Safari User Guide
- Change your homepage
- Import bookmarks, history, and passwords
- Make Safari your default web browser
- Go to websites
- Find what you’re looking for
- Bookmark webpages that you want to revisit
- See your favorite websites
- Use tabs for webpages
- Pin frequently visited websites
- Play web videos
- Mute audio in tabs
- Pay with Apple Pay
- Autofill credit card info
- Autofill contact info
- Keep a Reading List
- Hide ads when reading articles
- Translate a webpage
- Download items from the web
- Share or post webpages
- Add passes to Wallet
- Save part or all of a webpage
- Print or create a PDF of a webpage
- Customize a start page
- Customize the Safari window
- Customize settings per website
- Zoom in on webpages
- Get extensions
- Manage cookies and website data
- Block pop-ups
- Clear your browsing history
- Browse privately
- Autofill user name and password info
- Prevent cross-site tracking
- View a Privacy Report
- Change Safari preferences
- Keyboard and other shortcuts
- Troubleshooting
Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac
You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other devices have Safari turned on in iCloud preferences , your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.
Open Safari for me
Choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.
When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:
History of webpages you visited
The back and forward list for open webpages
Frequently visited site list
Recent searches
Icons for webpages
Snapshots saved for open webpages
List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)
Websites added for Quick Website Search
Websites that asked to use your location
Websites that asked to send you notifications
How to Delete Cookies and Stored Website Data in Safari
Websites and advertisers use cookies to identify you and follow you around the internet, and they might also save other website data to remember you by. In Safari, you can delete these cookies and other data. Let's head to Safari's privacy settings.
Stored content can include a history of your site visits or information you provided the site, such as your name and email address. You can delete all of the website data at once or for individual sites.
Delete Cookies and Saved Data on the Mac
1. Select Preferences from the Safari menu or hold down the Command key and the comma key at the same time (Command+,).
2. Go to the Privacy tab.
3. Click the Remove All Website Data button to remove all stored website data, or skip to step 5 to remove data on a site-by-site basis.
4. Click Remove Now to confirm. Note, as Safari warns you, this could log you out of sites and perhaps also change how they function. For example, instead of getting tailored ads on the site, you'll be served generic ones.
5. To remove stored data by site, click the Details button.
Stay in the know with Laptop Mag
Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.
6. Select the sites with stored data you want to remov e. Hold down the Command key to select multiple sites.
7. Click Remove.
8. Click Done.
Alternatively, you can click the Remove All button to delete all of the sites' cookies and stored data. Safari will ask you to confirm your choice:
Delete Cookies and Web History in Safari in iOS
Clear your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari on your iPad or iPhone .
1. Open the Settings app and tap Safari.
2. Tap Clear History and Website Data. If you're using iOS 7 or earlier, the menu is slightly different: Tap "Clear History" and "Clear Cookies and Data".
3. Tap Clear to confirm.
4. Tap Advanced back in the Safari Settings window to clear other stored website data.
5. Tap Website Data.
6. Tap Remove All Website Data . Alternatively, you can click the Edit link at the top right and then delete individual sites' data by tapping the minus sign next to the site names.
Doing this will not only help protect your privacy. It can also clear out precious space on your device.
Looking to learn more about your Mac — or buy a new one? Check out our how to reset a MacBook guide for more details about what to do before you sell your laptop (or other macOS machine) and our MacBook Pro 2019 rumors roundup for details on what to expect in next year's model.
- How to Search for Text Within a Web Page in Safari
- How to Restore Recently Closed Tabs and Windows in Safari
- How to Block Cookies in Safari
How to convert PDF to JPG, PNG, or TIFF
How to add Outlook Calendar to Google Calendar
Retro game emulators are now welcome in the App Store — but don't get too excited
Most Popular
By Madeline Ricchiuto 8 April 2024
By Momo Tabari 8 April 2024
By Rael Hornby 8 April 2024
By Mark Anthony Ramirez 7 April 2024
By Sarah Chaney 6 April 2024
By Mark Anthony Ramirez 5 April 2024
By Madeline Ricchiuto 5 April 2024
By Sarah Chaney 5 April 2024
By Momo Tabari 5 April 2024
By Hilda Scott 5 April 2024
By Hilda Scott 4 April 2024
- 2 Microsoft Store Spring Sale: Up to $600 off Surface devices, up to 80% off PC, Xbox games and accessories
- 3 Spotify launches AI playlists — here's when it'll be available and for who
- 4 The iPhone SE 4 could be here sooner than you think
- 5 Pretendo saves the day after Wii U and 3DS server shut down — here's how to keep your Nintendo games online
- a. Send us an email
- b. Anonymous form
- Buyer's Guide
- Upcoming Products
- Tips / Contact Us
- Podcast Instagram Facebook Twitter Mastodon YouTube Notifications RSS Newsletter
How to Clear Safari Browsing History and Cache
Whenever you browse the web in Safari, the browser stores website data so that it doesn't have to download it again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone , and iPad .
If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one.
Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited. Either way, here's how it's done on macOS and iOS.
How to Clear Safari's Cache on Mac
There are two ways to clear Safari's cache on a Mac. The first method outlined below deletes everything relating to a website you've visited, including not only the cached versions of the site, but also cookies and any other related data. The second method described offers a more targeted approach and clears only Safari's cache, but it does involve enabling a hidden menu.
- Launch Safari browser on your Mac.
How to Clear Safari's Cache on iPhone and iPad
Note that the following steps clear all history, cookies and website data on your device, regardless of when the sites were accessed.
- Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
- Scroll down and select Safari .
- Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data .
- Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history ), choose the profile or select All Profiles , then tap Clear History .
For another way to protect your privacy while browsing the web, be sure to check out our guide on how to use Safari's Private Browsing Mode .
Get weekly top MacRumors stories in your inbox.
Popular Stories
When to Expect a New Apple TV to Launch
Alleged iPhone 16 Battery Details Show Smaller Capacity for One Model
When to Expect the Next iPad Mini and Low-End iPad Models to Launch
Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices Across Every 10th Gen iPad
iPhone 16 Plus Rumored to Come in These 7 Colors
Microsoft Says Windows Laptops With Snapdragon X Elite Will Be Faster Than M3 MacBook Air
Apple Event for New iPads Still Considered 'Unlikely' Following Delays
Next article.
Our comprehensive guide highlighting every major new addition in iOS 17, plus how-tos that walk you through using the new features.
App Store changes for the EU, new emoji, Podcasts transcripts, and more.
Get the most out your iPhone 15 with our complete guide to all the new features.
A deep dive into new features in macOS Sonoma, big and small.
Revamped models with OLED displays, M3 chip, and redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory.
Updated 10.9-inch model and new 12.9-inch model, M2 chip expected.
Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off with a keynote on June 10.
Expected to see new AI-focused features and more. Preview coming at WWDC in June with public release in September.
Other Stories
4 hours ago by Tim Hardwick
6 hours ago by Tim Hardwick
1 day ago by Tim Hardwick
1 day ago by MacRumors Staff
- Clear Safari cache on Mac
- Clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad
- How to save passwords when clearing your cache
How to clear your Safari browser cache on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad
- You can clear your cache on Safari in just a few steps on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
- Clearing your cache, as well as history and cookies, can help resolve your device's performance issues.
- Clearing your cookies will clear your passwords as well, unless you save them with keychain.
A cache is a store of data. When you visit a website on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, the Safari browser keeps a snapshot of the pages you view.
If you go back to that website, Safari loads the cached page in an instant, instead of taking the time to retrieve the page from the internet again.
But an overloaded cache can take up storage space and cause your device to run inefficiently — and it could use a periodic clearing.
Here's what you need to know to clear your cache on Safari, as well as your cookies and browsing history.
How to clear Safari cache on Mac
You can either clear just your cache or your cache, history, and cookies.
Clear your cache
1. Click on the Safari tab at the top left of your screen and choose Preferences from the dropdown menu.
2. Click the Advanced tab of the menu that pops up.
3. At the end of the tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar box and close the Preferences menu.
4. Click the Develop tab from the Safari menu at the top of the page.
5. Click Empty Caches from the dropdown menu.
Clear your cache, history, and cookies
You may also want to clear your browsing history and cookies in addition to emptying your cache. Here's how to do that.
1. Choose the History tab at the top of your screen.
2. At the very bottom of the dropdown menu, choose Clear History.
3. A box pops up with a choice to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. Choose your time frame and click the Clear History button.
Once you clear the history, it will also clear the cache and cookies associated with that time period.
How to clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad
To clear your cache and browsing history:
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Safari .
3. Tap Clear History and Website Data .
4. On the screen that pops up, choose Clear History and Data .
To clear your cache but not your browsing history:
3. Tap Advanced .
4. Tap Website Data .
5. Choose Remove All Website Data .
What happens to saved passwords when you clear your cache
When you clear your cache, history, and cookies, you may discover that Safari has logged you out of your favorite websites.
While clearing Safari's cache alone will not delete your passwords, clearing your history and cookies can. That's because when you empty your cookies, you will lose their password data saved in Safari as well. And keep in mind that clearing your history also clears its associated cookies.
Luckily, Apple has a solution to this problem. If you use iCloud, check your iCloud settings on your phone or computer.
Make sure that you've checked the box for Safari. As long as this box is checked, any passwords you save through your browser will stay safe in your keychain .
- Main content
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac
You can clear your Safari browsing history on both iOS and Mac
As tracking goes, Safari keeping your browsing history is less about privacy-busting security and more about just being useful. It's your history that means Safari remembers where to go to when you choose forward and back within a site, for instance.
It's also how Safari is able to offer you a list of sites that you regularly go to, on account of how handy it is to be able to back to them with a click. History also does keep things you may not expect, though, such as a list of items you've downloaded.
If you don't want that, though, or you're just fed up of Safari going to site addresses you haven't looked at in years, you can wipe the whole browsing history.
On a Mac, you can also wipe, for instance, just the last hour's browsing history. So if you share Safari and it's someone's special birthday coming up, you can avoid them inadvertently finding out you plan to surprise them with dance lessons.
How to clear search history on Safari on Mac
- In Safari, choose the History menu
- Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu
- In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour , today , today and yesterday , or all history
- Click on Clear History
Alternatively, within Safari you can press Command-Y and the current page will be replaced by a history list. There's a Clear History... button toward the top right.
Clicking on that gives you exactly the same dialog about choosing how far back you want to clear your browsing history. But this page does also give you one extra option — the ability to delete one specific item.
How to clear one item from Safari search history on Mac
- In Safari, press Command-Y
- From the long list, click once on a history item to select it
- Right-click to bring up a menu, then choose Delete
Alternatively, if you select one, two, or more items in the history list, you can then press the Delete key to remove them all.
That kind of precision removal is only possible on your Mac, not on iOS . However, whether it's precision or wholesale clearing of your history, though, there is a way to replicate it on iOS.
If you have set iCloud to share your Safari history, then just doing this on your Mac also removes the history from your iPhone, and iPad.
Otherwise, you're stuck with going to your iOS device. And then with clearing the entire history.
How to clear search history on iPhone
- Go to Settings on your iOS device
- Tap on Safari
- Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data
- Tap that, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm
One important thing to note is that you can't selectively remove, say, today's browsing history on the iPhone or iPad . It's all or nothing, with iOS.
What you leave behind
Clearing your history like this does remove the list of sites and pages you've visited. It does mean you can't go back to that site you read last Tuesday, not without remembering what it was and going there yourself.
What it doesn't remove, though, is the information that gets used by something like AutoFill. If you have your address, for instance, and you're used to online forms being filled out with it, you've still got that feature.
You've also still got anything you downloaded. It's purely that Safari won't keep the list of downloads.
Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube , Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.
Top Stories
Grab Apple's latest 14-inch MacBook Pro with 36GB RAM for $2,199
Rumor: M4 MacBook Pro with AI enhancements expected at the end of 2024
All of the specs of the iPhone SE 4 may have just been leaked
Rise in corporate Mac use invites more sophisticated hacking
Apple will allow activation of used parts in repairs by users & service shops
What to expect from Apple's Q2 2024 earnings on May 2
Featured deals.
Apple's M2 MacBook Air drops to all-time low of $849 in latest price war
Latest comparisons.
M3 15-inch MacBook Air vs M3 14-inch MacBook Pro — Ultimate buyer's guide
M3 MacBook Air vs M1 MacBook Air — Compared
M3 MacBook Air vs M2 MacBook Air — Compared
Latest news.
Underused VPN by Google One is being shut down
Google is shutting down its subscription-based VPN by Google One service later in 2024, with the feature heading to the Google Graveyard due to being underused by its customers.
UK denies Apple's bid to dismiss App Store lawsuit
A class action lawsuit against Apple over the App Store's 30% fee will go ahead, after a UK tribunal rejects the company's argument for dismissal.
Apple Vision Pro Black eyes, dinosaurs, and Apple's mastery of logistics on the AppleInsider Podcast
It's not true that Apple Vision Pro will routinely give you black eyes, but maybe it is true that Apple could be doing more immersive video. Plus we have no iPads yet, but we think we know where they are.
A leak that is chiefly rounding up previous rumors about the iPhone SE 4 has added that it will have AI-based camera features, and contrary to expectations, will resemble the iPhone 13 more than the iPhone 14.
How to make the most of your Mac's trackpad
Whether you're one of the many MacBook users of the world, or you just prefer the Magic Trackpad to a traditional mouse, there are many ways to make the trackpad experience on a Mac even better.
Hackers are developing more complex, cross-platform tactics to take advantage of the ever increasing Mac user base, and the latest targets the TCC framework.
Apple hardware chief John Ternus insists parts pairing is not evil
Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering John Ternus has defended Apple's use of parts pairing, while also insisting the company still supports the use of third-party parts in repairs.
Espresso 17 Pro review: Magnetic & modular portable Mac monitor
The Espresso 17 Pro avoids the usual compromises in portable monitors by offering a large multi-touch glossy 4K retina-grade display with magnetic modularity inspired by Apple's iPad.
Google Photos AI image-editing tools expands to iPhone on May 15
Google is going to provide all users of Google Photos access to its AI-powered editing tools on the iPhone, and without requiring a subscription for most users.
Latest Videos
How to get the best video capture possible on iPhone 15 Pro with ProRes
How to turn off Apple's Journal 'Discoverable by Others' setting that's enabled by default
The best Thunderbolt 4 docks and hubs you can buy for your Mac
Latest reviews.
Journey Loc8 MagSafe Finder Wallet review: an all-in-one Find My wallet
TP-Link Tapo Indoor cameras review: affordable HomeKit options with in-app AI tools
{{ title }}
{{ summary }}
What is Website Data on iPhone, iPad & What Happens If you Clear It
If you go to Settings > General > iPhone (iPad) Storage > Safari, you will see an option called Website Data . If you open that option, you will see a red button saying “Remove All Website Data.” The same option is also available if you go to Settings > Safari. You will see a button saying “Clear History and Website Data.” You may want to delete Website Data to free up storage on your device. However, you may also wonder what will happen if you delete it. This article explains what Website Data is and if you should delete it.
What is Website Data
Website Data is comprised of cookies, site data and cache files created by the websites you visit. It contains information such as site preferences and login status. Website Data is supposed to enhance your online experience. For example, it helps websites to remember you so that you will not need to re-login to frequently used sites if you’re already logged in, like LinkedIn, Facebook, Amazon, Gmail, or Google Docs. It can be very difficult to know what this data may be because sites partially control what they store. Commonly, however, Website Data includes the following:
- Cookies : They are small text files. They usually contain authentication data.
- Cache : They are a sort of local copy of the websites you visit. It usually consists of images, files and scripts. Local copies are stored so that Safari won’t have to re-download everything again, and the site can be loaded faster. Cached data reduces load time.
This data can get big and take up significant space. This is why you may want to delete it if you are running out of available storage. However, the amount of data is not correlated to how often you use a site. There may be a site you use daily that stores zero data. And there may be a site you use rarely that stores megabytes of data.
What will happen if you delete Website Data
There are advantages and disadvantages to deleting Website Data. Deleting this may cause a few issues for you. They are:
- Your logged-in status will be deleted. You will need to re-login again.
- If you are about to purchase an item, your shopping cart will be emptied. For example, if there are items in an Amazon shopping cart, they will be deleted (unless you are signed in to your Amazon account).
- The first time you visit a page, it may take a little longer to load. Safari will re-download the cached data.
Deleting this may also offer some benefits:
- If you share your computer with others, clearing Website Data will improve your privacy.
- Deleting it will clear up some room on your device.
- This may possibly increase your device’s overall performance.
- If Safari is not working properly, this may fix it.
The following won’t be affected:
- If you have saved passwords on your iPhone or iPad, they won’t be deleted.
- If you have Safari bookmarks, they will stay. However, your browsing history will be gone.
- If you have data saved in your account for a particular website, this will not be deleted. For example, Google Docs or any other cloud based web app will keep your data on their cloud server.
Please note that you can delete all Website Data or if you prefer, you can delete an individual website’s Website Data by going to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data and swiping left on the domain name.
Related articles:
- How to Clear the Browser Cache in Safari on Mac
- How to enable Cookies on iPhone
- Mac: Your System Is Infected With (3) Viruses, Fix
- Safari kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Error, Blank Page Fix
Dr. Serhat Kurt worked as a Senior Technology Director specializing in Apple solutions for small and medium-sized educational institutions. He holds a doctoral degree (or doctorate) from the University of Illinois at Urbana / Champaign and a master’s degree from Purdue University. He is a former faculty member. Here is his LinkedIn profile and Google Scholar profile . Email Serhat Kurt .
Similar Posts
How to Send a Pin in Maps on iPhone and iPad
You can pin down a location on Apple Maps. This will let you manage your trips. Using a pin to mark a location will also help you find a place later on the…
iPhone Says: Spam Risk, Fraud, Scam Likely: What Do They Mean?
So ‘Scam Likely’ or ‘Spam Risk’ is calling you? And you are wondering who that is and if you should answer the call? The answer is it is probably a telemarketer, a scammer…
How to Turn Off Passcode on iPhone or iPad
Most people are just fine with using a Lock Screen passcode on their iPhone or iPad. Most of those people have chosen a passcode that is really easy for them to remember. Although…
How to Reset Network Settings on iPhone
Internet is important for many of the things you use your iPhone for: checking email, social media, browsing and more. If you are having connection issues with your iPhone, you may need to…
How to Change Your iPhone’s Name
By default, your iPhone’s name is “iPhone.” You may want a more personal name for your iPhone. You can easily change its name to anything you like. You can also do this as…
iOS 14 Text Notification Not Working, Fix
Several users have said that iOS 14 text alerts not working properly. More specifically, iPhone users have reported problems with getting the notifications that let them know they have received a text message….
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Categories:
How to Clear Safari's Browsing History on an iPhone or Mac
Browsing data reveals your browsing habits, and can be accessed by sites you visit. If you're concerned about your privacy, you can manage and delete your browsing history.
Navigating the digital world creates a footprint similar to how our steps leave marks in real life. These digital traces, from sites visited to search queries, can pose privacy risks. So, it's essential to know how to clear your browsing history.
Whether you aim to clear search history on your iPhone or Mac, delete history from a specific timeframe in Safari, or fully clear your browsing history, Apple offers streamlined solutions. Let's take a look.
How to Delete Your Safari Browsing History on an iPhone or iPad
If you're looking to clear Safari's browsing history from within the Safari app on the iPhone or iPad, you're looking in the wrong place. Apple puts such options in the Settings app, and this is how to find them:
- Open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and tap on Safari .
- Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and tap Clear History and Website Data .
- When a sub-window pops up, choose a timeframe and tap Clear History .
If you find yourself needing to delete your history in short timeframes, consider using private browsing (or incognito mode) in Safari instead of heading to the Settings app to do this often.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Safari on a Mac
Unlike on an iPhone or iPad, you'll find all you need to clear Safari's history within the app. There's no need to open System Settings. Here's how to do it:
- Launch Safari using Spotlight search ( Command + Space ) or any other desired method.
There are still a few other things you would have to do if you want to reset Safari to default settings . But this method is all you need to delete your Safari browsing history on a Mac.
Safari Keeps Your History Private
Do not be worried if you suspect Apple is selling your browsing data; that is far from the truth. Apple has built a reputation for prioritizing privacy and security and even goes the extra mile to protect you from advertisers and third parties.
In fact, Safari might be safer to use than Google Chrome since Google doesn't offer the same commitment to privacy as Safari does. Use Private Browsing if necessary or delete your history if you still want to keep it from prying eyes.
How to clear all website data from Safari on iPhone and iPad
Whether you know it or not, your iPhone and iPad actually tracks what you're doing in Safari for several reasons. The main ones being to speed up browsing and to store logins. On the down side, website data can also be used for tracking purposes. If you'd rather not have sites track you, clearing out this data now and again is a good idea.
Here's how:
- Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap on Safari .
- Again, scroll down to the bottom and tap on Advanced .
- Now tap on Website Data .
- This is where you'll see all the sites storing data via Safari. Scroll to the botom and tap on Remove All Website Data .
- You'll be asked to confirm you'd like to delete all data with a detailed explanation of what it does. Just tap Remove Now to confirm.
That's it. All the website data currently stored on your iPhone or iPad is now gone. Depending on how much you browse, you may have noticed lots of data being stored. This is also a way to free up a little storage space now and again if you find yourself running dangerously low.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.
Apple, it's finally time to bring ProMotion to the masses — starting with these two products
An indie game of the year contender headlines Apple Arcade for May — Sonic Dream Team, Game Room, and Hello Kitty Island Adventure major updates also planned
1 in 7 iPhones are now assembled in India as Apple continues to reduce its reliance on China
Most Popular
By Brady Snyder April 04, 2024
By John-Anthony Disotto April 04, 2024
By Brady Snyder April 03, 2024
By John-Anthony Disotto April 03, 2024
By John-Anthony Disotto April 02, 2024
By Brady Snyder March 31, 2024
By Matt Evans March 30, 2024
By John-Anthony Disotto March 28, 2024
By John-Anthony Disotto March 27, 2024
By Daryl Baxter March 26, 2024
- 2 US teens love their iPhones and Apple Watches, but it isn't all good news with Apple streaming services lagging behind the competition
- 3 13 changes we want to see in iOS 18: How Apple could make it the 'biggest' iPhone update ever
- 4 iPhone 17 again tipped to inherit iPhone 16 Pro's display — could 120Hz finally make the leap to the cheaper models?
- 5 This Apple Watch trick will solve the most annoying thing about charging your smartwatch — who needs a fancy charging stand anyway?
- Apple Watch
- Accessories
- Digital Magazine – Subscribe
- Digital Magazine – Log In
- Smart Answers
- M3 MacBook Air
- New iPad Air
- iPad mini 7
- Next Mac Pro
- Best Mac antivirus
- Best Mac VPN
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn't affect our editorial independence .
How to clear Safari’s cache and cookies on Mac
There are a handful of situations when clearing Safari’s cookies or cache–one of the places where Safari stores website data to avoid having to download it afresh each time you access a site–can help improve your browsing experience.
The first is when websites simply stop working when you access them on Safari. Perhaps Facebook stops updating with new posts, for example, or the images on a site don’t appear as they should. If this happens, it’s likely the cache has become corrupted.
Alternatively, if you find that personal info automatically completed on sites isn’t correct, deleting cookies can help. These are small files that sites use to save data about you and what you do on the site.
Even if none of these problems affect you, periodically cleaning browser data can help protect your privacy from snoops who want to discover what you’ve been up to online. In this article, therefore, we explain how to clear Safari’s cache and cookies on Mac.
We also have an article that explains How to clear cache on a Mac.
How to clear Safari cookies and cache for websites
Cleaning cookies and the cache data for individual sites can be done via Safari’s Settings/Preferences.
- Open Safari
- Click on Safari in the menu at the top of the screen.
- Click on Settings or Preferences (depending on the version of macOS you are running).
- Go to the Privacy tab.
- Click on Manage Website Data…
- Choose Remove All or select websites individually to remove.
After the data is loaded you’ll probably see a long list of websites. You can choose to Remove All or just select individual websites you want to remove from this list. If you want to select a number of different sites you can click on one and then press and hold the Command key to select a second, third or fourth and so on. We recommend that you don’t select hundreds this way – it’s better to delete in batches just in case you have to start over.
If you would prefer to select all and then deselect the ones you want to keep you can do so. Use Command + A to select all, then press and hold Command while clicking on any website you are happy to keep in this list. Just click Remove afterwards, not Done, as that will just undo all your hard work.
There’s a search field you can use to track down individual sites.
Bear in mind that deleting cookies might remove autocompleted login usernames and passwords for sites, and will almost certainly log you out of that site if you’ve configured it to automatically log in each time you visit.
How to clear Safari cache
The hidden Safari Developer menu can be used to clear just the cache, leaving cookies and the browser history in place. This is a very useful diagnostic step to take before removing those two items if a website behaves badly.
If you just want to clear all your cache you can do so by following these steps:
- Open Safari.
- Click on Safari in menu bar at top of screen.
- Click on Settings/Preferences (depending on the version of macOS you are running).
- Click on the Advanced tab.
- Check the box beside Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar.
- Now there will be a new Develop tab in the menu at the top of your screen. Click on this.
- Click on Empty Caches.
Alternatively click on Option/Alt + Command + E.
Close any open Safari windows and select Empty Caches on the Develop menu. Then click File > New Window to start Safari with a clean cache.
How to remove autocomplete data from AutoFill
Safari’s AutoFill tool can fill in username and password details on websites as well as credit card details and other elements like your address and email details.
This can be really useful, but it can also be annoying if the data it fills in is incorrect or out of context. It’s also a problem when AutoFill helpfully enters old or incorrect passwords or emails and addresses.
You can change this data, or delete it by following these steps:
- Click on Safari.
- Click on Settings/Preferences.
- Choose the AutoFill tab.
- Here you can edit contact information, usernames and passwords, credit cards and other data. Click on Edit beside the category you want access to.
- You’ll need to enter your password or use Touch ID to gain access.
Delete incorrect data: If you are finding that Safari is autofilling incorrect data about you–your address, for example–click Edit beside Using information from my contacts. This will open up your Contacts app. Your card will be at the top or under My Card. You can add and amend data about you here.
Delete incorrect passwords and site logins: If you wanted to delete incorrect passwords, for example, you can just click on the Passwords tab. If you know which password you want to remove search for the website or service and then find the older password option (if there is more than one) and select it and then click on the – below the column to remove it. You can then select Delete Password. If that means there is no password saved for that website, you can then recreate the entry for the site by clicking the Add button. You’ll first need to provide the URL of the site (that is, something like https://facebook.com ), and then type the username and password alongside (hit the Tab key to move from field to field).
See: How to autofill passwords, bank cards, names and addresses for more.
Delete logins and passwords system-wide
Pruning site logins can also be done via the Keychain Access app, which you’ll find in the Utilities folder of the Applications list in Finder, although you should be very careful using this app because it pretty much controls the entire security operation of your Mac! However, by removing errant username and password entries here you’ll stop virtually all of your Mac apps using them, and not just Safari.
Just type the name of the site into the Search field, and look in the list of results for entries of the kind Web Form Password. Right-click the entry and select Delete.
If you want to delete your Chrome or Firefox cache, cookies or browsing history read: How to delete your Mac browsing history . For alternative web browsers take a look at: Best web browser for Mac.
Manage cookies and website data
Websites often store cookies and other data on your Mac. This data may include information that you have provided, such as your name, email address, and preferences. This data helps websites identify you when you return so the site can provide services for you and show information that might be of interest to you.
By default, Safari accepts cookies and website data only from websites you visit. This helps prevent certain advertisers from storing data on your Mac. You can change options in Safari preferences so that Safari always accepts or always blocks cookies and other website data.
Open Safari for me
Important: Changing your cookie preferences or removing cookies and website data in Safari may change or remove them in other apps, including Dashboard.
Choose Safari > Preferences, click Privacy, then do any of the following:
Change which cookies and website data are accepted: Select a “Cookies and website data” option:
Always block: Safari doesn’t let any websites, third parties, or advertisers store cookies and other data on your Mac. This may prevent some websites from working properly.
Allow from current website only: Safari accepts cookies and website data only from the website you’re currently visiting. Websites often have embedded content from other sources. Safari does not allow these third parties to store or access cookies or other data.
Allow from websites I visit: Safari accepts cookies and website data only from websites you visit. Safari uses your existing cookies to determine whether you have visited a website before. Selecting this option helps prevent websites that have embedded content in other websites you browse from storing cookies and data on your Mac.
Always allow: Safari lets all websites, third parties, and advertisers store cookies and other data on your Mac.
Remove stored cookies and data: Click Manage Website Data, select one or more websites, then click Remove or Remove All.
Removing the data may reduce tracking, but may also log you out of websites or change website behavior.
See which websites store cookies or data: Click Manage Website Data.
Change how often websites ask to use your location information: Select a “Website use of location services” option:
Prompt for each website once each day: Safari prompts you once each day for each website you visit that requests use of location services.
Prompt for each website one time only: Safari only prompts you once for each website you visit that requests use of location services.
Deny without prompting: All websites are denied access to location services and Safari does not prompt you.
Ask websites not to track you: Some websites keep track of your browsing activities when they serve you content, which enables them to tailor what they present to you. You can have Safari ask sites and their third party content providers (including advertisers) not to track you.
With this option turned on, each time Safari fetches content from a website, Safari adds a request not to track you, but it’s up to the website to honor this request.
How-To Geek
How to clear your history in any browser.
Looking to delete your browsing history?
Read update
Quick links, clear browsing history in google chrome for desktop, clear google chrome browsing history on android, iphone, or ipad, clear browsing history in safari on iphone and ipad, clear browsing history in mozilla firefox, clear browsing history in microsoft edge, clear browsing history in safari on a mac, internet explorer, key takeaways.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to clear your browsing history on a Windows PC, or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac. Check your browser's settings to find this option on a mobile device.
All web browsers remember a list of the web pages you've visited. You can delete this list at any time, clearing your browsing history and erasing the tracks stored on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Each browser has its own separate history, so you'll need to clear the history in multiple places if you've used more than one browser.
In the future, you can use private browsing mode to browse sensitive websites without your browser saving any history. You won't have to clear your history afterward.
To clear your browsing history in Chrome , on Windows , Mac , or Linux , click the three-dot menu icon found in the top-right corner of the browser, hover your mouse cursor over "More Tools," and choose "Clear Browsing Data." You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open this screen on Windows, or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac.
On a Mac, the backspace key is labeled "Delete." Pressing the Delete key beside the Home and Edit keys doesn't work.
To delete your entire browsing history, select from "the beginning of time" in the drop-down box at the top of the screen and check the "Browsing history" option. You can also choose to clear other private data from here, including your download history, cookies, and browser cache.
Related: How to Clear History in Google Chrome
To clear your browsing history in Google Chrome on Android , iPhone , or iPad , tap the three-dot menu icon > Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.
You'll need to choose a time range that you want to delete from the drop-down list at the top of the screen. Select from the "beginning of time" to clear everything.
Related: How to Clear Your Browser History on Android
Ensure the "Browsing history" option is checked here and tap the "Clear Data" or "Clear Browsing Data" button. You can also choose to clear other types of personal data from here, including cookies and cached files.
Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Chrome for iOS
To clear your browsing history on Safari on an iPhone or iPad , open the Settings app and then navigate to Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Tap the "Clear History and Data" option to confirm your choice.
This button will clear all sensitive browsing data, including your cookies and cache.
Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Safari for iOS
To clear your browsing history in Firefox on the desktop, click the three-line menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser and then navigate to History > Clear Recent History. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open this tool on Windows or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac.
To delete your entire browsing history, select "Everything" at the top of the window and check "Browsing & Download History" in the detailed list of items to clear. You can also choose to clear other types of private data from here, including your cookies, browser cache, offline website data, and website-specific preferences.
Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Firefox
To clear your browsing history in Microsoft Edge , click the Three-Dot Menu > History > Three-Dot Menu Button > Clear Browsing Data. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open these options on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac.
Ensure the "Browsing History" box is checked and click "Clear." You can also choose to clear other types of private data from here, including your download history, cached data, cookies, and tabs you've set aside . Just check the type of data you want to delete and click the "Clear" button.
Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Microsoft Edge
To clear your browsing history in Safari on a Mac , click History > Clear History from the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select the time period you want to clear history from and click "Clear History." To clear everything, select "all history".
Safari will delete your browsing history as well as your cookies, cached files, and other browsing-related data.
Related: How to Clear Safari's Browsing History and Cookies on macOS
To clear your browsing history in Internet Explorer , click menu > Safety > Delete Browsing History or press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
Ensure the "History" option is checked here and click "Delete". You can also choose to delete other types of private data from here, including your temporary Internet files, download history, and cookies.
Microsoft has removed Internet Explorer and urges everyone to switch to Edge. Internet Explorer has repeatedly been used by hackers to attack Windows users. We recommend you immediately stop using Internet Explorer if you're still able to launch it.
By default, Internet Explorer will keep cookies and temporary Internet files for websites you've saved as favorites. Uncheck "Preserve Favorites website data" here to ensure Internet Explorer deletes everything.
If you're using another browser, you should be able to easily find a "clear browsing history" option somewhere in its menus or on its settings screen. For example, in Opera, this option is at menu > More tools > Clear browsing data.
Related: How to Clear Your Internet Explorer Browsing History
3 Ways to Delete Safari Website Data on iPhone and iPad
For a more personalized experience, Safari automatically saves your website data. Hence, you can quickly log in to websites and access the preferred data without having to input the login credentials repeatedly. Though it’s aimed at enhancing the browsing experience, you should delete Safari website data on iPhone and iPad from time to time in order to keep the clutter at bay. Apart from retrieving some precious storage, it can also safeguard your privacy. So, if you are ready to get rid of the clutter, check out these 3 quick ways to delete website data in Apple Safari on iPhone and iPad.
3 Quick Ways to Delete Safari Website Data on iPhone and iPad
First off, let’s find out how the removal of website data works in Safari!
How Does Website Data Deletion Work on iPhone and iPad?
Safari features a dedicated setting where you can check all the stored website data. Depending on your needs, you can choose to get rid of specific website data or wipe out everything at once. If you want to clean up everything, the one-tap-kill-button will in handy. Just in case, you wish to erase the entire website data song with all the saved cookies and browsing history, there is a way to do it as well. In this detailed guide, we’ve talked about all the methods.
Delete Specific Safari Website Data on iPhone and iPad
Step 1. To begin with, open the Settings app on your iPhone and iPad.
Step 2. Scroll down to find Safari and select it.
Step 3. Head over to the bottom of the screen and choose Advanced .
Step 4. Tap on Website Data . On the next screen, you should see a long list of website data.
Step 5. To access all the data, tap on Show All Sites along the bottom of the screen. Then, tap on Edit at the top right corner of the screen.
Step 6. After that, tap on the red minus button to the left of saved website data and hit delete.
Remove All Safari Website Data on iPhone and iPad
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and iPad > scroll down and tap on Safari > navigate to the bottom of the screen and tap on Advanced . After that, tap on Website Data .
- Now, tap on Remove All Website Data . Next, a popup menu will appear from the bottom saying, “This will clear data that could be used for tracking, but is also used by websites to preserve login information and to speed up browsing.” Tap on Remove Now to confirm.
Clear All Safari Website Data Along With Browsing History
Should you need to erase everything including cookies, browsing history, and website data, there is a way to get it done as well.
- Head into the Settings app on your iPhone and iPad. After that, scroll down and tap on Safari .
- Now, hit Clear Safari History and Website Data . Now, a popup menu will show from the bottom saying, “Clearing will remove history, cookies, and other browsing data.” Tap on Clear History and Data to confirm.
Signing off…
There you go! So, these are the quick ways to find and clear website data in Safari on iPhone and iPad. Now that you know how it works, make the most of it to keep the clutter at a fair distance. On top of all, it can also enable you to speed up the browser.
You may also like to read:
- 2 Ways to Switch to Private Browsing Mode in Safari iOS 16 on iPhone/iPad
- How to Customize Safari’s Suggested Strong Passwords in iOS 16 on iPhone and iPad
- How to Create Favorites Within a Safari Tab Group in iOS 16 on iPhone and iPad
- How to Share Safari Tab Groups in iOS 16 on iPhone and iPad
- How to Pin Safari Tabs in iOS 16 on iPhone and iPad
Rajesh Mishra
Co-founder/Editor-in-Chief: Rajesh Mishra (Your beloved “R.K” 360 Reader Voice) is a Shakespearean poet at heart who turned a tech nerd while having a secret rendezvous with iPhone 4. When that rendezvous turned obsession, he let go of his hard-core political journalism in favour of the lifelong love-affair with technology. In a career spanning one and a half decades, Mr. Mishra has crafted over 8K articles and around 2K YouTube videos. He is probably the only journalist alive with this unique achievement. When he is not at his desk, you may find him either engrossed in a Deathmatch or chasing Wordsworth!
You may also like
Can’t Disable Find My iPhone: Here’s Why Find My iPhone is Greyed Out
Reasons Why Modi’s India Set to Be Apple’s New China…
How to Create Polls in iMessage Group Chats on iPhone and iPad
How to Restore iPhone Backup from iTunes on Windows PC
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
How to Clear Cookies On Your iPhone (and Why You Should)
T his is a complete guide on how to clear cookies on iPhone . It covers the most popular mobile browsers, such as Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
When you delete cookies, you free up space on your iPhone and stop websites from following you around the web. Therefore, you protect your personal information and privacy online.
Let's jump right to it.
What Are Cookies on My iPhone?
Cookies are small encrypted pieces of information that websites store on your iPhone to remember information about you and your visit.
A typical example would be when you visit an online store and add a product to your shopping cart but don't complete the order.
So next time you visit the same website, you'll find your item right where you left it, in the shopping cart. That's the power of cookies.
Should I Clear Cookies on My iPhone?
Besides personalizing your experience and making surfing the web a pleasant adventure, cookies can sometimes become a serious problem. At some point, you may need to delete them from your browser.
Even though they're tiny, they can take up space over time, which may affect your device's performance speed.
Speaking of performance, please read this helpful article for an in-depth guide on how to speed up your iPhone .
Sometimes, cookies get obsolete, which can create vulnerability so hackers can steal your information. You sure don't want any of that.
That's why you need to clear cookies on your iPhone because it can protect your phone from hackers . So enough with the waffling; we've got a lot to cover in this guide. Let’s get started.
How to Clear Cookies in Safari on an iPhone
While cookies may pose a problem in certain circumstances, we don't recommend you block them altogether.
This will lead to bad user experiences. Instead, delete them periodically. Without further ado, let's get started.
Step 1 . To clear cookies on your iPhone, open the Settings app, scroll down until you find the Safari app, and tap on it.
Step 2 . Under the "Privacy & Security" section of the Safari screen, tap Clear History and Website Data .
A prompt window will show up asking for your confirmation
Step 3 . Select the time period for which you want to delete cookies (e.g., last hour, today, today and yesterday, all history). Then, tap Clear History to remove your browsing history, cookies, and other website data from Safari.
This method will delete all cookies stored in Safari and also erase all cache, browsing history, and other data.
Delete Cookies for Specific Sites on Safari
If you only want to delete cookies for certain websites, proceed this way.
Step 1 . From the Home screen, open Settings and select Safari .
Step 2 . Tap Advanced at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3 . On the next screen, select Website Data .
Step 4 . You should see a list of all cookies saved on your iPhone for every website you've visited. Tap Remove All Website Data at the end of the screen to delete every single cookie saved on your browser.
Step 5 . A prompt will appear on the screen to confirm your decision. Just tap Remove Now . This will prevent websites from tracking what you do on the web.
If you want to delete cookies for a particular website, tap the Edit button on the upper right of the screen, then tap the red minus icon next to the website name.
To delete cookies for a specific website, swipe left on that website's entry.
As mentioned earlier, we don't recommend blocking cookies as some websites require them to function properly.
However, if you still wish to proceed, here's how to block all cookies on an iPhone.
- Open the Settings app from the Home screen.
- Scroll down and tap Safari .
- Tap Advanced .
- Turn on Block All Cookies by sliding the toggle to the right.
- Then, tap Block All to confirm your action.
Not everyone is a fan of Safari. If you happen to use other browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Opera to surf the web on your iPhone, here's how to delete cookies stored by them.
How to Clear Cookies in Chrome on Your iPhone
Follow the steps below to clear cookies in Chrome on your iPhone.
1. Launch the Chrome app, then tap the ... menu icon in the lower-right corner.
2. On the next screen, select Settings from the menu tab.
3. Swipe up, then select Privacy . You may not need to swipe if you have an iPhone with a large display.
4. On the next screen, tap Clear Browsing Data to delete all the data Chrome has stored when visiting web sites over time.
5. From the list, choose what you want to delete. To clear only cookies on your iPhone, select " Cookies , Site Data. " You can also specify a time range if needed.
6. Choose Clear Browsing Data , then tap Clear Browsing Data again to confirm your decision.
How to Clear Cookies in Firefox on Your iPhone
Follow the instructions below to clear cookies in Firefox on your iPhone.
1. From your home screen, open the Firefox app, then tap the hamburger menu icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
2. Tap Settings right at the bottom.
3. Scroll down and select Data Management .
4. Tap Clear Private Data at the bottom of the page and confirm your decision by tapping OK in the confirmation window.
How to Clear Cookies on Opera on Your iPhone
Now that we've covered Chrome and Firefox let's see how to clear cookies on Opera on your iPhone. The steps are pretty similar.
1. Open the Opera app and tap the vertical three-dots Menu button at the top right corner of the screen.
2. Then, tap on Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. In the Browser section, tap Clear Browser Data .
4. Select Cookies and Site Data from the list. Note that this will sign you out of most sites.
5. Then, tap the Clear button at the top right corner of the screen.
After following the steps, a "Data Cleared" message will appear, confirming that all cookies stored by Opera have been deleted and reset.
Final Thoughts on Clearing Cookies on iPhone
Clearing cookies periodically on your iPhone can protect your online privacy and make your device run faster by freeing up storage space and removing website data that may contain personal information.
Let us know if this helped you clear cookies on your iPhone. If you have any feedback or questions, please don't hesitate to comment below.
FAQs on Clearing Cookies on iPhone
Should I clear cookies on my iPhone?
Although not essential, periodically clearing the cookies on your iPhone can free up storage space and resolve certain browsing problems.
What happens when I delete iPhone cookies?
When you delete your iPhone cookies, it removes all the data from the built-in browser.
Is there a downside to deleting cookies?
Clearing cookies can enhance your internet speed, but it may result in slower access to frequently visited websites.
Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.
Delete documents and data from Safari
I have more than 2gb in my documents and data in Safari and no way of deleting that I can find. All website and browsing info is gone yet no difference. Have been searching for advice online but no joy. Please help!
iPhone SE, iOS 12
Posted on Apr 8, 2019 8:14 PM
Posted on Apr 10, 2019 11:27 AM
Thank you for your reply. Sorry I should have clarified that this is Safari on my iphone. I was using wetransfer.com to send a file to someone and it ended up in my Safari Documents & Data. Which I cannot access or delete.
Perhaps it will disappear after 7 days? Are there any apps which would let me get into Safari to delete it?
Similar questions
- Documents & Data on Safari I been trying to free up storage as much as i can, and it’s very frustrating. I look on my safari and my documents and data are at 216.9 MB.. that’s a lot for me because i only have so much GBs. I tried to do the clear website data & history and it just won’t go away.. Please tell me how to get rid of all of the documents & data it will help me alot -thanks 2055 1
- Safari data and documents Hi. How do I delete the data and documents from safari? I have cleared almost everything but the memory size is still the same. Please help 2091 2
- Safari Storage Hi. Has this been resolved. How does a person clear the data and documents? 924 2
Loading page content
Page content loaded
Apr 10, 2019 11:27 AM in response to Joseph_S.
Apr 19, 2019 7:42 PM in response to priyacha
You just need to do is, to wait.
Got this problem last April 17, 2019. Found a comment that you just until Safari deleted all documents and data so i tried it also and now, surprisingly after waiting 3 days and half, Safari’s doc. & data are all gone.
Apr 10, 2019 11:06 AM in response to priyacha
Hello priyacha,
Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities. I understand you're seeing 2 GB of storage used by your Safari app, and I'm glad to help.
To clarify, where on your Mac are you seeing this reported? Also, which Mac model and macOS version are you running? You can check your version by clicking Apple menu () > About This Mac.
It sounds like you've already clicked Safari > Clear History and have removed all history and website data; is that right? Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac
Are you using Safari in iCloud? You can check by clicking Apple menu () > iCloud.
I hope this helps get you started.
Kind regards.
Apr 10, 2019 12:13 PM in response to Eric Root
Yes only a few small files are there. This is definitely the file that I sent using wetransfer.com and it’s somewhere in the ether in Safari (I realised after sending that the documents & data increased by the exact file size and is now over 4GB!)
Apr 19, 2019 9:02 PM in response to Cybreakr
Yes, you’re correct! Thank you 😊
Apr 10, 2019 11:49 AM in response to priyacha
Have you checked the Files app for any documents?
Apr 10, 2019 1:30 PM in response to priyacha
If you are seeing this in iCloud, try Settings/Your Name/iCloud/iCloud/Manage Storage/Safari and tap the arrow at the right side to see if you get a delete data option.
Apr 10, 2019 1:46 PM in response to Eric Root
It’s not in iCloud. Shall I try turning on iCloud for Safari? Thank you for trying to help me!
Apr 10, 2019 1:56 PM in response to priyacha
You are welcome. Before turning iCloud on, where are you seeing this? In Settings?
Apr 10, 2019 7:54 PM in response to Eric Root
Yes Settings/my name/iCloud.
Everything in iCloud appears fine.
Apr 11, 2019 7:56 AM in response to priyacha
If you are seeing it there, it probably is already in iCloud. Try Settings/Your Name/iCloud/iCloud/Manage Storage/Safari and tap the arrow at the right side to see if you get a delete data option.
- Services & Software
Spring Cleaning: Clear Your iPhone Cache
Give your iPhone a fresh start by clearing your browser cache.
- Adam has been covering streaming services since 2013 and wants to help people navigate the subscription creep in their lives.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
A clear cache keeps your browsing snappy.
Your iPhone can get cluttered, just like the rest of your home. No, I'm not talking about too many videos of your kids and pets, or too many memes saved to your camera roll. I'm talking about your browser cache.
If you're cleaning up your home for the spring, don't forget to spruce up your iPhone's cache, especially if your browsing starts to feel sluggish over time. It takes only a few seconds to keep your iPhone 15 or 15 Plus , iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or any other model moving as fast as possible.
Browser caches are intended as a convenience, but without proper maintenance, they can turn into more of a hassle. Think of them like a table, counter or other flat surface in your home that starts as a quick place to leave and grab your keys but eventually turns into a cluttered mess where it's impossible to find anything. Your cache stores website data for faster retrieval the next time you visit, but if the design or content of that site changes, it can actually slow down your browsing or lead to bad formatting on the site. Clearing your cache is like clearing off the counter so everything is clean and easy to navigate.
Whether you use Chrome , Safari or other browsers on your iPhone, your cache builds up that digital clutter over time. Clearing your cache gives the browser a new start, which can speed up your web surfing, even on iOS 17 . (If you're trying to get your phone to run faster, try managing your iPhone's storage .)
Website cookies are similar, except they store information about user data, rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you a chance to reset those preferences, which could improve your browsing experience. Note that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, which means you'll have to log into them again and reset any preferences. The upfront investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience down the road, and it can be a useful fix if you've recently changed settings that aren't being applied properly.
Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your cache on your iPhone based on the browser you use .
How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari
Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account . As a result, all your devices' caches will be cleared, and you'll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here's what to do.
1 . Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2 . Select Safari from the list of apps.
3 . Go to Clear History and Website Data.
4 . Choose Clear History and Data in the pop-up box.
Then you're set!
Read more : Best iPhone in 2024: Which Apple Phone Should You Buy?
How to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome
It's easy to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome.
Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. Thankfully, Google has simplified the process for clearing your Chrome cache, making it much faster to clear your data.
1 . Open the Chrome app.
2 . Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options.
3 . Swipe over to Settings in the top menu bar.
4 . Scroll down and tap Privacy and security .
5 . Tap Clear Browsing Data to open up another menu. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last Hour to All Time). Make sure that Cookies, Site Data is checked, along with Cached Images and Files . Finally, hit Clear Browsing Data at the bottom of the screen.
Read more : This iPhone Setting Stops Ads From Following You Across the Web
How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox
If you're a Firefox devotee, don't worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.
1 . Click the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options.
2 . Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.
3 . Select Data Management in the Privacy section.
4 . You can select Website Data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.
Read more : Experiencing Slow Wi-Fi? It Could Be Caused by Internet Throttling. Here's How to Tell
What happens when you clear the cache?
Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up slowing things down if it becomes too bulky or out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. Clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again.
How often do I need to clear my cache?
Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That's generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.
Services and Software Guides
- Best iPhone VPN
- Best Free VPN
- Best Android VPN
- Best Mac VPN
- Best Mobile VPN
- Best VPN for Firestick
- Best VPN for Windows
- Fastest VPN
- Best Cheap VPN
- Best Password Manager
- Best Antivirus
- Best Identity Theft Protection
- Best LastPass Alternative
- Best Live TV Streaming Service
- Best Streaming Service
- Best Free TV Streaming Service
- Best Music Streaming Services
- Best Web Hosting
- Best Minecraft Server Hosting
- Best Website Builder
- Best Dating Sites
- Best Language Learning Apps
- Best Weather App
- Best Stargazing Apps
- Best Cloud Storage
- Best Resume Writing Services
- New Coverage on Operating Systems
- Hostinger Coupon Codes
- HR&R Block Coupons
- ShutterStock Coupon Codes
- FedEx Office Coupons
- Coursera Coupons
- Autodesk Coupons
- Codeacademy Coupon Codes
- iolo Techologies Coupons
- Norton Coupon Codes
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Delete a website from your history. Block cookies. Use content blockers. Delete history, cache, and cookies. Go to Settings > Safari. Tap Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information. When there's no history or website data to clear, the button to clear it ...
This doesn't clear them: Settings>Safari>Clear History and Website Data. Neither does this: Settings>Safari>Advanced>Website Data>Remove All Website Data. This does work: Individually swiping left on the persisting data and selecting "delete". This, IMO, is an unusual behavior since the first method SHOULD do this job.
Open Safari and tap on the "Bookmarks" icon at the bottom of the screen (it looks like an open book). A pop-up will appear with three tabs for your Bookmarks, Reading List, and History. Tap on the clock icon to see your history. You can now swipe left on any entry in your history and tap "Delete" to remove it for good.
Always allow cookies: Deselect "Block all cookies.". Websites, third parties, and advertisers can store cookies and other data on your Mac. Remove stored cookies and data: Click Manage Website Data, select one or more websites, then click Remove or Remove All. Removing the data may reduce tracking, but may also log you out of websites or ...
In the Safari app on your Mac, choose History > Clear History, then click the pop-up menu. Choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared. When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including: In Safari on your Mac, remove all records of your browsing history for a period of time you choose.
1. Open the Settings app and tap Safari. 2. Tap Clear History and Website Data. If you're using iOS 7 or earlier, the menu is slightly different: Tap "Clear History" and "Clear Cookies and Data ...
Scroll down and select Safari. Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data. Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All history ), choose the profile or ...
Clear your cache. 1. Click on the Safari tab at the top left of your screen and choose Preferences from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the Preferences section. Stefan Ionescu/Insider. 2. Click the ...
In Safari, choose the History menu. Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu. In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all ...
Always allow: Safari lets all websites, third parties, and advertisers store cookies and other data on your Mac. Remove stored cookies and data: Click Remove All Website Data, or click Details, select one or more websites, then click Remove. Removing the data may reduce tracking, but may also log you out of websites or change website behavior ...
If you go to Settings > General > iPhone (iPad) Storage > Safari, you will see an option called Website Data. If you open that option, you will see a red button saying "Remove All Website Data.". The same option is also available if you go to Settings > Safari. You will see a button saying "Clear History and Website Data.".
Here's how to do it: Launch Safari using Spotlight search ( Command + Space) or any other desired method. Once in Safari, mouse up to the menu bar and click History. Then, choose Clear History from the dropdown. A dialogue box will appear. Select the timeframe using the Clear dropdown menu and click Clear History when you've decided.
Here's how: Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad. Scroll down and tap on Safari. Again, scroll down to the bottom and tap on Advanced. Now tap on Website Data. This is where you'll see all the sites storing data via Safari. Scroll to the botom and tap on Remove All Website Data.
To get started, open the Settings app. Next, tap "Safari." Now, scroll to the very bottom of the screen and tap "Advanced." Next, tap "Website Data" at the top of the screen. The next screen displays the websites that are using the most data. If you want to see them all, tap "Show All Sites." To delete all of the data for all websites, tap ...
Cleaning cookies and the cache data for individual sites can be done via Safari's Settings/Preferences. Open Safari. Click on Safari in the menu at the top of the screen. Click on Settings or ...
Delete Safari data. There are a couple of different ways to delete Safari data, depending on whether you want to remove history and cookies or just cookies. To remove both history and cookies: Open the Settings app. Tap Safari. Choose Clear History and Website Data. Close Settings. To remove cookies and keep your history data: Open Settings ...
Always allow: Safari lets all websites, third parties, and advertisers store cookies and other data on your Mac. Remove stored cookies and data: Click Manage Website Data, select one or more websites, then click Remove or Remove All. Removing the data may reduce tracking, but may also log you out of websites or change website behavior. See ...
Stop using AutoFill data. Click on the Safari menu and choose Settings. Select AutoFill. Deselect the boxes next to the AutoFill data you want Safari to stop using. Delete stored usernames, passwords, and financial data. In Safari > Settings > AutoFill, click Edit next to the data you want to delete. Click Edit next to usernames and passwords.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to clear your browsing history on a Windows PC, or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac. Check your browser's settings to find this option on a mobile device. All web browsers remember a list of the web pages you've visited. You can delete this list at any time, clearing your browsing history and erasing the tracks stored ...
To begin with, open the Settings app on your iPhone and iPad. Step 2. Scroll down to find Safari and select it. Step 3. Head over to the bottom of the screen and choose Advanced. Step 4. Tap on Website Data. On the next screen, you should see a long list of website data. Step 5.
Choose Safari. Select Clear History and Website Data. Choose Clear History and Data again to confirm. If you want to delete just your cookies and keep your history, do the following: From your ...
Finder > Go. Hold the "Option" key down and click the "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar. Library folder will be shown between "Home" and "Computer". Go to the Safari and then Local Storage. Click open those Folders. See if those items are in Local Storage folder or not. If you see them, highlight those and delete/ Move to Trash.
Without further ado, let's get started. Step 1. To clear cookies on your iPhone, open the. Settings. app, scroll down until you find the. Safari. app, and tap on it. how to clear cookies on iphone ...
Documents & Data on Safari I been trying to free up storage as much as i can, and it's very frustrating. I look on my safari and my documents and data are at 216.9 MB.. that's a lot for me because i only have so much GBs. I tried to do the clear website data & history and it just won't go away..
How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox. If you're a Firefox devotee, don't worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps. 1. Click the hamburger ...