What clearing cache and cookies actually does
Clearing your cache and cookies in Safari removes two different types of stored data. Your cache is a folder of images, scripts, and other files that websites have asked Safari to save so pages load faster next time you visit. Your cookies are small text files that websites use to remember you — your login status, items in your shopping cart, your language preference, or tracking data about your browsing.
Clearing both is useful when a website isn't loading correctly, when you want to remove your browsing history from your device, or when you're concerned about tracking. It won't delete your passwords or your browsing history itself — those are stored separately. If you clear cache and cookies, you'll be logged out of most websites, and pages may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing.
Key Takeaways
- On Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, select "Clear History", choose a time range, and make sure "cookies and cache" is checked before clicking Clear.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap Safari, scroll down to "Clear History and Website Data", and confirm — this removes cache, cookies, and browsing history at once.
- Clearing cache and cookies logs you out of websites but does not delete your saved passwords unless you specifically choose that option.
- You can set Safari to clear cache and cookies automatically when you quit the app on Mac, or set a schedule on iPhone in the Privacy settings.
Clearing cache and cookies on Mac
Open Safari and click the word "Safari" in the menu bar at the top of your screen. A dropdown menu will appear. Click "Clear History" near the bottom of that menu.
A window will pop up asking how far back you want to clear. The dropdown at the top says "the last hour" by default. Click it and choose "all history" if you want to remove everything, or pick a specific time range like "today" or "the last day". Below that, you'll see checkboxes for what to clear. Make sure both "cookies" and "cache" are checked. The "Browsing history" checkbox is separate — you can uncheck it if you only want to clear cache and cookies without removing your history. Click the blue "Clear History" button to finish.
Clearing cache and cookies on iPhone or iPad
Go to the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap "Safari" — it's usually in the middle section of the list. Scroll down to the bottom of the Safari settings page until you see "Clear History and Website Data". Tap it.
A confirmation message will appear asking if you're sure. Tap "Clear History and Website Data" again to confirm. This removes your browsing history, cookies, and cache all at once. Unlike on Mac, you can't choose a time range or pick which types of data to clear — it's all or nothing. The process takes a few seconds.
Setting Safari to clear automatically on Mac
If you want Safari to clear your cache and cookies every time you quit the app, you can set this up in preferences. Open Safari, click "Safari" in the menu bar, and select "Settings" (or "Preferences" on older versions of macOS). Click the "Privacy" tab at the top.
Look for the section labeled "Privacy" or "Cookies and website data". You'll see a checkbox that says something like "Remove all website data when quitting Safari" or "Always block cookies". Check this box. Now every time you close Safari completely, it will automatically clear cookies and cache. This doesn't happen if you just close individual tabs — Safari has to fully quit.
Setting Safari to clear automatically on iPhone or iPad
Open Settings and tap "Safari". Scroll down to "Privacy" and look for an option called "Clear History and Website Data" or similar. On newer versions of iOS and iPadOS, you may see a toggle for "Clear on Exit" or an option to set a schedule. If your version has this, turn it on and choose how often you want clearing to happen — daily, weekly, or monthly.
If you don't see an automatic clearing option, your device may not support it depending on your iOS version. In that case, you can only clear manually by going back to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
The difference between clearing cache and clearing history
Your browsing history is a list of websites you've visited — the URLs and page titles that appear when you click the history button or press Command-Y on Mac. Your cache is the actual files those websites stored on your device. Clearing history removes the list of sites you visited, but the cached files may still be there. Clearing cache removes those files, but Safari still remembers which sites you visited.
When you use "Clear History" on Mac, you can choose to clear only history, only cache and cookies, or all three. On iPhone, tapping "Clear History and Website Data" removes all of them together. If you're concerned about privacy, clearing both is the more thorough option.
When you might want to clear cache and cookies
Clear your cache if a website looks broken, loads slowly, or shows outdated information. Sometimes Safari's stored version of a page is out of date, and clearing cache forces it to download the fresh version. Clear cookies if you want to log out of a website completely, or if you're using a shared device and want to remove your login information.
You might also clear both if you're troubleshooting a website that won't let you log in, or if you notice unusual ads following you across sites — though clearing cookies only stops tracking temporarily. Websites will start storing new cookies the moment you visit them again. If you want ongoing privacy, consider using Safari's "Private Browsing" mode instead, which doesn't store cache or cookies at all while you're browsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cache and cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately in Safari's keychain and are not affected by clearing cache and cookies. You'll stay logged into most websites because Safari remembers your password, even though the cookie that kept you logged in is gone. If a site asks you to log in again, you can use your saved password to do so quickly.
What's the difference between clearing cache and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is the list of websites you visited. Cache is the files those websites stored on your device to make them load faster. Clearing history removes the list; clearing cache removes the files. You can do either one separately on Mac, but on iPhone they clear together.
Does clearing cache and cookies slow down my browsing?
Slightly, but only the first time you visit a website after clearing. Without cached files, Safari has to download everything fresh, which takes a few extra seconds. After that first visit, Safari caches the files again and pages load normally. The privacy benefit usually outweighs the minor speed difference.
Can I clear cache and cookies for only one website instead of all of them?
Not directly in Safari's built-in tools — you clear all cache and cookies at once, or none. However, you can use Private Browsing mode for websites where you don't want data stored. Alternatively, you can log out of a specific website, which removes its login cookie without affecting others.
How often should I clear my cache and cookies?
There's no set rule. If you're concerned about tracking, clearing weekly or monthly is reasonable. If you're troubleshooting a website problem, clear once and see if it helps. If you share your device, clearing before you hand it over is a good practice. Setting automatic clearing on exit is the simplest approach if you want it done regularly without thinking about it.