Why and when to clear your Safari cache
Your Safari cache is a folder where the browser stores copies of websites you visit — images, text, videos — so the next time you load that page, Safari can pull from your computer instead of downloading everything again. This makes browsing faster. Over time, though, the cache grows large and can slow your Mac down, take up disk space, or hold onto data you'd rather not keep.
You should clear your cache if your Mac is running slowly, if you're selling or giving away your computer, or if you straightforward want to remove the record of where you've been online. Clearing cache doesn't delete your bookmarks or saved passwords — those live in a separate part of Safari — so you won't lose anything you need to keep.
The process takes about one minute and works the same way on any Mac running a recent version of Safari.
Key Takeaways
- Open Safari, click the menu bar at the top, and select History to find the option to clear your browsing data.
- Choose how far back you want to clear — "all history" removes everything, while "the last hour" clears only recent activity.
- Check the boxes next to Cache, Cookies and other website data, and History to remove all three at once.
- Clearing cache does not delete your saved passwords, bookmarks, or autofill information unless you specifically check those boxes.
The step-by-step process to clear cache
Open Safari on your Mac. In the menu bar at the very top of your screen, click History — it sits between Bookmarks and Develop in the standard menu.
At the bottom of the History menu, you'll see Clear History. Click it. A small window will pop up asking you to choose a time range. The dropdown menu shows options: "the last hour," "today," "today and yesterday," and "all history." Select the range you want. If you're clearing cache because your computer is slow or you're preparing to give it away, choose "all history." If you just want to remove recent activity, pick a shorter window.
Below the time range dropdown, you'll see checkboxes for what to delete. By default, Safari checks Cookies and other website data and History. You should also check Cache — this is the main folder taking up space. Leave unchecked anything you want to keep, such as "Autofill information" or "Saved passwords."
Once you've selected your time range and checked the boxes you want, click the Clear History button in the bottom right corner of the window. Safari will delete the data when ready. The window closes, and you're done.
What gets deleted and what stays
When you clear cache, Safari removes the temporary copies of websites stored on your computer. This includes images, scripts, and other files that make pages load faster on repeat visits. You'll notice that websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cache, because Safari has to read everything fresh.
Cookies — small files that websites use to remember you — are deleted only if you check that box. Clearing cookies means websites won't remember your login information or preferences the next time you visit, so you may have to sign in again to services like email or social media.
Your bookmarks, reading list, saved passwords, and autofill information stay on your Mac unless you specifically check those boxes. Your browsing history (the list of sites you've visited) is deleted only if you check the History box. If you want to keep your history but just clear the cache, uncheck History and leave only Cache checked.
Clearing cache on different time ranges
Safari lets you choose exactly how far back to clear. "The last hour" removes only cache from websites you visited in the past 60 minutes — useful if you visited a site with a problem and want to reload it fresh. "Today" clears everything from the current calendar day. "Today and yesterday" covers the last two days.
"All history" removes cache going back to whenever you last cleared it, which could be months or years. This is the option to use if you're concerned about storage space or if you're preparing your Mac for someone else to use.
There's no way to clear cache from a single website without clearing it all, so if you want to keep cache from most sites but remove it from one specific place, you'll need to clear all cache and then revisit the sites you want to keep cached.
Clearing cache regularly to maintain performance
You don't need to clear cache constantly — Safari manages it reasonably well on its own. However, if your Mac is running slowly or you notice Safari taking longer to open, clearing cache is one of the first things to try. Many people find that clearing cache once a month keeps their browser running smoothly without any noticeable slowdown from having to re-read website files.
If you're concerned about privacy and don't want Safari storing records of where you've been, you can also use Private Browsing mode, which doesn't save cache, history, or cookies at all. To turn it on, click File in the menu bar, then select "New Private Window." Any browsing you do in that window leaves no trace on your computer.
Troubleshooting if the option doesn't appear
If you don't see "Clear History" in the History menu, make sure you're looking at the menu bar at the very top of your screen, not a menu inside a webpage. The Safari menu bar is always at the top of your Mac display, above any open windows.
If you're using an older version of Safari, the steps might be slightly different. On very old Macs, the option might be under Safari menu instead of History menu. Click Safari in the menu bar, then look for "Reset Safari" or "Clear History." If you're unsure which version you have, click Safari in the menu bar and select "About Safari" to see your version number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cache delete my passwords?
No, unless you specifically check the "Saved passwords" box. Passwords are stored separately from cache. If you want to clear only cache and keep your passwords, leave that box unchecked.
Why is my Safari still slow after clearing cache?
Cache is one cause of slowness, but not the only one. If Safari is still slow, try closing extra tabs, restarting Safari completely, or restarting your Mac. You can also check if Safari extensions are slowing things down by clicking Safari in the menu bar and selecting Preferences, then Extensions.
Can I undo clearing cache?
No, once you clear cache, it's gone. That's why Safari asks you to confirm before deleting. If you realize you cleared too much, you can't get it back — websites will just need to be downloaded fresh the next time you visit them.
Does clearing cache free up space on my Mac?
Yes, cache can take up several hundred megabytes or more, depending on how long it's been since you last cleared it. Clearing cache is a quick way to free up some disk space, though it won't solve major storage problems on its own.
What's the difference between cache and cookies?
Cache stores website files like images and videos to make pages load faster. Cookies are small text files that websites use to remember you — your login, preferences, or shopping cart. You can clear one without clearing the other by checking only the boxes you want.