Easy Guide to Clear Cache on iPhone & iPad: Free Up Space

For many iPhone and iPad users, running out of storage space or experiencing slow device performance is a common concern. The good news? Clearing cache, cookies, and other temporary data from your apps can resolve these issues, restoring your device’s speed and freeing up valuable storage. Whether you’re using Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or third-party apps, this guide will help you easily clear cache on your iPhone or iPad.

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Cached files are often the culprits behind sluggish performance and bloated storage. These files help speed up your browsing experience but can become outdated or unnecessarily large over time. Regularly clearing them can help keep your device running smoothly. Follow the steps below to learn how to clear cache in different browsers and apps.

How to Clear Cache in Safari

Safari, the default browser for iOS, stores a wealth of website data over time. To clear the cache on Safari:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to Safari settings (found under the Apps tab in iOS 18).
3. Tap Clear History and Website Data.
4. Confirm the action to remove all browsing history, cookies, and cache.

For further control, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Safari > Website Data. Here, you can view individual websites’ cached data and delete them one by one or clear all website data.

To prevent cache buildup, consider enabling the Block All Cookies option under Advanced Settings.

Clear Cache in Chrome

Google Chrome users need to follow a slightly different process to clear cache:

1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Scroll up to reveal the bottom navigation bar and tap the three-dot ‘…’ symbol.
3. Select Delete Browsing Data.
4. Toggle the types of data you’d like to clear (browsing history, cached images and files, cookies, site data, etc.).
5. Tap Delete Browsing Data again to confirm.

This will help keep Chrome’s file cache from hogging too much space on your device.

Clear Cache in Mozilla Firefox

Firefox users can quickly clear cache and other browsing data by following these steps:

1. Open the Firefox app and tap the three parallel lines at the bottom of the screen.
2. Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Data Management.
3. Choose the types of data to clear, such as website data, browsing history, cookies, or cache.
4. Confirm your selections to free up space.

How to Clear Cache in Third-Party Apps

For apps that do not fall under the standard browsers, you may need to dive into your iPhone’s settings. Some apps have an option to clear cache directly from the Settings menu:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down to the alphabetical list of third-party apps, or select the Apps tab in iOS 18.
3. Find the app you want to manage.
4. If available, select Reset Cache on Next Launch.

If the app does not offer this option, you may need to clear the cache through the app’s own settings or, in extreme cases, delete and reinstall the app.

Troubleshooting Cache Issues

If you find that clearing cache within an app is not resolving storage problems, you may need to delete and reinstall the app. Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
2. Click on the app and assess how much of the storage is occupied by Documents & Data.
3. If it is using too much space, tap Delete App.
4. Redownload the app from the App Store to reset its data.

By reinstalling the app, you effectively clear the stored data that was taking up space.

Restarting iPhone to Clear Cache

Lastly, it is a good idea to restart your iPhone to clear cached system data and help improve performance. For newer models, press and hold the Power button and either of the Volume buttons until you see the Slide to Power Off option. For older models, simply hold down the power button. Turning your phone off and back on can reset cached background data, giving your device a fresh start.