What clearing your cache does and why you might need to

Clearing your cache removes temporary files that Chrome stores on your computer — copies of web pages, images, and scripts from sites you've visited. Chrome saves these files so pages load faster the next time you visit them. Over time, cached files can take up gigabytes of storage space, and occasionally a corrupted cache file can cause a page to display incorrectly or load slowly.

You might clear your cache if a website looks broken, if you're running low on storage space, or if you want to remove the record of sites you've visited. Clearing cache does not sign you out of websites or delete your passwords — those are stored separately.

Key Takeaways

  • You can clear your cache through Chrome's settings menu in under a minute, choosing to delete files from the last hour, day, week, or all time.
  • The "Cookies and other site data" option removes login sessions and tracking data, while "Cached images and files" removes only the temporary files that slow down your browser.
  • You can set Chrome to clear your cache automatically every time you close the browser by turning on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" in settings.
  • Clearing cache on one device does not affect your cache on other devices — you must clear it separately on each computer or phone.

Clear your cache using the keyboard shortcut

The fastest way to open Chrome's cache-clearing window is to press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the "Clear browsing data" window directly, skipping the settings menu.

At the top of the window, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "All time", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "Last hour". Choose the time range you want to clear. Below that, check the box next to "Cached images and files" to remove temporary files. If you also want to remove cookies and login sessions, check "Cookies and other site data" as well. Then click the blue "Clear data" button.

Clear your cache through Chrome settings

If you prefer to use the menu, open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the dropdown. On the left side of the screen, click "Privacy and security", then click "Clear browsing data".

The same "Clear browsing data" window will open. Choose your time range, check "Cached images and files", and click "Clear data". You can also check additional boxes if you want to remove cookies, browsing history, or other data at the same time.

Set Chrome to clear cache automatically when you close it

If you want Chrome to clear your cache every time you close the browser, open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right. Go to "Settings", then click "Privacy and security" on the left side. Look for the toggle that says "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" and turn it on.

Once this is enabled, Chrome will automatically delete cached files, cookies, and site data each time you fully close the browser. This does not happen if you simply close a tab or window — Chrome must be completely shut down. Passwords and bookmarks will remain because they are stored separately from cache and cookies.

What gets deleted and what stays

When you check "Cached images and files" and click "Clear data", Chrome removes temporary copies of web pages, images, videos, and scripts. When you check "Cookies and other site data", Chrome removes login information for websites, tracking cookies, and site preferences like language settings.

Clearing your cache does not delete your browsing history, passwords, bookmarks, or autofill information. Those are stored in different locations. If you want to remove your browsing history, you must check the "Browsing history" box in the same window. If you want to delete saved passwords, you need to go to Settings > Autofill > Passwords and remove them individually.

Clear cache on mobile Chrome

On an Android phone or tablet, open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Tap "Settings", then tap "Privacy and security", then tap "Clear browsing data". Choose your time range, check "Cookies and site data" and "Cached images and files", and tap "Clear data".

On an iPhone or iPad, open Chrome and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. Tap "Settings", then tap "Privacy", then tap "Clear browsing data". Check the boxes you want and tap "Clear browsing data" at the bottom of the screen. Mobile Chrome does not have an automatic cache-clearing option like desktop Chrome does.

Troubleshooting if clearing cache doesn't fix your problem

If a website still looks broken or loads slowly after you clear your cache, try closing Chrome completely and opening it again. Sometimes a page loads incorrectly because of a temporary connection issue rather than a corrupted cache file. If the problem persists, try opening the website in an incognito window (Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows, Command + Shift + N on Mac), which does not use your cache at all.

If the page works in incognito but not in your normal browser, the problem may be a Chrome extension rather than your cache. You can test this by temporarily disabling extensions: click the three vertical dots, go to "More tools", click "Extensions", and turn off each extension one by one until the page loads correctly. If clearing cache does not solve the problem and the page works fine in another browser, contact the website's support team — the issue may be on their end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing my cache sign me out of websites?

Clearing "Cookies and other site data" will sign you out of most websites because login information is stored in cookies. If you only clear "Cached images and files" without checking the cookies box, you will stay logged in. You can choose which data to delete each time you clear your cache.

How much storage space does cache actually 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 MB and 1 GB. You can see how much space Chrome is using by going to Settings > About Chrome — Chrome will show you the total size of your profile, though it does not break down cache separately.

Can I clear cache for just one website instead of all websites?

Chrome does not have a built-in option to clear cache for a single site. You can clear all cache from a specific time period, but not from a specific domain. If you need to clear cache for one site only, you can open that site in an incognito window, which does not save cache at all.

What's the difference between clearing cache and clearing browsing history?

Browsing history is the list of URLs you've visited — it's what appears when you press Ctrl + H. Cache is the temporary files those pages left behind. Clearing history removes the list of sites you visited, while clearing cache removes the files those sites stored. You can do either one independently.

Do I need to clear cache on my phone if I also use Chrome on my computer?

Cache is stored separately on each device. Clearing cache on your computer does not affect your phone's cache, and vice versa. If you want to clear cache on all your devices, you must do it on each one individually.