What clearing your cache actually does

Clearing your cache in Chrome removes the files your browser has stored on your computer — images, scripts, stylesheets, and other pieces of websites you've visited. Your browser keeps these files so that the next time you visit the same site, it loads faster instead of downloading everything again from scratch.

When you clear the cache, you're telling Chrome to delete those stored files. The next time you visit those sites, Chrome will read fresh copies. This solves several real problems: a website looks broken because an old cached file is conflicting with a new version, a site is loading slowly because your cache has become bloated, or you want to free up disk space on your computer.

Clearing cache does not delete your passwords, bookmarks, or browsing history unless you specifically tell Chrome to delete those things too. You can clear just the cache and leave everything else alone.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Chrome settings by clicking the three vertical dots in the top right corner, then select Settings.
  • Go to Privacy and Security in the left sidebar, then click Clear Browsing Data to open the deletion window.
  • Make sure "Cached images and files" is checked, set the time range to "All time" if you want to clear everything, then click Clear Data.
  • You can set Chrome to clear your cache automatically every time you close the browser by checking "Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" in Privacy and Security settings.

The step-by-step process

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. This opens a dropdown menu. Click Settings near the bottom of that menu.

On the left side of the Settings page, click Privacy and Security. You'll see several options appear on the right. Click Clear Browsing Data. A window will pop up with checkboxes for different types of data.

Make sure the checkbox next to Cached images and files is checked. You can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what else you want to delete — for example, if you only want to clear cache and keep your passwords, uncheck "Passwords and other sign-in data."

At the top of the window, you'll see a dropdown that says Time range. Click it and choose how far back you want to go. Select All time to clear everything, or pick a specific range like "Last 24 hours" or "Last 7 days" if you only want to clear recent cache. Then click the blue Clear Data button.

Clearing cache on exit (automatic clearing)

You can tell Chrome to automatically clear your cache every time you close the browser. This means you won't have to manually clear it yourself, though it also means sites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them after restarting Chrome.

Go back to Settings and click Privacy and Security. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Clear Browsing Data. Check the box next to Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. You can also check Delete cached images and files when you quit Chrome if you want cache cleared automatically too.

Once you've checked these boxes, Chrome will delete the selected data every time you fully close the browser — not just when you close a tab.

When you should clear your cache

Clear your cache if a website looks wrong or broken — buttons in the wrong place, images not showing, or text formatted strangely. This usually means an old cached file is conflicting with the new version the site is trying to show you.

Clear your cache if a site is loading slowly even though your internet connection is fast. A bloated cache can slow down your browser, especially if you haven't cleared it in months.

Clear your cache if you're running low on storage space on your computer. Your cache can take up several gigabytes over time, and clearing it is one of the fastest ways to free up room.

Clear your cache before troubleshooting other browser problems. Many issues — pages not loading, videos not playing, login problems — go away once you clear the cache, so it's worth trying before you assume something is seriously wrong.

The difference between cache, cookies, and browsing history

Cache is the files that make websites load faster — images, code, stylesheets. Cookies are small text files that websites use to remember information about you, like your login status or items in your shopping cart. Browsing history is the list of websites you've visited, which Chrome shows when you press Ctrl+H (or Cmd+H on Mac).

When you clear browsing data in Chrome, you can delete any combination of these three things. Most of the time you only need to clear cache. Clearing cookies will log you out of websites and remove saved preferences. Clearing history removes the list of sites you've visited, but it doesn't affect how websites function.

What happens after you clear cache

After you clear your cache, websites will load normally but may be slightly slower the first time you visit them, because Chrome has to read all the files fresh instead of using stored copies. The second time you visit, they'll load at normal speed again as Chrome rebuilds the cache.

You won't notice any other changes. Your bookmarks stay, your passwords stay, your open tabs stay. Only the cached files are gone. If a website was broken because of a cache conflict, it should now display correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing my cache log me out of websites?

No, not unless you also clear cookies. Cache and cookies are separate. If you only clear cached images and files, you'll stay logged in to your email, social media, and other accounts. You have to specifically check the "Cookies and other site data" box to log out.

How often should I clear my cache?

There's no set schedule. Most people clear cache only when they notice a problem — a site looks broken, things are loading slowly, or they need disk space. If you want to clear it regularly, set Chrome to delete cache automatically when you quit the browser, which takes the decision out of your hands.

Can I clear cache for just one website instead of everything?

Not directly from the Clear Browsing Data window. You can clear all cache or nothing. If you want to clear cache for a specific site, you can right-click on the site name in your browsing history, but this is rarely necessary — just clearing all cache takes seconds.

Will clearing cache delete my saved passwords?

Only if you check the box for "Passwords and other sign-in data" in the Clear Browsing Data window. By default, that box is unchecked, so your passwords stay safe. Cache and passwords are stored separately.

What if I clear cache and a website still doesn't work?

Try clearing cookies for that specific site, or try opening the site in an incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N or Cmd+Shift+N on Mac), which doesn't use any cache or cookies. If it works in incognito, the problem is definitely cache or cookies. If it doesn't work in incognito either, the problem is with the website or your connection.