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4 Ways to Refresh Webpages in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

A writer at heart, Ankita enjoys exploring and writing about technology. While she started as a script and copywriter, her keen interest in the digital world pulled her towards technology, and with GT, she has found her calling in writing about and simplifying the world of tech for others. On any day, you can catch her chained to her laptop, meeting deadlines, writing scripts, and watching shows (any language!).

Whenever you open a webpage on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it loads the latest information. But once the page finishes loading, all the information displayed usually remains static, even if it has changed or refreshed in the backend. To access the latest information, you can refresh all those web pages in Safari.

Refreshing webpages help update the current information on your screen. And while you can use the Cmd + Option + R shortcut to hard refresh (force reload) or clear all the cache in Safari separately, what if you want to reload the page? Is there an option or shortcut? Let’s find out.

How to Refresh Webpages in Safari on iPhone and iPad

When using Safari on your iPhone or iPad, use the Reload icon to reload a page. Or, if your device is updated, use the pull-to-refresh option. You can also use keyboard shortcuts, if available. Or, force the browser to close and restart. Thus, reloading the page in the process. Here’s a step-by-step look for clarity.

1. Using the Address Bar

Step 1: Depending on your device’s settings, go to the address bar at the top or bottom of the page in Safari.

Step 2: Here, tap on the Reload icon.

Wait for the page to finish reloading. If the address bar is not visible, use your finger to move the page up or down. Once you see it, tap on the Reload icon accordingly. This will reload the page in Safari.

2. Through the Pull-to-Refresh Feature

If your iPhone runs iOS 15 or higher, you can use the pull-to-refresh option. Using this, you can pull the webpage down and wait for it to refresh and reload.

Step 1: Go to the relevant tab in Safari.

Step 2: Now, hold and pull down from the top half of the page. Release the page once you see the reload icon appear.

Once you release the page, it should automatically refresh all the information. If this doesn’t work, check your device’s software version and try again.

3. Using a Keyboard Shortcut

As long as you have a compatible wireless keyboard , you can connect it to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth . This can not only aid in typing but also allow you to use keyboard shortcuts on your Apple device. Then, use the Cmd + R shortcut on the wireless keyboard and reload the page without touching the screen.

4. Force Close and Restart Safari

If you can’t use the abovementioned methods, force Safari to close altogether on your iPhone or iPad. This can help solve any glitches with the browser as well. Once the browser reopens, it should refresh the page as well. Here’s how.

Step 1: Swipe up from the bottom of the page to open background apps. Or, if your device has a Home button, double-press it.

Step 2: Once the background apps are visible, hold and swipe up on Safari.

Step 3: Now, tap on the Safari app icon to reopen the browser.

Once Safari opens, the page should also reopen in the designated tab. If that doesn’t happen, use the address bar or search history to reopen the page in Safari.

How to Refresh Safari Webpages on Your Mac

Like refreshing Safari webpages on your iPhone or iPad, you can also reload a page on your Mac. To do this, use the refresh button in Safari, menu options, or the keyboard shortcut. Or, if this doesn’t work, force Safari to close and reload. This will not only restart all browser functions but also reload the page. Here’s how to do it.

1. Through the Reload Icon

Step 1: Go to the Safari address bar and click on the Reload icon.

Once the page reloads, any related issue should be resolved as your browser fetches a fresh copy of the page.

2. Using Menu Options

Step 1: Once Safari is open, go to the menu bar and click on View.

Step 2: Here, click on Reload Page. Wait for the page to refresh.

3. Using Keyboard Shortcut

While you must connect a keyboard to your iPad or iPhone, your Mac already has one. Taking advantage of this, use the Cmd + R keys to reload the currently open page in Safari quickly. Or, if you want to reload the page without cache, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and click the Reload icon in Safari.

4. Closing and Reopening Safari

Step 1: Go to the menu options and click on the Apple icon. Then, click on Force Quit.

Step 2: From the list of apps, select Safari.

Step 3: Then, click on Force Quit. Wait for Safari to close.

Step 4: Now, click on the Safari app icon to open the browser again.

If the webpage isn’t open, type the website address in the menu bar or open it from the device history. The web page information should be refreshed.

Reload a Page in Safari

Refreshing the webpages in Safari not only helps deliver the latest information but also aids in resolving certain site glitches and errors like media not loading in Safari . So, we hope this article helped you refresh a Safari webpage on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 21 February, 2024

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

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• Clear Safari cache on Mac
• Clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad
• How to save passwords when clearing your cache

How to clear your Safari browser cache on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad

• You can clear your cache on Safari in just a few steps on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
• Clearing your cache, as well as history and cookies, can help resolve your device's performance issues.
• Clearing your cookies will clear your passwords as well, unless you save them with keychain.

A cache is a store of data. When you visit a website on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, the Safari browser keeps a snapshot of the pages you view.

If you go back to that website, Safari loads the cached page in an instant, instead of taking the time to retrieve the page from the internet again.

But an overloaded cache can take up storage space and cause your device to run inefficiently — and it could use a periodic clearing.

Here's what you need to know to clear your cache on Safari, as well as your cookies and browsing history.

How to clear Safari cache on Mac

You can either clear just your cache or your cache, history, and cookies. 

Clear your cache

1. Click on the Safari tab at the top left of your screen and choose Preferences from the dropdown menu.

2.  Click the Advanced tab of the menu that pops up.

3.  At the end of the tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar box and close the Preferences menu.

4. Click the Develop tab from the Safari menu at the top of the page.

5. Click Empty Caches from the dropdown menu.

Clear your cache, history, and cookies

You may also want to clear your browsing history and cookies in addition to emptying your cache. Here's how to do that.

1. Choose the History tab at the top of your screen.

2. At the very bottom of the dropdown menu, choose Clear History.

3.  A box pops up with a choice to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. Choose your time frame and click the Clear History button.  

Once you clear the history, it will also clear the cache and cookies associated with that time period.

How to clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad

To clear your cache and browsing history:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap Safari .

3. Tap Clear History and Website Data .

4. On the screen that pops up, choose Clear History and Data .

To clear your cache but not your browsing history:

3. Tap Advanced .

4. Tap Website Data .

5. Choose Remove All Website Data .

What happens to saved passwords when you clear your cache

When you clear your cache, history, and cookies, you may discover that Safari has logged you out of your favorite websites.

While clearing Safari's cache alone will not delete your passwords, clearing your history and cookies can. That's because when you empty your cookies, you will lose their password data saved in Safari as well. And keep in mind that clearing your history also clears its associated cookies.

Luckily, Apple has a solution to this problem. If you use iCloud, check your iCloud settings on your phone or computer.

Make sure that you've checked the box for Safari. As long as this box is checked, any passwords you save through your browser will stay safe in your keychain .

• Main content

Clear the history, cache, and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Learn how to delete your history, cookies, and cache in Settings.

Delete history, cache, and cookies

Clear cookies and cache, but keep your history, delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.

When there's no history or website data to clear, the button to clear it turns gray. The button might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

To visit sites without leaving a history, turn Private Browsing on .

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there's no website data to clear, the button to clear it turns gray. The button might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Tap the Edit button, then select the website or websites that you want to delete from your history.

Tap the Delete button.

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device so that site can remember you when you visit again.

To block cookies:

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on Block All Cookies.

If you block cookies, some web pages might not work. Here are some examples:

You will likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct username and password.

You might see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are off.

Some features on a site might not work.

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.

Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.

Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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iOS 15: How to Quickly Refresh a Webpage in Safari

In iOS 15, Apple has completely redesigned Safari with easier-to-reach controls in mind when you're browsing the internet. For example, the URL address bar can optionally sit at the bottom of the screen instead of up top, which makes it easier to access when you're using your iPhone with one hand.

A downward swipe on any webpage‌ is all it takes to refresh a webpage in Safari. This alternative to having to tap on the reload icon is especially useful if you like to keep the address bar at the top of the screen, where tapping the reload icon can be less convenient.

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How to clear the cache in Safari on Mac and iPhone - and what it does

Like every web browser, Safari stores data on your Mac , iPhone , and iPad , with the express purpose of speeding up your online life. You may have the kind of internet speed that Apple Park takes for granted, but even so, it's better to spend that speed where it's needed.

So when you revisit a website, Safari makes it so that as far as possible, you only need to download what has changed. Even with a news site that is being updated all day, the basic layout, the furniture of the page, doesn't change all that often, so Safari might as well download it once.

Behind the scenes, then, whenever you ask Safari to go to a site, it goes there with half an eye on what elements of the site it has already stored on your device. Then it will load up anything it can from your device, because retrieving locally stored data is always faster than downloading it.

No question, a Safari cache is a good thing. Except when it isn't.

When you should clear Safari's cache

It's possible for things to go wrong. If Safari doesn't appear to be loading a site, it could be that there's some data corruption in the cache.

Or it could be simply that you are tight on space and all of this invisibly stored cache data is taking up a lot of room. When you're particularly low on space, you know it, too, because your device runs noticeably slower.

So if you are having problems any time you're browsing the web on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, clearing the cache is at the very least a good first troubleshooting step.

You don't want to inadvertently introduce new problems or inconveniences, though. And clearing caches could also remove passwords that you thought Safari was saving for you.

So before you empty the cache, make sure that Safari is saving those passwords. On the Mac, go to System Preferences, click on Apple ID , then iCloud .

Or on iOS, open Settings , tap on your name at the top, then iCloud .

In either case, then check that Safari is turned on. With the Mac, that means a tick box is on, and with iOS, it means the slider button is turned on and showing green.

How to clear the cache in Safari on Mac

• Launch Safari
• Click on the Safari menu at top left
• Choose Preferences
• Click on Advanced
• Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar to set it to on
• Close the Preferences window, and open the Develop menu
• Choose Empty Caches

There is no OK button, and then no visible confirmation that the caches have been cleared. But they have been.

How to clear the cache in Safari on iPhone and iPad

• Open Settings
• Scroll down to Safari and tap
• Choose Clear History and Website Data
• Confirm by tapping the new Clear History and Data button that pops up

Unlike with the Mac, there is a visible indication that the cache has been cleared. The option for Clear History and Website Data is greyed out and unavailable.

Note that it won't stay unavailable. It is immediately available the moment you do anything more in Safari.

What happens next

Once you have cleared the cache, you will typically find that some site loading problems are resolved. You'll also find that your device runs faster.

Except, of course, the next time you browse to a website, it will load a little slower than you're used to. But that will speed up again - once Safari has once more cached the site.

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How to clear the cache on your iPhone (and why you should)

How many tabs are open on your mobile browser right now? Go ahead, check -- you might be surprised by what you find.

Americans spend over five hours a day on their smartphones. That's over five hours of your phone potentially accessing, retrieving, and saving cache and cookies, which can negatively impact your iPhone's storage space .

What is cache?

Cache is the temporary storage of some data, like parts of a website from the last time you visited it, for example. Browser cache is content from a website that is stored on your phone during a browser session to help the browser execute faster the next time you visit that page.

Also:  How to clear Google search cache on Android

Cache data can slow down your phone's overall browsing performance, however, since it takes up storage space on your device, so it's good to clear it out regularly. In this article, we mainly focus on clearing web browser cache on an iPhone, but you should know that other types of cache include mobile app cache and CPU cache.

How to clear cache on iPhone

What you'll need: Everything you need to clear your browser cache is within the iPhone's settings app or the Safari app, so grab your iPhone to get started.

Keep in mind that clearing the cache can clear private data, which can close all open tabs in Safari. This is also likely to log you out of all your websites, prompting you to sign in again the next time you open them. 

1. Go to your iPhone's Settings app

To delete Safari's cached data, open the  Settings  app on your iPhone. You can also do this directly in the Safari app, but we'll show the process of getting an empty browser cache through iPhone Settings because this gives you more options.

Tap Settings to begin clearing the iPhone cache.

2. Find Safari on the list

Within  Settings , scroll down the list of options and apps until  Safari  comes up, then tap on it to access its settings.

Find Safari on the list.

3. Find the Clear History and Website Data option

To clear the app cache, scroll down through the  Safari  options, until you find an option for  Clear History and Website Data . Tap on it to get started clearing Safari's cache.

Tap on the option highlighted above.

4. Confirm you want to clear the browser cache

A pop-up will appear; tap Clear History to confirm you want to delete Safari's browsing history and cache.

After confirming, the browser cache and cookies in Safari will be deleted from your iPhone, but your autofill information should still be on your device. Cached images and browser history will also be deleted, and you'll be logged out of any websites you were previously logged into. 

Your iPhone gives you the option to close all your open tabs or keep them open for when you reopen Safari, a feature that wasn't available until recently. 

Tap on this again to confirm.

How do I clear the cache from Chrome on iPhone?

If Google Chrome is your preferred browser, it may have a substantial amount of data stored on your device, which could also slow down performance. 

To clear the cache in Chrome, open the Google Chrome app and follow these steps:

• Tap  Settings .
• Go to  Privacy and Security .
• Select  Clear Browsing Data .
• Select the time from which to delete the data (if you want to delete all your browsing history, choose All Time ).
• Go through the items you'd like to delete, like your Browsing History, Cookies and Site Data, Cached Images and Files, Saved Passwords , and Autofill Data.
• Confirm by tapping  Clear Browsing Data  at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap Done when you've deleted the Chrome cache.

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Clearing the browsing and cache data in Google Chrome doesn't close all open tabs, but it will refresh each tab and log you out of websites. Once you tap on one of the tabs you want to access, you'll have to log back in.

How can I browse on Safari without history?

If you're learning how to clear cache on an iPhone, you may also be wondering if there's a way to use Safari without saving any browsing history. You can turn on Private Browsing by following these steps:

• Open  Safari .
• Tap on  Tabs .
• Choose Private .

You can also enable private browsing by going to your iPhone Settings, finding Safari, and toggling on the private option. 

How do I clear my app cache on my iPhone?

To clear the app cache from your iPhone Settings app, you can either delete the app and reinstall it, offload it, or try to clear the cache from within the app. Unfortunately, iOS apps don't have consistent settings across the board that would allow you to clear the cache of every app.

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Apps like TikTok and CapCut, for example, have options to Clear Cache within their respective settings. Amazon lets users delete their browsing history, while the Reddit app can clear local history. It all depends on what the app's settings let you do. 

Is "clear cache" the same as offloading?

Not exactly, though app offloading can help if your phone is slowed down by low storage. To offload an app  means to uninstall an app without deleting any documents or data associated with it. 

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To offload an app, go to  Settings , then  General , choose  iPhone Storage  and select the app to offload, then tap  Offload App . If you ever download it again, you'll pick up where you left off for that app.

Are cookies and cache the same thing?

Cookies and cache are not the same. Cookies are data files that websites send to your phone, including things like saved passwords to keep you logged into an account or even the website preferences from the previous time you visited. 

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Though they do sound harmless, cookies can also track how you browse the internet. They monitor patterns in your browsing and search history, even seeing what you clicked on or what your mouse hovered over. Ever made an innocuous search on Amazon only to find ads for it on all the apps you use? Cookies likely made that possible.

Can I block cookies on my iPhone?

While you can block cookies on Safari, the ranks are divided on whether you should. Blocking cookies entirely means that websites won't be able to get information from you, but it also means that some websites may not even work correctly on your browser. A lot of users actually enjoy a more personalized browsing experience, so cookies are a good thing for them.

 If you'd like to block cookies in Safari, follow these steps:

• Go to  Settings  and select  Safari .
• Tap on the toggle next to  Block All Cookies .

There are also third-party extensions that help you block cookies and trackers in Google Chrome, like Ghostery and Disconnect .

How do I check iPhone storage?

On an iPhone, Settings can show you what's taking up most of your media storage, like photos, videos, and music. You can also see what each particular app's storage consumption is, which includes temporary data. To view the details of your iPhone's storage space, follow these steps:

• Go to the iPhone Settings .
• Tap on General .
• Select iPhone Storage .
• Scroll through to find the app you're looking for.
• Tap on the app to view storage status and options.

Unfortunately, you can't clear your iPhone cache for third-party apps by going into your Settings app, but this gives you a visual of your iPhone's storage and the option to delete or offload apps.

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How to clear your cache in Safari

Looking to clear your cache on Safari but not sure how? Here is the simplest way to clear your cache in Safari.

It’s important to make sure that you are regularly clearing out your phone. Old websites and history can take up a lot more storage than you may expect, and doing a spring clean for your handset every once in a while can keep things running smoothly and actually improve the phone’s performance.

Thankfully, Apple has made it really easy to clear your cache and website history on the iPhone, meaning that you can keep your phone in tip-top shape with very little effort.

Keep reading to find out how easy it is to clear your cache on your iPhone.

What we used

• We used an iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 15

The Short Version

Open your iphone, click on the settings app, scroll down to safari, click on safari, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click clear history and website data, click clear history and data.

Yes, this method will also work on an iPad, and you should make sure you clear your cache and website history on your tablet for the same reasons: it improves performance and clears away storage that you could be using.

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How-To Geek

How to clear history, cache, and cookies in safari on iphone or ipad.

We're going to assume that most How-To Geek writers know how to delete the history, cookies, and cache in Mobile Safari, but just in case you don't know, here is how to do it.

Open up the Settings app and find Safari in the left-hand list, and then scroll down the right side until you find the "Clear History and Website Data" button.

You'll be prompted to verify that you really want to do this, and it will point out that this is also going to delete the history from other devices using your iCloud account to sync Safari.

Related: How to Clear Cookies / Cache for a Single Website on iPhone or iPad

Perhaps this is a good time to point out that you should use private browsing mode if you don't want history being saved on your device!

Safari Mobile (iPhone)

Detailed Instructions to completely clear the cache for Safari in your mobile device

Safari on mobile device

Check other versions of Safari

• Safari (older)
• Safari (IOS)

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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache

Get Your iPhone running faster, right now

• Ithaca College
• Switching from Android

What to Know

• To clear the Safari cache: Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data . For other browsers, clear cache in the app's settings.
• To clear the cache from third-party apps: Navigate to the app within the iOS Settings app and toggle Reset cached content .
• If an app doesn't have a cache clearing option: Delete and reinstall the app. This clears the old cache and starts a new one.

The iPhone automatically creates hidden files during day-to-day use that are stored in a temporary area of the iPhone's memory called a cache . Clearing this data can free up storage space or speed up your device. This guide shows how to do it on any iPhone with iOS 12 and later. (The directions for devices with iOS 11 are nearly identical.)

How to Clear the Safari Cache on an iPhone

The most commonly cleared cache on any device is the web browser cache. This is full of saved images and web pages, cookies, and other files.

The web browser cache is designed to speed up your browser by saving files it might need later so you don't have to download them again. Clearing Safari's cache might slow down your browser because it will have to download previously cached data. However, it's a common solution when the browser isn't working properly.

To clear the cache in Safari:

Tap the Settings app on the iPhone home screen.

Tap Safari .

Tap Clear History and Website Data .

In the confirmation box, tap Clear History and Data (or tap Cancel if you change your mind).

You can restart your iPhone to perform a more "lightweight" cache clearing. It will not clear every kind of cache: The Safari browser cache and some third-party apps won't be cleared, for example. But it's a great way to delete temporary files to free up storage or solve problems.

How to Clear Cache From Third-Party Apps on iPhone

Third-party apps that you install from the App Store may or may not allow you to clear their caches. It depends on whether that's a feature that the developer has added to the app.

The settings to clear caches for some third-party apps are located in the iPhone's Settings app. For example, to clear the cache of the Accuweather app:

Tap the iPhone's Settings app.

Scroll down and tap the AccuWeather app.

Turn on the Reset cached content slider.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

Sometimes the cache-cleaning settings are located in the app's settings, usually in a Settings menu within the app. The Chrome browser app is one of these apps.

Open the Chrome browser and tap the three-dot menu icon at the bottom of the screen.

Tap Settings .

Select Privacy .

Choose Clear Browsing Data .

If there's no option to clear the cache in either the app or the phone's settings, delete and reinstall the app. This will clear the old cache and start the app fresh. Be sure you know what you're losing here, though. You may not want to clear data you need to hold onto.

Reinstall Apps to Clear iPhone Cache

If an app doesn't let you clear the cache manually, you can still clear out the app's temporary files. The solution is to delete the app from the iPhone and immediately reinstall it.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to determine which apps on the iPhone take up the most space on your device.

The iPhone Storage screen lists all the apps installed on your iPhone and how much space they use, beginning with those that use the most space.

In the iPhone Storage screen, tap an app.

Look at the Documents & Data line for the app. This shows how much space the documents and data for the app take up on your device.

When you locate an app you want to delete, tap Delete app .

Tapping Delete app permanently deletes all the files created by the app. The app can be redownloaded, but the files are gone.

Why Would You Clear iPhone Cache?

The iPhone cache is an important and useful part of the device. It contains files that you need and, in some cases, speed up your phone. That said, there are two major reasons to clear the iPhone cache.

First, cached files take up storage space on the iPhone, and, over time, they add up. If you want to free up storage space on your iPhone, clearing the cache is one way to do it. Some of this is done automatically by iOS, but you can also do it manually.

The other reason to clear the iPhone cache is that cached files sometimes slow down the phone or cause things to behave in ways you don't want.

There are several different kinds of caches on the iPhone. As a result, there's not a single step you can take to clear all types of cache. Read on for instructions on the different ways to clear iPhone cache.

To clear search history on an iPhone , open Safari > tap the Bookmarks icon (looks like an open book) > History icon (clock) > Clear > All Time . Alternatively, go to Settings and tap Safari > scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data . Tap Clear History and Data to confirm.

To delete and clear cookies on an iPhone , go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website data . To clear individual cookies, swipe left on any website in the list and select Delete . Or, select Remove All Website Data > Remove Now .

To free up storage on an iPhone , go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage . Under Recommendations , check your options, such as offloading unused apps, reviewing and deleting large attachments, removing music files, and refreshing apps to clear out their data.

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Back to Basics: How to Clear the Cache on Your iPhone

If your iphone is sluggish, here's how to wipe the browser history or offload little-used apps..

Cache rules everything around me, including my phone and yours.

Cache is all the data your phone acquires and stores as you visit websites and use apps, just in case you need it again. In theory, all this data collection will speed up future visits. But over time, cache can build up to the point where it slows down (and sometimes overheats) your phone . 

Clearing the cache in your phone's browsers and apps can improve its performance. It’s an easy-enough task that you should perform once every few months to keep your phone functioning well.

Let’s start with browsers. After you’ve closed all those tabs that you’ve lost track of (don’t worry, everyone does it), you’re going to delve into the data they’ve stored. 

For Safari, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data . Here, you can choose whether to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. (There's also the option to close all your tabs from this menu.)

For Chrome, open the app and select More > Clear Browsing Data . You’ll be able to select what you want to remove. When you’re done, tap Clear Browsing Data > Done . 

For Firefox, open the app and select Settings > Privacy > Data Management . Make sure Cache is toggled on; you can also clear browsing history, cookies, online website data, tracking protection and downloaded files. Select what you want and tap Clear Private Data at the bottom.

You can’t clear individual app cache on an iPhone but if you offload an app, it will achieve the same thing. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage . You’ll be able to see what apps you use the least. Tap any apps you don’t need on your phone right now and select Offload App. The app will remain on your home screen, but you'll need to tap to re-download to get back in. 

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About Chandra Steele

My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme .

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How to clear cache on iPhone

Here's how to clear cache on iPhone to save some storage space

It's handy to know how to clear cache on iPhone for when you're struggling to fit more content onto your device. Many iPhones only have a small amount of internal storage, which you'd much rather save for photos, videos and music rather than your browser cache or unneeded app data.

Apple's made it easy to sort this out through the Settings app though. Just select the right app, tap a couple of options to confirm your choice, and a little slice of storage is yours once again.

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Read our guide below to find out how to clear your app cache on your iPhone, and how to clear your browser cache.

How to clear cache on iPhone: Clear app data

While it sounds counterintuitive, the way you can save space with iPhone apps is by deleting the app, but not your own data. Read on to learn how to do this and what this actually does.

1. In the Settings app , first find the General settings option, then tap it.

2. Next, tap the " iPhone Storage" option. You may then experience a bit of a wait while your phone calculates the current storage status, so don't panic if it takes a while.

3. Now scroll down to the list of apps, and select one.

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4. On that app's page, select the " Offload App" option. 

5. Tap again to confirm your choice, and you're done. 

6. What this option does is delete the generic app data you downloaded from the App Store, but retains any data unique to you. If you want to get rid of all data, you can instead select the " Delete App" option at step 4.

To reinstall an app, navigate back to this screen and select the Reinstall option.

Alternatively, find the app's grayed-out icon in your App Library or on your home screen and tap it to commence reinstallation.

How to clear cache on iPhone: Clear Safari cache

There's a specific way to clear your cache in Safari, the default browser app for iPhones. Sadly there's not an equivalent for Chrome, the other app you're likely using to browse the web.

1. In the Settings menu, scroll down until you reach a list of all the default iPhone apps. Keep going until you find Safari , and tap it.

2. Scroll down the Safari menu until you find the option " Clear History and Website Data ." This is what you're looking for, so tap it.

3. The last step is to confirm your choice by tapping " Clear History and Data ." Once you've done that, Safari's cache has been wiped.

If you're after more iPhone guides and tips, why not learn how to use YouTube picture-in-picture mode , how to watch Netflix with Spatial Audio on iPhone or how to make your iPhone charge faster ?

• More: How to share files between Android and iPhone

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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