What cache and cookies actually do, and why you might want to clear them
Cache is a folder on your computer where Safari stores copies of web pages, images, and videos you have already visited. The next time you go to that page, Safari loads the stored copy instead of downloading it again — which makes the page load faster. Cookies are small text files that websites save on your device to remember things about you: your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, your language preference, or which ads you have seen.
Clearing cache frees up storage space and can fix pages that look broken or load incorrectly — sometimes Safari is showing you an old cached version instead of the current one. Clearing cookies logs you out of websites, removes your saved passwords from Safari's memory, and stops websites from tracking which sites you visit across the internet. Neither action is permanent; Safari will start building cache and cookies again the moment you browse.
You might clear cache if a website is not loading properly, or if you are sharing your device with someone else and do not want them to see your browsing history. You might clear cookies if you are concerned about tracking, or if you want to log out of all your accounts at once.
Key Takeaways
- On Mac, go to Safari menu → Settings → Privacy tab → Manage Website Data → select all → Remove Now.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data, then choose what time period to clear.
- Clearing cache and cookies will log you out of websites and remove saved passwords, so have your login information ready.
- You can set Safari to clear cache and cookies automatically every time you close the browser.
How to clear cache and cookies on Mac Safari
Open Safari and click the Safari menu in the top left corner of your screen. Click Settings (or Preferences if you are using an older version of macOS). A window will open with several tabs across the top.
Click the Privacy tab. You will see a button that says Manage Website Data. Click it. A list will appear showing every website that has stored data on your device. To remove everything at once, click the Remove All button in the bottom right. To remove only specific websites, click on a website name in the list and then click Remove. When you are done, click Done.
This action clears both cache and cookies at the same time. You will be logged out of all websites, and Safari will no longer remember passwords you had saved for those sites. The next time you visit a website, it will load slightly slower because Safari has to read everything fresh instead of using stored copies.
How to clear cache and cookies on iPhone or iPad Safari
Open the Settings app (not Safari). Scroll down and tap Safari. Scroll down again until you see Clear History and Website Data. Tap it.
A menu will appear asking you to choose a time period. Your options are the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. Choose the period you want to clear, then tap Clear History and Website Data again to confirm. This removes both cache and cookies for that time period. You will be logged out of websites visited during that time.
Set Safari to clear cache and cookies automatically
If you want Safari to clear your cache and cookies every time you close the browser, you can turn on automatic clearing. On Mac, open Safari → Settings → Privacy tab. Look for the checkbox that says Remove all website data when quitting Safari. Check it. From now on, Safari will clear cache and cookies whenever you quit the process.
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings → Safari and scroll down. Turn on the toggle next to Clear History and Website Data. This will clear your data every time you close Safari. With this setting on, you will be logged out of all websites each time you fully close the app.
What happens after you clear cache and cookies
You will be logged out of every website you were signed into. The next time you visit those sites, you will need to enter your username and password again. Safari will not have saved those passwords in its temporary memory, so you will need to remember them or use a password manager. Passwords stored in your iCloud Keychain will still be available to use.
Websites will not remember your preferences — your language setting, your dark mode choice, items in your shopping cart. Some of these will come back as you browse, because websites will set new cookies. Others you may have to set again manually. Pages may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cache, because Safari has to read everything fresh instead of using stored copies. After that, they will load normally as Safari builds a new cache.
The difference between clearing cache and clearing browsing history
Clearing browsing history removes the list of websites you have visited — the list you see when you click the History menu in Safari. Clearing cache and cookies removes the data those websites stored on your device. You can do one without the other.
On Mac, to clear only browsing history without touching cache and cookies, go to Safari → History → Clear History. Choose your time period and click Clear History. On iPhone, go to Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data and choose your time period. Both methods remove the history list but leave cache and cookies untouched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cache and cookies delete my saved passwords?
Clearing cache and cookies removes passwords that Safari was holding in temporary memory for that browsing session. It does not delete passwords stored in your iCloud Keychain (Mac) or iCloud Keychain (iPhone/iPad), which is where Safari saves passwords long-term. You can still use those saved passwords to log back in.
Can I clear cache and cookies for just one website?
Yes, on Mac. Go to Safari → Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data, find the website in the list, click it, and click Remove. On iPhone, there is no built-in way to clear data for a single site — you have to clear for a time period instead.
What if I clear cache and cookies by accident?
You cannot undo it. However, Safari will start building a new cache and collecting new cookies when ready. If you were logged into accounts, you will need to log back in. If you had items in a shopping cart, they will be gone unless the website stored them on their server.
Does clearing cache and cookies make Safari faster?
Clearing cache frees up storage space on your device, which can help if your storage is nearly full. It does not make Safari itself run faster. In fact, pages may load slightly slower at first because Safari has to read everything fresh instead of using cached copies.
Should I clear cache and cookies regularly?
There is no technical reason to clear them regularly unless you are running low on storage space or you share your device with others. Clearing them does not improve Safari's performance. If you are concerned about tracking, turning on Private Browsing (Safari → File → New Private Window on Mac, or Safari → File → New Private Window on iPhone) prevents Safari from storing cookies and history in the first place.