What clearing your cache does and why you might need to

Your browser stores copies of websites you visit — images, scripts, stylesheets, and other files — in a folder called the cache. The next time you visit that site, your browser loads these stored copies instead of downloading them again, which makes pages load faster. But sometimes this cached data gets out of date, corrupted, or just takes up space you need. Clearing your cache forces your browser to download fresh copies of everything the next time you visit, which often fixes display problems, speeds up a sluggish browser, or frees up several gigabytes of disk space.

You might clear your cache if a website looks broken or won't load properly, if your browser feels slow, if you want to remove your browsing history for privacy reasons, or if you're troubleshooting a login problem. Clearing cache is safe — it won't delete your passwords, bookmarks, or saved form data unless you specifically choose those options during the process.

Key Takeaways

  • Clearing your cache removes stored website files and usually takes less than a minute, but your browser will download them again the next time you visit those sites.
  • Most browsers let you choose what time period to clear — last hour, last day, all time — so you can keep some cached data while removing the rest.
  • You can clear cache without deleting passwords, bookmarks, or browsing history by unchecking those options before you confirm.
  • If a website looks broken or won't load, clearing cache is often the first troubleshooting step and fixes the problem in most cases.

How to clear cache in Chrome

Open Chrome and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window directly. At the top, you'll see a dropdown that says "All time" — click it to choose how far back to clear: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time.

Below that, you'll see checkboxes for what to clear. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are both checked. Leave the other boxes unchecked unless you specifically want to delete passwords, browsing history, or autofill data. Then click the blue Clear data button. Chrome will finish in a few seconds, and you're done.

How to clear cache in Firefox

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Recent History window. At the top, click the dropdown that says "Everything" to choose a time range: Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 4 Hours, Today, or Everything.

Below that, click the dropdown next to "Details" to expand the list of what can be cleared. Make sure Cache is checked. You can leave the other options unchecked unless you want to remove cookies, browsing history, or form data. Click the blue Clear Now button, and Firefox will finish in a few seconds.

How to clear cache in Safari

Safari doesn't have a keyboard shortcut for clearing cache, so you'll use the menu instead. Click Safari in the top menu bar, then scroll down and click Clear History. A small window will pop up asking how far back to clear: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history.

Choose your time range and click Clear History. Safari clears both your browsing history and cached files at the same time — you can't separate them. If you want to clear cache without removing your browsing history, Safari doesn't offer that option directly, so you would need to use a third-party tool or clear everything together.

How to clear cache in Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window. At the top, click the dropdown that says "All time" to choose your time range: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time.

Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are both checked. Leave the other boxes unchecked unless you want to remove passwords, browsing history, or autofill information. Click the blue Clear now button. Edge will finish in a few seconds.

Clearing cache for a single website instead of everything

If you only want to clear the cache for one website — for example, because it's not loading properly but you want to keep cached files from other sites — most browsers don't offer a built-in option. Your best approach is to clear all cache, then visit the sites you use most so your browser rebuilds their cache quickly.

Alternatively, you can open the website in an incognito window (Chrome, Edge) or private window (Firefox, Safari). These windows don't use your regular cache at all — they download everything fresh and don't save anything when you close the window. This is useful for testing whether a site works without cache, but it's slower because nothing is stored.

What to do if clearing cache doesn't fix the problem

If a website still looks broken or won't load after you clear cache, try these next steps. First, restart your browser completely — close all windows and open it again. Second, try the website in a different browser to see if the problem is specific to one browser or affects all of them. Third, try the website on a different device if you have one available, which tells you whether the problem is with your computer or with the website itself.

If the website works fine on a different device or in a different browser, the problem is likely something specific to your browser setup. In that case, you might try disabling browser extensions — they can sometimes interfere with how websites load. If the website is broken on all devices and browsers, the problem is with the website itself, and you should contact the website's support team or check their social media to see if others are reporting the same issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cache delete my passwords?

No, unless you specifically check the box for passwords during the clearing process. Passwords are stored separately from cache. When you open the Clear Browsing Data window, passwords are usually unchecked by default, so they stay safe.

How much space does cache usually take up?

Cache size varies widely depending on how much you browse and which sites you visit. For most people, cache takes up between 100 megabytes and 2 gigabytes. You can check your cache size in your browser settings — in Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data, and it shows the size at the bottom of the window.

Should I clear cache regularly?

There's no need to clear cache on a schedule. Clear it when a website isn't working properly, when your browser feels slow, or when you want to free up disk space. If you browse privately or use incognito mode, cache is cleared automatically when you close the window.

Can I set my browser to clear cache automatically when I close it?

Yes. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security and turn on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome." Firefox has the same option under Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data. Safari and Edge have similar settings in their preferences. This way, cache clears every time you close the browser without you having to do it manually.

What's the difference between cache and cookies?

Cache stores website files like images and scripts to make pages load faster. Cookies store small pieces of information like login details and preferences. They're related but separate — clearing one doesn't automatically clear the other, though most browsers let you clear both at the same time.