What clearing cache and cookies actually does
Cache is a folder on your computer where your browser stores copies of images, scripts, and other files from websites you visit. When you return to a site, your browser loads these stored copies instead of downloading them again, which makes pages load faster. Cookies are small text files that websites place on your computer to remember information about you — your login status, items in your shopping cart, your preferences, or tracking data.
Clearing your cache frees up storage space and forces your browser to download fresh copies of website files the next time you visit. This can fix display problems or force a site to load its newest version. Clearing cookies removes stored login information, preferences, and tracking data, which means websites will treat you as a new visitor and you'll need to log back in.
Most people clear both together, though you can clear them separately. The process takes less than a minute and works the same way in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
Key Takeaways
- Cache stores website files to speed up loading; clearing it frees space and forces fresh downloads of updated pages.
- Cookies store login information and tracking data; clearing them logs you out of websites and removes stored preferences.
- You can clear both at once or separately, and the process is built into every major browser's settings menu.
- Clearing cache and cookies does not delete your browsing history, passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically choose those options.
- You can set your browser to clear cache and cookies automatically every time you close it.
How to clear cache and cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows, or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window directly. At the top, select the time range — "All time" clears everything, or choose "Last hour", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "Last 3 months" to clear only recent data.
Check the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files". Leave other options unchecked unless you want to delete your browsing history, downloads, or autofill information as well. Click the blue "Clear data" button. Chrome will clear the selected items in a few seconds and return you to your browsing.
If you prefer to use the menu instead, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner, select Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Clear Browsing Data. The window that opens is identical to the keyboard shortcut method.
How to clear cache and cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows, or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Recent History window. At the top, use the "Time range to clear" dropdown to select "Everything" or a specific period like "Last Hour" or "Last 24 Hours".
Click the arrow next to "Details" to expand the list of items. Check "Cookies" and "Cache" and uncheck anything else you want to keep. Click the blue "Clear Now" button. Firefox will clear the selected data immediately.
You can also reach this through the menu: click the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select Settings, then Privacy & Security, scroll down to "Cookies and Site Data", and click "Clear Data". A smaller window appears where you can choose to clear cookies, cached web content, or both.
How to clear cache and cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click the Safari menu in the top left corner. Select "Clear History..." from the dropdown. A window appears asking how far back to clear — choose "All history" to clear everything, or select "The last hour", "Today", or "Today and yesterday" for a shorter timeframe.
Safari clears both cache and cookies together when you use this method; you cannot separate them. Click the "Clear History" button to finish. Safari will clear the data and close the window.
Note that Safari's "Clear History" removes your browsing history along with cache and cookies. If you want to clear only cache and cookies without deleting your history, you'll need to use Develop menu options, which requires enabling the Develop menu first in Safari's Advanced settings.
How to clear cache and cookies in Edge
Open Microsoft Edge and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window. At the top, select your time range — "All time", "Last hour", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "Last 3 months".
Check the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files". Leave other options unchecked unless you want to remove your browsing history or other data. Click the blue "Clear now" button. Edge will clear the selected items within seconds.
You can also access this through the menu: click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner, select Settings, then Privacy, Search, and Services, then scroll to "Clear Browsing Data" and click "Choose what to clear".
Set your browser to clear cache and cookies automatically
All major browsers can clear cache and cookies automatically when you close them, so you don't have to do it manually each time. In Chrome, open Settings, go to Privacy and Security, and toggle on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome". In Firefox, go to Settings, select Privacy & Security, scroll to "Cookies and Site Data", and check "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed".
In Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, select Settings, go to the Privacy tab, and check "Remove all website data when quitting Safari". In Edge, open Settings, go to Privacy, Search, and Services, scroll to "Clear Browsing Data", and toggle on "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser".
When you enable this setting, your browser will prompt you to confirm what you want to clear (or clear it silently, depending on your browser) each time you close it. This is useful if you share your computer or want to prevent websites from tracking you across sessions.
What clearing cache and cookies does not remove
Clearing cache and cookies does not delete your saved passwords, autofill information, or browsing history unless you specifically check those boxes when clearing. Your bookmarks, extensions, and browser settings remain unchanged. Downloaded files stay on your computer in your Downloads folder.
If you want to delete your browsing history separately, you can do that through the same menu — in Chrome and Edge it's the "Browsing history" checkbox, in Firefox it's "Browsing & Download History", and in Safari you use the History menu instead. Passwords are stored separately and require you to go into your password manager settings to delete them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing my cache and cookies log me out of websites?
Yes. Cookies store your login information, so clearing them logs you out of Gmail, social media, banking sites, and anywhere else you were signed in. You'll need to log back in the next time you visit. Cache clearing does not affect logins directly, but clearing both together will log you out.
Why is my website still not loading correctly after I cleared my cache?
If a page still looks wrong after clearing cache, try a hard refresh: press Ctrl + F5 on Windows or Command + Shift + R on Mac. This forces your browser to download the page fresh without using any cached files. If the page still looks broken, the problem may be with the website itself, not your browser.
How much storage space does clearing cache actually free up?
Cache size varies widely depending on how many websites you visit and how long you've been browsing. For most people, cache takes up between 100 MB and 1 GB. If your computer is running low on storage, clearing cache can help, but deleting old files or videos usually frees up much more space.
Is it safe to clear cookies from specific websites only?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can right-click on any website in your browsing history and select "Delete" or "Remove", which clears only that site's cookies and cache. In Safari, you can manage individual site data through Settings under Privacy. This is useful if you want to log out of one site without affecting others.
Can I recover cookies or cache after I clear them?
No. Once you clear cache and cookies, they are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. If you need to keep login information for a site, consider using your browser's password manager instead, which stores passwords separately and survives cache clearing.