What clearing your cache does and why you might want to

Clearing your cache in Safari removes temporary files that the browser stores on your device — images, scripts, and partial web pages that Safari saves so sites load faster the next time you visit. Over time, this cache can grow large and occasionally cause problems: a site might display an outdated version of itself, login issues can persist, or your device's storage fills up unnecessarily.

You do not need to clear your cache often. Most people clear it when a website is behaving strangely, before selling or giving away a device, or simply to free up space. If you are concerned about privacy, clearing your cache also removes a record of which sites you have visited recently — though it does not affect your browsing history, which is a separate thing.

Key Takeaways

  • Safari stores your cache in a separate location from your browsing history, so clearing one does not affect the other.
  • On iPhone and iPad, you clear cache through Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, choosing a time range.
  • On Mac, use Safari menu > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, then select and remove individual sites or clear all at once.
  • Clearing cache may temporarily slow down sites you visit frequently, since Safari will need to download files again.

Clearing cache on iPhone and iPad

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Safari — it appears in the list of apps, not in a Settings submenu. Tap Clear History and Website Data.

A menu appears asking what time range to clear. Your options are the last hour, today, today and yesterday, the last week, the last month, or all time. Choose the range that matches what you want to remove. Tap the blue Clear History and Data button to confirm. Safari will clear both your browsing history and cached website data for that time period.

If you want to remove cache from specific websites only, go back to Settings > Safari and tap Manage Website Data instead. You will see a list of every site that has stored data on your device. Scroll to find the site you want to clear, swipe left on its name, and tap the red delete button. You can also tap Remove All Websites at the bottom to clear everything at once.

Clearing cache on Mac

Open Safari and click the Safari menu in the top menu bar. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS). Click the Privacy tab.

Click the Manage Website Data button. A window opens showing every site that has stored cache on your Mac. To remove data from a single site, click its name in the list and click Remove. To clear everything, click Remove All at the bottom right.

If you want to clear cache automatically when you quit Safari, stay in the Privacy tab and look for the option Remove all website data when quitting Safari. Check this box if you want Safari to handle cache removal for you each time you close the browser.

The difference between cache, history, and cookies

Safari stores three different types of data, and they serve different purposes. Cache is the temporary files — images, stylesheets, scripts — that make sites load faster. History is the list of URLs you have visited, which appears in your history menu and search suggestions. Cookies are small files that sites use to remember you — your login status, preferences, items in your shopping cart.

When you clear history and website data in Settings on iPhone or iPad, you are clearing both cache and cookies, but not your browsing history list. On Mac, the Manage Website Data option clears cache and cookies but leaves history untouched. If you want to clear your browsing history separately on Mac, use Safari menu > Settings > General, then click Remove history items and choose a time range.

What happens after you clear your cache

Sites you visit frequently may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cache, because Safari has to download images and other files again instead of using the stored copies. This slowdown is usually not noticeable — most modern connections are fast enough that you will not see a difference. After that first visit, Safari will begin caching those files again.

Clearing cache does not log you out of websites, change your passwords, or remove saved credit card information — those are stored separately. You will remain logged into most sites. Some sites may ask you to log in again if they use cookies to track your session, but this is not related to cache.

When to clear cache and when not to

Clear your cache if a website is displaying incorrectly, if you are having trouble logging in, if you are preparing to sell or give away your device, or if you want to free up storage space. You do not need to clear it as part of regular maintenance — Safari manages cache reasonably well on its own, and clearing it frequently offers no real benefit.

If you are concerned about privacy while browsing, clearing cache is one step, but it is not a complete solution. Cache removal does not prevent websites from tracking you while you are on them, and it does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or network administrator. For stronger privacy, consider using Safari's Privacy Browsing mode, which does not store history or cache from those sessions.

Troubleshooting cache-related problems

If a site still behaves strangely after clearing cache, try closing Safari completely and reopening it. On iPhone and iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer models) to access the app switcher, find Safari, and swipe it away. On Mac, quit Safari entirely using Command-Q, then reopen it.

If the problem persists, the issue may not be cache-related. Try visiting the site in a different browser, or contact the website's support team. Some sites have server-side problems that clearing your cache cannot fix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing my cache delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cache. Clearing cache will not affect saved passwords or autofill information. You will remain logged into most sites because login tokens are stored as cookies, which are also separate from cache.

How much storage space does cache actually use?

This varies widely depending on how much you browse and which sites you visit. Cache can range from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes on a device with years of browsing history. Check your device storage in Settings to see how much space Safari is using overall.

Can I clear cache for just one website without clearing everything?

Yes. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Safari > Manage Website Data, find the site, and swipe left to delete it. On Mac, open Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, click the site name, and click Remove.

What is the difference between clearing cache and using Private Browsing?

Clearing cache removes files Safari has already stored. Private Browsing prevents Safari from storing cache, history, or cookies in the first place while you are in that mode. Private Browsing is useful if you want to browse without leaving a record; clearing cache is useful after the fact.

Does clearing cache speed up Safari?

Not noticeably. Clearing cache might free up storage space on your device, which could help if your device is nearly full, but it will not make Safari faster. In fact, clearing cache may temporarily slow down sites you visit frequently, since Safari has to download files again.