Your browser stores cached copies of pages and files so sites load faster, but an old or damaged cache can make a site show outdated content, fail to load, or keep signing you out. Clearing it forces the browser to fetch fresh copies. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are not removed by this, unless you specifically tick them.
Steps
In Chrome on a computer, open the clear browsing data screen. Press Ctrl, Shift, and Delete together. On a Mac, press Command, Shift, and Delete. Or select the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data.
Choose what to clear in Chrome. Tick Cached images and files. Leave Passwords and other sign-in data unticked unless you want to be signed out of sites. Set the time range to All time if a site is misbehaving, then select Delete data.
In Microsoft Edge, open the same screen. Press Ctrl, Shift, and Delete, or select the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Privacy, search, and services, then Choose what to clear under Clear browsing data.
Choose what to clear in Edge. Tick Cached images and files, set the time range to All time, then select Clear now. Leave Passwords unticked to stay signed in.
In Firefox, open the clear data screen. Press Ctrl, Shift, and Delete, or select the menu, then Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Clear Data under Cookies and Site Data.
Choose what to clear in Firefox. Tick Cached Web Content, leave Cookies and Site Data unticked unless you want to be signed out of sites, then select Clear.
On iPhone, clear Safari cache. Open Settings, select Safari, then select Clear History and Website Data, and confirm. This clears history as well as cached files. In newer iOS versions this option is called Clear History and Website Data under the Safari settings page.
On Android, clear Chrome cache. Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, select Settings, then Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data. Tick Cached images and files, choose a time range, then tap Delete data.
Reload the problem page. After clearing, close the browser tab and reopen the site. A hard refresh, Ctrl and F5 on Windows, or Command, Shift, and R on a Mac, also forces a fresh load.
Clearing cookies as well as the cache signs you out of most websites. If you only want to fix one misbehaving site, clear cached images and files only, and leave cookies unticked.
When should I clear the cache?
Clear it when a site shows old content after an update, will not load at all, keeps showing an error after you have fixed the underlying problem, or signs you out repeatedly. It is not something you need to do every day, and clearing it too often only makes pages load slightly slower until the cache rebuilds.
About this guide
This guide covers current versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox on Windows and Mac, plus Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android. Menu names are checked against the current versions of each browser.
Common questions
Will clearing the cache delete my bookmarks or passwords? No, as long as you only tick Cached images and files. Bookmarks, saved passwords, and autofill data are separate options that are only removed if you tick them.
Will clearing the cache fix a website that will not load? It fixes the cases where a damaged or outdated cached copy is the problem. If the site still will not load afterwards, the problem is more likely your connection, the site itself, or an extension.
How often should I clear my cache? Only when something is wrong, or every few months. Browsers manage the cache themselves, and clearing it daily gives no benefit.
Privacy: This guide runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type or do while following it is sent to RunTimeIndex, and no account or sign-up is needed.