As you browse the internet every day, your browser cache fills up with files that make it easier to reload web pages. However, over time, these files can accumulate and slow down the loading of pages or restrict access to all of their features. They are also a potential security risk because they may contain sensitive data that some sites store based on your activity history. Therefore, it is important to regularly clear these old files called caches.
We will show you how to clear the cache of the most used web browsers: Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.
Google Chrome
Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window to open the Chrome menu.
Select "More tools" and then "Clear browsing data".
In the "Clear browsing data" window, select "Cached images and files" and any other data you want to delete.
Select a time range (e.g. last hour, last 7 days, all time) and click the "Clear Data" button.
Safari
Tap "Safari" in the top left corner of the screen to open the drop-down menu.
Select "Settings...".
In the "Settings..." select the "Privacy" tab.
Click on the "Manage data on sites..." button.
Click "Delete All" and then click "Done".
Microsoft Edge
Click the three dots in the top right corner of the Edge window to open the Edge menu.
Select "Settings" and then "Privacy & Security".
Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear."
Select "Cached data and files" and any additional data you want to delete.
Click on "Delete now".
Mozilla Firefox
Click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the Firefox window to open the Firefox menu.
Select "Options."
In the "Options" window, select "Privacy and Security".
Under "Cookies and Site Data", click "Manage Data".
Opera
Start the Opera browser.
Click on the Menu icon (top right corner of the screen) and select "Settings".
Select "Privacy & Security" from the left menu.
Under the "Clear Browser Data" section, click the "Clear Data" button.
Make sure "Cached images and files" is selected.
Select the time range you want to delete, for example "Last hour".
Click the "Clear data" button and confirm the action in the dialog box.
When the cache clearing process is complete, close the settings window.
How to avoid losing valuable data
To avoid losing important data such as passwords and personal settings when clearing the cache, it's a good idea to follow a few basic steps:
1. Make sure your browser allows you to delete only certain types of data.
If you can only delete browsing data and keep passwords, then you can quite easily avoid losing them during deletion.
2. Make sure your data is backed up.
Before clearing the cache, it's a good idea to back up important data, such as saved passwords and personal settings, ideally to an external device or cloud storage.
3. Use a password manager.
Consider using a password manager to store login credentials and other sensitive information. This will ensure that your data is protected even if you clear the cache.
4. Export your personalised settings.
If you have custom settings in your browser, such as your homepage, default search engine, browsing history, ad blocker, consider exporting these settings to a file before clearing the cache. This way, you can easily import your settings after clearing the cache.