A stocked computercachemay be convenient for logging into and out of go-to sites in seconds flat, but a major buildup of these tracking codes could significantly impact your PC’s performance. If you’ve noticed thatyour PChas been running rather slow of late, or you’re using a new browser and don’t know how to clear its cache, we’ve got you covered with the following guide.
Difficulty
What You Need
A web browser (such as Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge)
Why you might want to clear your cache
Clearing your browser’s cache can prove fruitful for several reasons. First off, purging the stored data in your cache forces your browser to seek and retrieve the most recent webpage elements instead of recycling the same old components, whether they’re up to date with the developer’s standards or not.
Furthermore, resetting your cache will potentially help in the event of 404, 502, and other errors that may result from a corrupt cache. you may also clear any private data you have stored in the form of login IDs, passwords, and additional sensitive info you’d prefer not to save on your machine. It’s also a simple trick you can employ to shed any unnecessary data, which could slow down your browser.
How to clear cache in Google Chrome
Step 1:Launch Google Chrome and select the ChromeMenuicon represented by three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the browser window, and then choose Settings near the bottom of the resulting drop-down menu. (You may need to select theDown arrowfirst to access theSettingsoption).
Step 2:Then, selectPrivacy and securityin the left sidebar. You’ll then want to look for theClear browsing dataoption. Select it, and make sure the box forCached images and filesis checked. You can uncheck the other boxes forBrowsing history,Download history,Cookies and other site data, and so on … unless you also want to delete these at the same time for privacy reasons.
Step 3:When ready, selectClear datato begin the process. If it’s been a while since you cleaned Chrome out, this step could take a long time, so schedule accordingly.
If you want to improve Chrome’s functionality now that the cache is cleared, here are ourfavorite Chrome extensions.
How to clear cache in Firefox
Step 1:Open Firefox, select the button with three bars in the upper-right corner of the browser window, and select Settings from the resulting drop-down menu.
Step 2:Select thePrivacy and securitytab located on the left side of the screen and head to theCookies and site datasection.
SelectClear data. You’ll want to make sure that the option forCached web contentis checked, and then selectClear.
You can also check the box next toDelete cookies and site data when Firefox is closedto do so automatically when you close the browser.
How to clear cache in Safari
Step 1:Launch Safari, and then selectSafariin the upper-left corner of the main menu bar, and choose thePreferencesoption near the top of the drop-down menu.
Then select theAdvancedtab located in the top navigation bar and check the box directly on the bottom that saysShow develop menu in Menu Bar. Doing so will add a new menu to Safari by default.
Step 2:Select theDevelopmenu near the middle of the upper macOS menu bar and then choose theEmpty cachesoption.
How to clear cache in Opera
Step 1:Launch Opera, and then select theMenubutton in the upper-left corner of the browser window.
Choose theSettingsoption from the drop-down menu.
Step 2:SelectPrivacy and security. Then choose Clear browsing data.
Check the boxCached images and files, along with any other browser data you wish to clear. Then, select the time frame you want to erase — to completely clear the cache, chooseAll time— from the drop-down menu. Afterward, select theClear databutton in the bottom-right corner.
How to clear cache in Microsoft Edge
Step 1:Launch the Microsoft Edge browser. When it loads, clickSettings.
Step 2:ClickPrivacy and services. UnderClear browsing data, clickChoose what to clear.
Step 3:Put a check underCached images and files, then clickClear now.
What’s the difference between a cache and cookies?
Another popular term that comes up when researching cache-clearing is “cookies.” While both your PC’s cache and its cookies are similar, they’re also a little different.
Cookies are bite-sized pieces of info that your browser stores to save things like passwords and page settings. A web cache is information that is stored about the sites you visit. This could be things like HTML coding and page images.
What happens after I clear my cache?
Clearing your cache is one of the best things you’re able to do for the overall performance of your computer. If you’ve noticed that your PC has been running slow, there’s a good chance that clearing your cache will improve your speed. When you clear your cache, you may even notice websites you regularly visit start to load faster. Certain formatting problems you were having on sites may also be gone.
When you clear your cache, you may also wipe saved login info on certain websites. So before you go ahead and clear things, make sure you’ve written down any important usernames or passwords you may need.
How often should I clear my cache?
For optimal computer performance, it’s a good idea to clear your cache at least once or twice per month.
