How to Clear Cache on iPhone

If you’ve noticed that your iPhone’s performance has been slower than usual, it might be because your device needs its cache cleared. Cache is data, such as images, collected from browsers and apps and stored to make these components load faster the next you visit.

With time, cache can become outdated and take up excessive space, causing your iPhone to become sluggish. 

Let’s look at how you can clear your cache to make your device run faster. Note that the steps in this article were taken on iOS 14.8.1.

Clear Cache from Safari

Like other browsers, Safari downloads temporary files and images from websites to make them run faster the next time you visit them. Here are the steps you need to take to clear these cache files:

1. Go to the Settings and scroll until you see Safari on your iPhone.
   

   

2. Tap Safari and go to the ‘Privacy and Security’ section.
   

   

3. You’ll see an option called Clear History and Website Data. Tap it, and a confirmation dialog box will pop up.
   

   

4. Tap Clear History and Data and you’re done!

Clear Cache from Google Chrome

Unlike Safari, you can’t clear the cache for Google Chrome from Settings, but rather directly from the browser.

1. Open Google Chrome and go to the options menu by tapping the three dots on the bottom right.
   

   

2. Go to Settings.
   

   

3. On the next screen, select Privacy.
   

   

4. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
   

   

5. Select the time range and then tap Clear Browsing Data.

Clear Cache from Firefox

1. Open Firefox and tap the three vertical lines in the bottom right corner.
   

   

2. Tap Settings.
   

   

3. Scroll down to the “Privacy” section and select Data Management.
   

   

4. Check the “Cache” option and other data you want to remove. Tap on Clear Private Data. 

How to Clear iPhone Cache for Apps

Clearing cache data for apps on iOS isn’t as simple as clearing cache from browsers. Some apps allow you to remove cache directly from within the app. For most apps, though, you have to offload them in the settings, which means removing the app but keeping the documents and data. Here’s how:

1. Open your phone’s Settings and select General.
   

   

2. Select iPhone Storage to see a list of all your downloaded apps.
   

   

3. Select an app that you haven’t used in a long time. You will see two options on the next screen: Offload App and Delete App.
   

   

4. Tap Offload App. The app will be removed to free up space, but the app’s data will still be there.
   

   

5. After you’ve offloaded an app, its icon will still be on the home screen. To reinstall the app, all you have to do is tap on it.