Clear Cache on iPhone and Android
Web pages loading wrong, an app acting up, or your phone short on space? Clearing the cache usually helps. Here's how for your browser and individual apps, and what each option deletes.
Cache is safe to clear. Data is not.
The cache is temporary copies of pictures and files that help pages and apps open faster. Clearing it is safe; things just load a bit slower once.
Cookies and website data keep you signed in. Clearing them signs you out of websites. An app's data or storage is everything saved inside it. Clearing that resets the app like new.
On iPhone, Safari's cache is cleared from the Settings app, not from inside Safari. Most other apps have no clear-cache button; you offload or reinstall them instead.
On Android, every app has its own Clear cache button in Settings. That's the one you want. Leave Clear storage alone unless you mean to reset the app.
TOOLPick an app, get the exact steps
Choose the app that's causing trouble. Steps change with the iPhone/Android switch at the top.
FIXClear the cache, step by step
Stop as soon as things work again.
- Open the Settings app and go to Apps › Safari. (On iOS 17 and earlier, Safari is right in the main Settings list.)
- Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Choose a timeframe (pick All History for a full clean), then tap Clear History.
- Open Chrome and tap ⋮ (More) next to the address bar.
- Tap Delete browsing data. The default time range is short, so pick All time for a full clean.
- Tap More options, tick Cached images and files (and Cookies and site data if a site won't sign in properly).
- Tap Delete data.
Clearing website data signs you out of websites in that browser. Your bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
- Open Chrome and tap ⋯ (More).
- Tap Delete Browsing Data, then pick a Time Range (the default is only 15 minutes).
- Tap Browsing Data and select Cached Images and Files, plus Cookies, Site Data if needed.
- Tap Confirm, then Delete Browsing Data.
- Open Samsung Browser (called Samsung Internet on older phones) and tap the ☰ or ⋮ menu.
- Tap Settings › Personal browsing data › Delete browsing data.
- Tick Cached images and files, and Cookies and site data if needed.
- Tap Delete data, then Delete to confirm.
Other browsers (Firefox, Edge, DuckDuckGo) have a similar option in their own settings, usually called Delete browsing data or Clear private data.
iPhone has no system-wide “clear cache” button for apps, and iOS clears temporary files on its own when it needs space. Some apps have their own button in their settings:
- Spotify: profile picture › Settings and privacy › Data-saving and offline › Clear cache.
- TikTok: Profile › ☰ › Settings and privacy › Free up space › Clear next to Cache.
- For other apps, look in the app's own settings for Storage or Clear cache. If there isn't one, use steps 4 and 5.
- Open Settings › Apps (on some phones, tap See all apps).
- Tap the app that's acting up.
- Tap Storage & cache (on Samsung, just Storage).
- Tap Clear cache.
- Open Settings › General › iPhone Storage and wait for the list to load.
- Tap an app, then Offload App. This removes the app but keeps its documents and data. Its icon stays on your Home Screen; tap it to download the app again.
- To do this automatically, look for the Offload Unused Apps recommendation at the top and tap Enable.
- Open Settings › Apps and tap an app you rarely use.
- Tap Archive. This removes the app's software and temporary files but keeps your data. Tap the faded icon later to restore it.
- Archiving needs a recent phone (some features need Android 15 or later). If you don't see the button, uninstall the app instead.
This is the most thorough reset: it removes the app's cache and everything stored inside it. Make sure your stuff is backed up to your account first (most apps like email, social media and streaming keep everything online).
Touch and hold the app icon, tap Remove App › Delete App. Then reinstall it from the App Store and sign in.
Touch and hold the app icon, tap Uninstall (or drag it to Uninstall). Then reinstall it from the Play Store and sign in.
A restart clears out temporary memory and lets the phone tidy up “System Data.” Then update the phone and the app.
Update the phone in Settings › General › Software Update. Update apps in the App Store: tap your profile picture and scroll to pending updates.
Update the phone in Settings › System › Software updates (on Samsung, Software update). Update apps in the Play Store: tap your profile picture › Manage apps & device.
- If storage is the problem, see phone storage full for bigger wins like photos and videos.
- If a website still fails, try it on Wi-Fi and on mobile data. If both fail, the site itself may be down.
FAQCommon questions
Will clearing the cache delete my photos or messages?
No. The cache only holds temporary copies. Photos, messages and documents are stored separately. Only “Clear storage,” “Clear data” or deleting an app removes what's inside an app.
Why did I get signed out of websites?
Clearing Safari's history and website data, or cookies in Chrome, removes the cookies that keep you signed in. Sign in again and you're back.
Does clearing the cache make my phone faster?
Not usually. It fixes specific glitches: a page showing old content, an app that crashes or won't load. Apps can even feel slower the first time, while they rebuild the cache.
What's the difference between offloading and deleting an app on iPhone?
Offloading removes the app but keeps its documents and data, so it's all there when you reinstall. Deleting removes the app and everything stored in it on the phone.
Does clearing history on my iPhone clear it on my Mac too?
If Safari is turned on in iCloud settings, yes. History syncs across devices signed in to the same Apple Account. For computers, see clear cache and cookies on a computer.