iphone safari clear cache

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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How to clear your iPhone's cache to free up space and make it run faster

• You can clear the cache, history, and cookies on your iPhone to improve its speed and performance. 
• Clearing your iPhone's app cache can also free up extra storage space.
• When you clear your iPhone's cache, you might get logged out of some websites and apps.

Your iPhone, like every kind of computer, relies on data caches to store important information and respond quickly to your commands. 

Clearing the browser or app cache can free up space on your iPhone and – especially if you're having performance issues – sometimes improve speed and performance by removing unnecessary app data .

Here's how to identify caches on your device and clear out some of the biggest culprits on your iPhone. 

What is a cache?

A cache is a storehouse for temporary data that helps websites, browsers, and apps load faster. A browser cache stores information that keeps you logged into websites, for example, so you don't need to sign in every time you visit a site. Most of the time, caches help devices run faster.

After visiting a lot of websites or using various apps, your cache can take up a lot of storage space. To help your device run smoothly, it's a good idea to clear your cache every so often. Doing so can also help mitigate cybersecurity risks, because your cache can contain data that can potentially compromise your privacy and security. 

How to clear cache on iPhone

To clear the cache for your iPhone apps, you'll need to offload them, which frees up storage space the app uses while still keeping its documents and data intact. When you reinstall the app, your data will be recovered.

1. Open the Settings app and tap General , then select iPhone Storage .

2. Wait for the list of all your apps to load. Once the list appears, find the app you want to clear and swipe it to the left. 

3. Tap Offload App . If you prefer, you can delete the app instead, which permanently deletes the app's data from your iPhone.

When you open the list of all your apps, you might see a menu called Offload Unused Apps . Tapping Enable will let your iPhone automatically offload apps that you haven't used in a while.

How to clear the cache, history, and cookies in Safari on iPhone

Even if you have installed an alternative browser on your iPhone, odds are that you've used Safari to surf the web at least a few times. And visiting even a single website can cause your browser to store cookies and other data that consume storage space on your phone. That data can sit on your device indefinitely. If that's the case, you can clear your iPhone's Safari cache , which will delete all of the files, images, passwords, and scripts from websites you've visited.

To clear Safari's cache:  

1. Open the Settings app and tap Safari .

2. Tap Clear History and Website Data .

3. In the popup window, tap Clear History and Data .

How to clear the cache, history, and cookies in Google Chrome on iPhone

If you use Chrome on your iPhone, you can clear the cache with just a few taps:

1. Start the Chrome app.

2. Tap the More icon (it looks like three dots) at the bottom-right of the screen.

3. In the pop-up window, tap History . 

4. Tap Clear Browsing Data .

5. If you don't want to clear the entire cache, tap Time Range and choose the period of time you'd like to wipe from your iPhone. 

6. Make sure that there's a checkmark beside both Cookies, Site Data and Cached Images and Files .

7. Tap Clear Browsing Data .

How to clear the cache, history, and cookies in Firefox on iPhone

Firefox has its own cache, which you can quickly clear in the browser's Settings page. If you're using a desktop browser, you can find our detailed guide to clearing Firefox's cache , but here is how to do that on iPhone:

1. Start the Firefox app. 

2. Tap the More icon (it looks like three lines) at the bottom-right of the screen.

3. In the pop-up menu, tap Settings . 

4. In the Privacy section, tap Data Management . 

5. In the Clear Private Data section, make sure all the options are on by swiping the buttons to the right (if you want to preserve files you've downloaded from the internet using Firefox, you can turn off Downloaded Files).

6. Tap Clear Private Data and then confirm you want to do this by tapping OK . 

How to clear the cache, history, and cookies in Edge on iPhone

If you enjoy Microsoft Edge in Windows, you can install and use a version of the browser on your iPhone as well. You can follow our guide to clear Edge's cache on your desktop browser as well as clearing the cache on the iPhone:

1. Start the Edge app. 

2. Tap the More icon (it looks like three dots at the bottom center of the screen).

4. Tap Privacy and security . 

5. Tap Clear browsing data .

6. Tap Time range and then select All Time , then tap the Back button. 

7. Make sure that all the options you want to clear are selected and then tap Clear now . Confirm you want to do this by tapping Clear now again in the pop-up window. 

Are cookies and cache the same?

No, they're not. Cookies are small files that store information about your online activity and can contain passwords and personalization information. 

While many cookies are beneficial – such as those that help you stay logged into frequently used websites – other third-party cookies track your activity across different websites. This may include potentially private information such as search history and things you've clicked on.

A cache, on the other hand, stores data files that your browser or app is expected to use frequently. This can speed up the performance of your phone by not needing to repeatedly download the same data over and over again. 

What is the difference between clearing cache and offloading?

Clearing your cache removes stored data that helps websites and apps open faster, while offloading temporarily uninstalls an app without deleting any of the documents and data associated with that app. 

Both methods can help speed up iPhones that are slowed down by low storage.

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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache

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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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iPhone & iPad: How to clear cache, history, and cookies

It doesn’t take long for caches to fill up on iOS. From the default Safari browser, to third-party apps, follow along for how to clear the cache, history, and cookies on iPhone and iPad.

While clearing the cache in Safari is quick and easy with one fell swoop, the process can be different with third-party apps. We’ll first look at how to clear the cache in Safari on iPhone and iPad and then tackle other apps.

We’ve also got a walkthrough on clearing the cache, history, and cookies on Mac, check that out here .

How to clear cache on iPhone & iPad in Safari and other apps

• Open  Settings
• Swipe down and tap Safari
• Swipe down again and tap Clear History and Website Data , tap it once again to confirm
• If you’d like to clear data from individual websites without clearing the entire Safari cache, at the very bottom of Safari settings choose Advanced > Website Data > Edit (or swipe from right to left to delete individual items).

Keep in mind website data deleted from iPhone or iPad will be removed from your other Apple devices signed in to the same iCloud account if they sync with Safari.

Clear cache on iPhone for third-party apps

• Clearing the cache of third-party apps varies from developer to developer. Some like Slack offer an option in the app preferences in iOS Settings, while others like Facebook don’t. Check out the settings of your apps to see your options (Settings app > app name).
• For apps that don’t provide a clear cache button, deleting the app and reinstalling it is another option.

You can always take a look at Settings   > General > iPhone Storage to prioritize which third-party apps you may want to tackle first.

Thanks for reading our guide on how to clear cache on iPhone and iPad!

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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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When you look at your device's storage space, you'll probably see recommended steps you can take to optimize your iPhone's storage, like offloading unused apps.

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How to Clear Safari Browsing History and Cache

Whenever you browse the web in Safari, the browser stores website data so that it doesn't have to download it again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone , and iPad .

If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one.

Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited. Either way, here's how it's done on macOS and iOS.

How to Clear Safari's Cache on Mac

There are two ways to clear Safari's cache on a Mac. The first method outlined below deletes everything relating to a website you've visited, including not only the cached versions of the site, but also cookies and any other related data. The second method described offers a more targeted approach and clears only Safari's cache, but it does involve enabling a hidden menu.

• Launch Safari browser on your Mac.

How to Clear Safari's Cache on iPhone and iPad

Note that the following steps clear all history, cookies and website data on your device, regardless of when the sites were accessed.

• Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
• Scroll down and select Safari .
• Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data .
• Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history ), choose the profile or select All Profiles , then tap Clear History .

For another way to protect your privacy while browsing the web, be sure to check out our guide on how to use Safari's Private Browsing Mode .

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How to Clear Safari History, Cache, and Cookies on your iPhone

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Safari stores your browsing history as well as cached files and cookies from every website you visit. Clearing Safari history, cookies, and cached data on your iPhone can be beneficial for various reasons, including performance improvement, privacy, troubleshooting, and general maintenance.

Sometimes, you also may simply want a fresh start and prefer to clear your history regularly to minimize your digital footprint.

Clearing your history ensures others can’t see which websites you’ve visited or what information you’ve searched for. This is mostly applicable if you share your iPhone with others or search for sensitive information.

Over time, cached files and cookies from sites you visit can accumulate and take up a significant amount of storage space on your iPhone. Clearing them will free up storage capacity. Excessive data accumulation, including history, cookies, and cache, can slow down Safari’s performance. Clearing this data could speed up your browsing experience.

Also, if a website isn’t loading properly, clearing your browsing history, cache, and cookies will force Safari to download fresh data and could help resolve the issue.

How to Clear Safari History

To clear your Safari history and website data such as cookies and caches, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down to Safari and tap it.
• Find Clear History and Website Data and tap it.
• On the next screen, you’ll have the option to clear history from the Last Hour , Today , Today and Yesterday , or All history. Select whichever one you prefer.

How to Clear Safari Cache and Cookies

The steps above will clear all of your browsing history, plus cookies, cache, and other browsing data (this is what “website data” refers to). However, you can preserve the history of the sites you’ve visited while clearing out only your cookies and other stored browsing data such as caches and stored preferences for individual websites.

Here’s how to clear your Safari cache and cookies, but keep your history:

• Open the Settings app.
• Scroll all the way down to Advanced and tap it.
• Tap Website Data . Depending on how much data is stored, this screen might take a few seconds to load.
• To flush the data for an individual site, locate it in the list and swipe right-to-left to delete it. You can also select Show All Sites to expand the list.
• To delete all cookies and caches, select Remove All Website Data at the bottom of your screen and then tap Remove Now to confirm.

Clearing Safari’s history and website data is a straightforward process that can protect privacy, improve performance, and help manage valuable storage space effectively. Whether or not you’ve been thinking about it, give it a try to see if you notice a difference.

How to clear cache on iPhone & iPad

Clear cache on iPhone easily!

What is cache?

• How to clear cache in Safari
• Clear third-party app cache
• Why you should clear cache on your iPhone

The ability to clear cache on an iPhone helps fix a slow iOS device. Sometimes, even the best iPhones , like the iPhone 15 Pro , can perform sluggishly, causing frustration and impacting your day-to-day tasks.

The system cache can fill up because Safari or third-party apps require lots of information to run efficiently. Luckily, it's easy to clear the cache, history, and cookies on your iPhone and iPad.

This quick tutorial will show you how to clear cache on your iPhone and iPad to declutter your device and speed up your daily tasks.

Cache is found on all operating systems and is an area of memory within your device where temporary files are kept. When working correctly, cache speeds up performance allowing you to do what you want, but quicker. 

Websites on iOS and iPadOS are the most common cache creators due to the operating system storing images, videos, online settings, javascript settings, and more. Cache makes your iPhone load up frequently visited websites, like iMore, much more efficiently.

How to clear cache on iPhone & iPad in Safari

• Open Settings
• Swipe down and tap Clear History and Website Data
• Tap Clear History and Data

Note: This will log you out of all websites, so make sure you know all of your passwords before proceeding. 

Clear cache from third-party apps on iPhone & iPad

Clearing cache from third-party apps varies from app to app because there isn’t a common setting to clear cache unless the developer has put the option in. To find the cache settings for a specific app, look in Settings, followed by the app’s name. 

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

However, if the app doesn’t provide a straightforward way to clear cache, deleting and reinstalling it can have the same effect.

One more thing... Why you should clear cache on your iPhone

Clearing cache on your iPhone or iPad semi-regularly will ensure your iOS device keeps running almost as smoothly as the day you bought it. However, when checking the storage on your device, you may have noticed that “other” takes up a large portion of that precious SSD space. If so, we have a thorough guide on removing “other” storage if clearing Safari and third-party apps cache doesn’t do the trick.

I regularly clear the Safari cache on my iPhone 14 Pro , especially when sites feel heavy to load and it’s taking ages to get the information I’m looking for. Luckily, it’s so easy to clear cache on iPhone that there’s no excuse not to implement this quick tip into your regular schedule.

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.  John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit. 

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Clear Cache on iPhone & iPad (Safari)

Updated at: Mar 01, 2022

Safari on iOS has a very straight-forward interface to Reset Safari. The controls to clear your Cookies, Browsing history, cache and other things in Safari are all stored in the same screen. To get to these controls and choose what you want to clear, follow these instructions.

Clear Cache, Cookies and History in Safari on iPhone & iPad

Open the "settings" app.

The controls to reset Safari aren't actually inside Safari! They're in the Settings app.

Go to your iPhone's Home Screen and tap the Settings app.

Scroll down to the "Safari" menu item and tap it

Scroll the screen down until you see Safari , and then tap on it.

Tapping on the Safari menu item will open up the settings screen for Safari.

Scroll down to the "Clear History and Website Data" item

This item is towards the bottom of the screen so you'll need to scroll down a bit.

When you see it, simply tap on it. You will be prompted to confirm deleting your history , cookies and other browsing data .

Confirm your decision to clear your browsing data

Now you are prompted to clear your browsing data. You can tap Cancel (or just press the Home button) to abort clearing your browsing data from Safari if you've decided not to proceed.

Once you've cleared your data you can simply press the Home button to return to the Home Screen of your device.

Clear your cache and cookies in other web browsers

Here are some guides for other web browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

Clear cache & history

Do i need to clear my cache.

Not sure why you've been asked to clear your cache? We can explain. Why you need to clear your cache

What is a cache?

Before you consider clearing your browser cache, you should know what it is! Learn a little bit about browser caches

Is it safe to clear my cache?

Are there any risks to clearing your cache? Find out if it's ok to clear your cache

Update my web browser

Do i need to update my browser.

Find out if your browser is out of date Is my browser out of date?

Why should I update my browser?

There are very good reasons to, find out here! Why update your browser?

Is it free to update Chrome?

Find out about the cost of updating Chrome... Does Chrome cost anything?

What does "Update browser" mean?

What does it actually mean? What does it mean to update your browser

Get help with our guides

How to enable javascript.

Change your JavaScript settings Guide to enabling Javascript

How to enable Cookies

Configure your cookie settings for privacy Guide to enabling cookies

Related articles

I can't log in to a website..

We've got a detailed guide to help you solve login problems How to fix website log in problems

Why do websites use cookies?

Why are cookies useful? Do you need them? What's the deal with cookies?

How to update your browser

Old software puts you at risk. Keep your browser fresh and up to date

Clear Cache, Cookies and History

How to reset your browsing history How to reset your browser

Try a different web browser

Different web browsers have different features - try a different one to see if you prefer it. Experiment a bit!

Use a VPN to hide your IP address

We recommend NordVPN to hide your IP address or to unblock websites. Hide your IP Address

Clearing your cache, cookies, and browsing history - Frequently asked questions

How to clear cache.

Clear instructions to clear your cache, cookies, and history. follow the guides.

Learn how to clear your cache, cookies, and history

Before you consider clearing your browser cache, you should know what it is!

Learn a little bit about browser caches

What does "Clear your Cache" mean?

Have you heard the phrase "clear your cache" but aren't sure what it means?

What "clear cache" means

Not sure why you've been asked to clear your cache?

Why you (might) need to clear your cache

Clear the cache for just one page

Need to completely reload a page but don't want to clear your entire cache?

How to clear the cache for just one page

Should I clear my cookies?

Can clearing cookies help with problems or privacy? Here's some info.

Why you (might) need to clear your cookies

Are there any risks to clearing your cache?

Find out if it's ok to clear your cache

What happens when I clear my cache?

When I decide to clear my cache or cookies, what actually happens?

See what happens

Clear Cache in Chrome Shortcut

Don't bother clicking the menus, use the handy keyboard shortcut!

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Chrome

Clear Cache in Firefox Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Firefox

Clear Cache in Edge Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Edge

Clear Cache in Brave Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Brave

Clear Cache in Safari Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Safari

Does clearing cache in one browser affect the other browsers on my computer?

Are the different caches on my computer related to each other?

How big is Chrome's Cache?

Find out how much temporary space Chrome is using for your Cache

The size of Chrome's cache

How-To Geek

How to clear cookies / cache for a single website on iphone or ipad.

Clearing the cache on your iPhone or iPad is really easy, but that will log you out of every single website that you were previously logged into, and wipe any other cookie-based preferences.

Quick Links

Clear cookies / cache for a specific website.

Clearing the cache on your iPhone or iPad is really easy, but that will log you out of every single website that you were previously logged into, and wipe any other cookie-based preferences. So what if you want to just wipe cookies or cache for a single site?

Luckily that's also pretty easy... though not quite as simple since you'll have to dig through a list of all the sites you've ever visited or that have put cookies on your device.

You might be asking yourself why you'd bother doing this, and the answer is simple: if a particular site is misbehaving you can wipe the cache and cookies just for that site, login again, and sometimes the problem will be resolved.

First you'll want to open up the Settings app, and then find Safari on the left-hand side, and then scroll down until you see the Advanced on the right-hand side. If you're using an iPhone it won't display like this, but you'll be able to easily figure it out.

Now press the Website Data button.

And now push the Edit text button on the upper right-hand corner.

Now you'll see a list of the sites that have put cookies on your device. You'll probably need to expand to show all of the sites, and then browse down through the list. Once you've found the one you want to wipe, just hit the red minus icon and then press Delete, just like you would in most iOS apps.

There isn't a whole lot more to it.

How to Clear Safari Cache on iPhone

Modern web browser apps, both on computers and smart phones, save a lot of data from the sites you visit. This is useful for improving the speed of web browsing, but sometimes you may want to clear out this cache, whether to clear up storage space, for privacy concerns, or for other reasons.

Why You'll Love This Tip

• Clear cached website data for all sites to save space.
• Delete saved data from specific sites for privacy.

How to Clear Cache for Safari on iPhone

Clearing the website data cache is very easy and quick to do, but the option does require navigating into some obscure menus. For more guides on making the best use of your iPhone's settings, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter .

Now you know how to clear your cache of website data for Safari whenever you want.

Author Details

Brian Peters

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How to make your iPhone go faster

6 tipis for making your iphone feel brand new again.

It’s hard to be patient with a slow iPhone , especially when using it for everything, from the calculator to getting directions on Maps. No one likes dealing with lag, buffering, or app freezing. Fortunately, there are a few ways you could speed up your iPhone.

Restart your iPhone

Let’s start with the classic “Did you try turning it off and on again?” It’s a classic for a reason, not just another tech myth. On a technical level, it helps refresh your iPhone’s RAM or working memory, which optimizes its overall performance. Since it’s probably the most straightforward hack, I’d recommend starting with this one.

There are slightly different ways to restart an iPhone based on its model. If you can’t get yours to restart, you might want to do a quick “how to restart [your iPhone model]” search. In case you’re unsure about your iPhone’s model, we have a guide for that , too.

Clear Safari Data

I’m sure we have encountered an ‘Accept Cookies’ popup. Even if you have no idea what that does, you’ve probably accepted tons of cookies by now. Refer to this helpful guide for a detailed and easy lesson on internet cookies. For the scope of this piece, all you need to know is that every time you click on ‘Accept Cookies’ on your browser, you’re putting a bunch of files on your device. These files pile up over time and end up slowing your phone.

If you frequently use Safari on your iPhone, you probably have a lot of passwords, cookies, tabs, and other login info in your Safari cache. It’s a good habit to clear that from time to time. Note that this will require re-entering login credentials or other personal info on some sites since clearing your cache will make your Safari brand new again.

To clear all Safari data, go to Settings on your iPhone and look up ‘Safari.’ Once in the Safari menu, scroll down until you see ‘Clear History and Website Data.’ It will ask you to pick a timeframe. Select ‘All history’ and then hit the red button at the bottom that says ‘Clear History.’

Free Up Space

Full storage is one of the leading causes of a sluggish iPhone. Go to Settings , scroll to General , and click on iPhone Storage from the menu. Doing so will present you with a stacked bar chart and an ordered list of your iPhone’s storage situation, clearly labeling how much space is occupied by which app.

It will also provide you with recommendations on how to free up space. Under Recommendations , click on Review Large Attachments to see the photos, videos, and attachments that are taking up the most space. When you see something you want to delete, swipe left and hit Delete .

There are other ways to free up space on your iPhone, but it ultimately depends on your priorities and your phone use. If you don’t always need all your photos and videos on your phone, you can back them up on iCloud and delete them from your iPhone. However, this would mean you would no longer be able to access them without the internet.

Similarly, if you don’t need all your iMessages, you can mass-delete them. I’ll review all the ways to clear storage on your iPhone in a separate, dedicated guide.

iOS updates often bring bug fixes that help improve your iPhone’s efficiency, so it’s a good idea to always be on the latest software update. You can do that by turning automatic updates on. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates and turn on the toggle switch for all three options on the page. This will automatically download and install iOS software updates when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, charging, and locked.

You can also manually update your iOS. A ‘Software Update Available’ notice on your Settings app under your Apple ID will tell you there’s a newer version you haven’t yet updated to. If you see that, scroll down to General > Software Update and click Download and Install to begin the update. If you don’t see that notice, you’re on the latest version.

Replace Battery

Another possible reason for a slow phone is a battery overused to the point of dysfunction. If your iPhone is old, its battery’s health may not be ideal. To see if that’s the case, go to Settings, look up Battery Health, and click on Battery Health & Charging from the open menu. Anything 80% and above is good, but Apple recommends replacing your battery when its health falls below that mark.

Turn Off Automatic Downloads and Background App Refresh

Apps on your iPhone tend to auto-update. While this is helpful, it could become overwhelming for your phone, especially if you have many apps on it. Multiple background app refreshes also take place without you knowing. Again, this is a helpful feature, but it could lead to a considerable drop in your phone’s efficiency if you have many apps that constantly refresh and update.

Go to Settings > App Store and turn off all three toggle switches under ‘Automatic Downloads.’ These are App Downloads, App Updates, and In-App Content. Then, go to General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh (again) and choose Off . Doing both will ensure no power-hungry apps are running in the background. If you’d like an app updated, you can constantly manually update it in the App Store.

No, closing your background apps won’t help.

I know; I felt as deceived as you did when Gizmodo Maxwell Zeff told us that closing background apps doesn’t do anything and that I have been making my poor little thumb do all that labor for years for nothing. It’s just a tech myth that originated years ago on Apple’s community forum and Stack Overflow and has been perpetuated ever since (because it sounds like it should work!). But yeah, doing that won’t affect either performance or battery.

Are some of your apps still running slow?

Are you sure it’s your phone and not your network? People often mistake a slow connection for a slow phone. Especially if you’re experiencing lag on apps that require an internet connection, it might just be your internet that needs fixing.

To quickly check this, look up ‘speed test’ on your browser. You’ll see an ‘Internet speed test’ pop-up. Hit the blue button that says ‘run speed test.’ In around 30 seconds, you’ll get precise stats on your download and upload speeds and a comment on your internet performance.

I just ran mine, and it said, “Your Internet connection is very fast. It should be able to handle multiple devices streaming HD videos, video conferencing, and gaming at the same time.” So, if my iPhone starts acting up, I’d know it’s not my internet.

A version of this article originally appeared on Gizmodo .

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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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