What clearing your cache actually does

Your cache is a folder on your computer where Chrome stores copies of websites you visit — images, text, videos, the whole page. When you revisit a site, Chrome loads these stored copies instead of downloading everything again, which makes pages load faster. Clearing your cache deletes all those stored copies.

You might clear your cache because a website looks broken or outdated (the stored version is old), because you want to free up disk space, or because you do not want a record of the sites you visited. Chrome keeps this history separate from your cache, so clearing the cache alone does not erase your browsing history — that is a different action.

Key Takeaways

  • Clearing your cache removes stored website files from your computer but does not erase your browsing history or passwords.
  • You can clear your cache in Chrome by opening Settings, selecting Privacy and Security, clicking Clear Browsing Data, and choosing your time range.
  • Clearing cache only affects your own computer — it does not change anything on the websites you visited or affect other people's devices.
  • If a website looks broken after clearing cache, wait a few seconds for Chrome to re-read the page files, or try refreshing the page.

How to clear cache on Windows or Mac

Open Chrome and look at the top right corner. Click the three vertical dots (called the menu button). A dropdown menu appears. Click Settings.

On the left side of the Settings page, click Privacy and Security. Then click Clear Browsing Data. A box pops up with checkboxes for different things Chrome can delete.

At the top of this box, you will see a dropdown that says All Time, Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or Last 90 Days. Choose how far back you want to go. If you want to clear everything, pick All Time.

Make sure the checkbox next to Cached Images and Files is checked. This is your cache. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you want to delete other things too. Then click the blue Clear Data button at the bottom right. Chrome deletes the cache and closes the box.

What gets deleted and what stays

When you clear cache, Chrome removes stored images, videos, and code from websites. It does not delete your passwords, saved addresses, payment methods, or browsing history — those are stored separately. If you want to delete those too, you can check their boxes in the same Clear Browsing Data window, but you do not have to.

Clearing cache on your computer does not affect anyone else's device. If you share a computer with other people and want to keep your browsing private, clearing cache is only part of the answer — you would also need to clear your browsing history or use Chrome's Incognito mode (a private browsing window that does not save anything).

When to clear your cache

Clear your cache if a website looks wrong — missing images, old text, broken buttons. This happens because Chrome is showing you an outdated stored version instead of the current page. After you clear cache, Chrome downloads the fresh version the next time you visit.

You might also clear cache to free up storage space on your computer, though the cache usually does not take up much room unless you have not cleared it in years. If your computer is running slowly or you are running out of disk space, clearing cache can help a little, but it is rarely the main cause of slowness.

Some people clear cache regularly for privacy reasons — to reduce the amount of data stored locally about where they have been online. This is a personal choice based on your own comfort level.

Clearing cache on your phone

On an Android phone, open Chrome and tap the three dots in the top right. Tap Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Clear Browsing Data. Choose your time range, make sure Cached Images and Files is checked, and tap Clear Data.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Chrome and tap the three dots in the bottom right. Tap Settings, then Privacy, then Clear Browsing Data. Choose what you want to delete and tap Clear Browsing Data again to confirm.

What happens after you clear cache

After clearing cache, websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them because Chrome has to read all the files again instead of using stored copies. This slowdown is usually just a second or two. After that first visit, Chrome stores the new copies and pages load fast again.

If you clear cache and a website still looks broken, try refreshing the page by pressing Ctrl+R (Windows) or Command+R (Mac). If it still does not work, the problem is probably on the website itself, not your cache. You can also try opening the site in an Incognito window to see if the problem goes away — Incognito does not use cache at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing cache delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cache. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to check that box separately in the Clear Browsing Data window. By default, only cache is deleted.

Will clearing cache log me out of websites?

Clearing cache alone usually does not log you out. Logins are stored in cookies, which are separate from cache. If you want to stay logged in, do not check the "Cookies and Other Site Data" box — only check "Cached Images and Files".

Can I clear cache for just one website instead of all websites?

Chrome does not have a built-in way to clear cache for a single site. You have to clear all cache or none. If you want to clear just one site's cache, you can open that site in an Incognito window, which does not save cache at all.

How often should I clear my cache?

There is no set rule. Most people clear cache only when a website looks broken or when they want to free up space. Some people clear it weekly or monthly for privacy. It depends on how much you care about local storage and how often you run into broken websites.

What is the difference between cache and browsing history?

Cache stores website files (images, code, videos) so pages load faster. Browsing history is a list of URLs you visited. Clearing one does not clear the other. You can delete your history without touching cache, or vice versa.