinstalling it instead.
How much space you will free up
The amount of space you free depends on the game. Some games store only a few megabytes of data. Others — especially games with lots of graphics, levels, or online features — can store hundreds of megabytes or even a gigabyte. You can see exactly how much space a game is using before you clear it. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, find the game, and tap Storage. On iPhone, go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage, and find the game in the list.
If you are trying to free up space on a full phone, clearing game data from several games can add up to real storage. Deleting games you no longer play entirely (not just clearing their data) frees up even more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo clearing game data?
No. Once you clear game data, it is gone permanently. There is no trash bin or recovery option. If your progress was not backed up to a cloud account, it cannot be recovered. This is why checking for cloud saves before you clear anything is important.
Will clearing game data delete the game itself?
No. Clearing data removes only the saved progress, settings, and temporary files. The game app stays on your phone. You can open it and play again immediately, but you will start from the beginning.
Does clearing cache slow down my game?
Slightly, the first time you play after clearing cache. The game will rebuild the cache as you play, which takes a few minutes. After that, performance returns to normal. Clearing cache often actually fixes games that are running slowly.
What if I clear data but the game still glitches?
Try deleting the game entirely and reinstalling it from the app store. Sometimes the app itself is corrupted, not just the data. Reinstalling replaces all the game files with fresh ones from the store.
Can I clear data for multiple games at once?
On Android, you have to clear each game one at a time through Settings. On iPhone, you have to delete and reinstall each game separately. There is no bulk clear option on either platform.