What happens when I clear my cache (2024)

FAQs

What happens when I clear my cache? ›

When you "clear your cache", you are telling your web browser to delete the temporary files it has stored in the process of showing you the websites you've visited.

The cache and cookies should be cleared regularly for several reasons. Depending on your settings, the cache can grow quite big, use a lot of disk space on your computer and cause slow web browsing. The cache can also cause issues when viewing new versions of previously visited web pages.

When you clear cache, the stored data of any app or browser that you clear is wiped out. That means apps and websites will load files (photos, videos, etc.) from the internet rather than retrieving them from your phone.

How often do I need to clear my cache? Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That's generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.

Tip: Clearing the cache simply clears temporary files. It won't erase login credentials, downloaded files, or custom settings.

Clearing the cache will simply erase all these files, meaning that your web browser will have fetch those files again next time you go back online. Theoretically it's completely separate from your browser's history.

You might clear your cache because you are having problems with a website and want to try again with a "clean slate". Clearing the cache will remove all the temporary copies of a website and it's files, and the next time you visit the site it will be freshly downloaded (and hopefully without problems).

Clearing the cache on your Android phone can improve performance, fix app problems, and free up storage space. Cache is a temporary storage space that apps use to store data they need to access quickly. To clear the cache, go to Settings > Apps > select the app > Storage > Clear Cache.

Clearing cookies and cache will not clear passwords, unless you select the option that allows it. In a browser, press Ctrl-Shift-Del, and don't select password deletion box.

By clearing the cache, you can free up space on your device and help to ensure that it continues to run smoothly. It's important to note that clearing the cache will not delete any personal data, such as photos or contacts. It will only remove temporary files that are no longer needed.

Is it better to delete or clear history? ›

Your web history is a record of all the websites you visit. All browsers log your history, and while it's helpful, you could run into potential speed and privacy problems if you never delete your browsing history.

Some of your settings might be deleted when clearing your browser history. For example, you might have to re-sign into your accounts. If you want to delete cookies and cache for a specific site, you can learn how to change more cookie settings in Chrome.

Clearing your cache can reclaim precious storage space on your phone and resolve technical issues such as app slowdowns.

Emails, social media posts, text messages, are not primarily stored in your cache, cookies, or history, so clearing your browser data should have no effect on them.

It could be your cache. So if you clear your browser's cache and temporary internet files regularly, this helps your computer or device run optimally—and doing so can help fix certain problems, like a website loading slowly, or formatting issues on a web page.

Clearing your cache will not remove any critical or saved data, such as your login credentials, account information, friends list, downloaded files, Memories, Snaps, or Chats.

Clearing the cache on your Android phone can improve performance, fix app problems, and free up storage space. Cache is a temporary storage space that apps use to store data they need to access quickly. To clear the cache, go to Settings > Apps > select the app > Storage > Clear Cache.

Cache refers to a temporary storage area on your device that stores recently visited web pages, so technically if you only clear the cached images and files, there are no passwords to worry about.

A full cache needs memory, and if you're full, a bogged down memory doesn't work very quickly. Clearing the backlog could make your device work quicker.