You probably need to clear your iPhone’s cache

You are surfing the web on your iPhonereading about Apple’s iPhone 16 event when you notice that things look a little strange. Images are misshapen, some information is missing. You might be wondering what’s going on.

Instead, you should ask yourself: When was the last time you cleared your cache?

Your browser cache stores website data for faster retrieval, which can keep things running a bit smoother if everything matches up. But over time, page elements can change — the site can add new images, change layouts, etc. — and that’s when problems can crop up.

You can think of your browser cache as a mini fridge. It’s a place where you can store items for the convenience of easier retrieval — you don’t have to go all the way back to the kitchen for every item. However, that mini fridge gets cluttered over time, to the point where it can be difficult to find what you want or the items inside have gone bad. That’s why it’s good to clean out your cache (and your fridge) every now and then.

Whether you are using ChromeSafari or other browsers on your iPhone, your cache builds up that digital junk over time. Clearing your cache gives the browser a fresh start, which can speed up your web surfing, even on iOS 17 or the coming iOS 18. (If you want to make your phone run faster, try managing your iPhone storage.)

Website cookies are similar, except that they store information about user data rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you the chance to reset those preferences, which can improve your browsing experience. Be aware that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, meaning you will have to log back in and reset any preferences. The initial investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience in the future, and it can be a useful solution if you have recently changed settings that are not being applied correctly.

Here are step by step guides on how to clear cache on your iPhone based on the browser you are using.

How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Safari

Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed into your iCloud account. As a result, the caches of all your devices will be cleared and you will have to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Open the Institutions app on your iPhone.

2. Select Safari from the list of apps.

3. Go to Clear history and website data.

4. To elect Clear history and data in the pop-up window.

Then you’re done!

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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Chrome

Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. Fortunately, Google has simplified the process of clearing your Chrome cache, making the process of clearing your data much faster.

1. Open the Chrome application

2Select the three dots at the bottom right to open more options.

3. Swipe to Institutions in the top menu bar.

4. Scroll down and tap Privacy and security.

5. Crane Clear browsing data to open another menu. Select the desired time range at the top of the menu (from Last Hour to All Times). Make sure Cookies, Site data is checked, together with Cached images and files. Finally, touch Clear browsing data at the bottom of the screen.

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How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Firefox

If you have a Firefox Devotee, don’t worry. Clearing cache on your iPhone is quite easy. Just follow these steps.

1Click on the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open the options.

2. To elect Institutions at the bottom of the menu.

3. Select Data management in the Privacy section.

4. You can select Website data to clear data for individual sites, or select Delete private data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.

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What happens if you clear the cache?

Clearing your cache deletes the website data that your phone has stored locally so that you don’t have to download that data every time you visit. The data in your cache builds up over time and can eventually slow things down if it gets too large or outdated. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which can fix some loading bugs and speed up your browser. Clearing your cache also logs you out of pages, so be prepared to log back in to everything.

How often should I clear my cache?

Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That’s generally the point at which your browser builds up a cache large enough to slow things down. If you visit a lot of sites, you may want to clear your cache more often.