What clearing YouTube cache does and why you might want to
Clearing your YouTube cache removes temporary files that YouTube stores on your device — things like video thumbnails, playback data, and search history that the app uses to load faster next time. Over time, this cache can grow to several hundred megabytes, especially if you watch YouTube regularly. Clearing it frees up storage space and can sometimes fix problems like videos refusing to load, the app crashing, or playback stuttering.
You won't lose your YouTube account, subscriptions, or watch history by clearing cache. Those are stored on YouTube's servers, not on your device. What you might notice is that YouTube will take a few seconds longer to load the first time after you clear cache, because it has to download those temporary files again.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing YouTube cache removes temporary files stored on your device and can free up several hundred megabytes of storage space.
- The steps differ depending on whether you use YouTube on Android, iPhone, a web browser, or a computer — each platform has its own cache location.
- Clearing cache will not delete your subscriptions, watch history, or account information, which are stored on YouTube's servers.
- If clearing cache alone doesn't fix loading or playback problems, you may also need to clear app data or reinstall the YouTube app.
How to clear YouTube cache on Android
On Android, YouTube cache is stored in your phone's Settings app, not within YouTube itself. Open Settings, then tap Apps (or Application Manager on older phones). Find and tap YouTube. Tap Storage, then tap Clear Cache. The button will gray out once the cache is cleared.
If you want to clear cache for all apps at once, you can do this from the main Settings screen: go to Settings > Storage > Cache (or Cached Data) and tap Clear Cache. This removes temporary files from every app on your phone, not just YouTube.
How to clear YouTube cache on iPhone
iPhone handles cache differently than Android. The YouTube app itself doesn't have a dedicated cache-clearing button. Instead, you clear cache by offloading or reinstalling the app. Open Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage. Find YouTube in the list and tap it. Tap Offload App — this removes the app but keeps your data. Wait a few seconds, then tap Reinstall App. This clears the cache without losing your account or settings.
Alternatively, you can delete the app entirely and reinstall it from the App Store, which also clears cache. The offload method is faster because it doesn't require re-downloading the full app.
How to clear YouTube cache in a web browser
If you watch YouTube in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, the cache is stored as part of your browser's temporary files. Open your browser and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac). This opens the browser's cache-clearing menu.
Select All time or Everything from the time range dropdown. Check the box for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Leave other options unchecked unless you want to clear passwords or autofill data too. Click Clear data or Delete. This clears cache for all websites, not just YouTube — if you want to clear only YouTube's cache, most browsers don't offer that option, so you'll clear everything.
How to clear YouTube cache on Windows or Mac
If you use the YouTube app on Windows or Mac (rather than watching in a browser), cache is typically stored in your user folder. On Windows, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache if you're using Chrome, or a similar path for other browsers. On Mac, open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, and paste ~/Library/Caches, then look for a folder named after your browser.
Deleting files from these folders directly is more technical and carries a small risk of breaking something if you delete the wrong file. A safer approach is to clear cache through your browser's settings menu (using the steps above) or to uninstall and reinstall the YouTube app if you're using a dedicated app rather than a browser.
When to clear cache versus when to clear app data
Cache is temporary files that help the app run faster. Clearing it is safe and won't affect your account. App data includes settings, login information, and preferences — clearing it will log you out and reset the app to its default state. You should only clear app data if clearing cache didn't fix your problem.
If YouTube is crashing or refusing to load after you've cleared cache, try clearing app data next. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage > Clear Data. On iPhone, offload and reinstall the app (which clears both cache and data). You'll need to log back in afterward, but this fixes most persistent problems.
How much space clearing cache actually frees up
The amount of space varies depending on how often you use YouTube and how long it's been since you last cleared cache. Light users might free up 50 to 100 megabytes. Heavy users who watch YouTube daily for months might free up 300 to 500 megabytes. On phones with limited storage, this can be the difference between having enough space to install an update and running out of room.
If you're running low on storage, clearing cache is worth doing, but it's usually not a permanent fix. Cache will rebuild over time as you use YouTube. If you need more lasting storage relief, consider deleting old videos from your downloads (if you use YouTube Premium offline), removing unused apps, or moving photos to cloud storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cache delete my YouTube subscriptions or watch history?
No. Your subscriptions, watch history, and account information are stored on YouTube's servers, not on your device. Clearing cache only removes temporary files that help the app load faster. Your account will look exactly the same after you clear cache.
Why is my YouTube app still slow after I cleared cache?
If clearing cache didn't help, the problem might be your internet connection, not your device's storage. Try restarting your phone or router. If YouTube is still slow, try clearing app data (which will log you out) or reinstalling the app entirely. Slow performance can also happen if your device is running low on RAM or storage space overall, not just YouTube cache.
Do I need to clear YouTube cache regularly?
Only if you're running low on storage space or experiencing problems like crashes or slow loading. Most people don't need to clear cache regularly — it's not like clearing browser history for privacy reasons. Cache is just temporary files that help the app work better. Clear it when you need the space or when YouTube isn't working right.
Can I clear cache without losing my login information?
Yes. Clearing cache keeps you logged in. You only get logged out if you clear app data, which is a separate action. Cache is just temporary files; your login credentials are stored separately and won't be affected.
What's the difference between clearing cache and clearing browsing history?
Cache is temporary files that help apps and websites load faster. Browsing history is a list of websites you've visited. Clearing cache frees up storage space; clearing history removes the record of where you've been. They're separate things, though many browsers let you clear both at the same time.