Clear the Cache? Basics
Your browser saves copies of website files — images, stylesheets, scripts — so pages load faster next visit. That stash is the cache, and it usually works invisibly. But a stale cache is the classic cause of a site showing yesterday's version, broken layouts, or login weirdness after an update. Clearing it forces a fresh download of everything.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: the browser cache stores website files for speed, but stale copies cause broken layouts and outdated pages. Clear cached images and files — not cookies — in Settings, then Privacy, then Clear browsing data. Try a hard refresh first: Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R.
Follow these steps
- Try a hard refresh first. Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) reloads the page bypassing the cache. This fixes most 'the site looks broken' cases in two seconds — clearing the whole cache is the bigger hammer for when this fails.
- Clear cached files, not everything. In Clear browsing data, check only 'Cached images and files.' Leave cookies and history alone unless you also want the side effects — a targeted clear keeps your logins intact.
- Clear when sites show stale content. Prices, images, or layouts from yesterday after the site updated are textbook stale-cache symptoms. If a hard refresh fails, the cache clear is the next step.
- Clear per-site for stubborn cases. Most browsers let you clear data for one site in site settings (click the lock icon, then Site settings, then Clear data). Better than wiping the cache for every site you visit.
- Expect slower loads right after. The first visit after clearing rebuilds the cache, so pages load a touch slower once. That is normal and temporary — the speed benefit returns within a browsing session.
- Do not confuse cache with cookies. Cache holds website files for speed; cookies hold logins and trackers. Clearing one does not clear the other — pick the right tool for the symptom.
What NOT to do
- Do not clear the cache as daily maintenance. It exists to make browsing faster — wiping it daily just makes everything slower.
- Do not clear cookies when you meant cache. Ticking the wrong box logs you out of everything for no reason — read the checkboxes.
- Do not expect a cache clear to fix internet speed. It fixes stale-page problems; a slow connection is a completely different issue.
- Do not clear the cache mid-download or mid-form. Active pages lose their state — finish what you are doing first.
Frequently asked questions
Will clearing cache delete my passwords?
No — passwords live in the browser's password manager, untouched by a cache clear. Only ticking the cookies box would log you out.
How often should I clear the cache?
Only when troubleshooting — stale pages, broken layouts, update weirdness. There is no health benefit to a schedule.
Does clearing cache free much space?
Some — caches grow to hundreds of megabytes over months. It is a troubleshooting tool first and a space saver second.