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How to Clear Your Cache in a Web Browser

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Why clear your cache?

When you use a browser it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites.

 

What happens when you clear your cache?

Some settings on sites get deleted. For example, if you were signed in, you’ll need to sign in again. Some sites can seem slower because content, like images, needs to load again.

 

Keyboard shortcuts to clear your cache

On a PC, in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, you can quickly clear your cache by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the cache window.

On a Mac, in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, you can quickly clear your cache by pressing Shift + Command + Delete to open the cache window. You can do this in Safari by pressing Option + Command + E.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to close/quit the browser and restart it after clearing the cache and cookies.

 

Clear cache in Chrome

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More More.
  3. Click More tools and then Clear browsing data.
  4. At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
  5. Next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files," check the boxes.
  6. Click Clear data.
  7. If on a Windows computer, close and re-open Firefox to save your changes. If on an Apple computer, go to the Chrome menu on the top menu bar and select Quit for the changes to take effect.

Clear cache in Firefox

  1. Click on the Tools bar (The three-lines icon in the top right)
  2. Click on Options (On Mac, it's labeled Preferences).
  3. On the menu to the left, select Privacy & Security.
  4. Under the Cookies and Site Data option, click the "Clear Data..." button.
  5. Select only the two options and hit clear now. 
  6. If on a Windows computer, close and re-open Firefox to save your changes. If on an Apple computer, go to the Firefox menu on the top menu bar and select Quit for the changes to take effect.

Clear cache in Safari

  1. Click on Safari on the top menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences. 
  3. Click the Privacy tab.
  4. Click Manage Website Data...
  5. Click Remove All.
  6. Click Remove Now.
  7. Go to the Safari menu on the top menu bar.
  8. Select Quit to close Safari and save your changes.

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