How to clear cache on iPhone

What is a cache?

Devices and apps, including your iPhone, store data about what you do online in what’s called a “cache.” The word comes from the French term meaning a “hiding place for storing goods” like dried food. In a lot of cases, this is highly useful for people: every time you load the same website, for example, things like user name or preferences will be remembered. This can speed up the loading time of sites and make for an easier experience online.

Over time, however, your caches build up, slowing down performance and consuming valuable storage space. Clearing the cache of outdated data can help boost speed and improve responsiveness on your iPhone. But like regularly clearing your browsing history, it can also enhance privacy.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to clear cache on iPhone in Safari, Chrome, apps, and system storage. Be sure to read on for both the downsides and privacy benefits of doing so.

Clearing browser cache on iPhone

Web browsers store cached data to load pages faster, but this can lead to slow performance and outdated content. Here’s how to clear your Safari or Chrome cache.

Safari

1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll down and select Safari
3. Tap Apps
4. Tap Clear History and Website Data
5. Confirm by tapping Clear History and Data

Google Chrome

1. Open the Chrome app
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the bottom-right corner and select History
3. Tap Clear Browsing Data
4. Choose a time range and select Cached Images and Files
5. Tap Clear Browsing Data and confirm

Clearing app cache on iPhone

Many iPhone apps store cache data that can clog up storage over time. Unlike browsers, iOS does not have a universal cache-clearing option for apps, but you can free up space using these methods.

Offloading unused apps

Offloading removes the app but keeps its documents and data.

1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
2. Find and tap the app you want to offload
3. Tap Offload App to free up storage

Deleting and reinstalling apps

Some apps accumulate cache without an option to clear it manually. In these cases, deleting and reinstalling the app might be the best solution.

1. Press and hold the app icon on the home screen
2. Tap the "X" or "-" icon to delete it
3. Go to the App Store, search for the app, and reinstall it

Managing storage to optimize performance

Apart from clearing cache, managing storage helps keep your iPhone running smoothly. Here are some additional steps to optimize performance.

Reviewing large attachments in messages

1. Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage
2. Scroll down and select Messages
3. Review and delete large attachments to free up space

Clearing cache in specific apps (if available)

Some apps provide a built-in option to clear cache:

1. Open the app’s settings
2. Look for options like "Clear Cache" or "Reset Storage"

Benefits of regular cache clearing

Clearing cache regularly offers several benefits:

• Improved speed by reducing app lag and boosts performance.
• More storage space on your iPhone or device by freeing up memory for new apps and files
• Enhanced privacy by removing stored data that can be used for tracking

Why clearing cache can protect privacy

Since a cache is stored data, this can pose some privacy risks if sensitive data in the cache falls into the wrong hands. Here are some ways this can happen.

• Compromised device: If your iPhone is compromised by malware or spyware, or by someone gaining access to the physical device, then sensitive information stored in the cache could be accessible. In addition to clearing cache of information that does not need to be stored, make sure to use strong device and app passwords, password managers, and multi-factor authentication for highly sensitive apps.

• Shared devices: Keep in mind that if you’re sharing a device, anyone with access to the device may have access to any data stored in the cache.

Downsides of clearing cache

Keep in mind that clearing your cache might have some noticeable effects on performance.

• Speed: Some websites might take longer to load. This is because cache data functions to optimize the performance of things like commonly visited sites.
• Getting logged out: You might experience getting logged out of a site regularly and having to log back in. This is because one function of cache is to preserve your login credentials during and across sessions. Clearing it will remove this information.
• More data usage: When accessing a website, your device will use more data because it needs to load the whole site from scratch. What a cache does is store loaded data so it doesn’t need to be reloaded every time the same site is accessed.
• No offline access: You might not be able to access a web resource, like a working document, while offline.

Nym’s verdict on clearing your cache

Regularly clearing cache helps maintain optimal iPhone performance by freeing up storage and improving responsiveness. It can also be a privacy-preserving strategy in some cases. However, there will be noticeable effects in terms of your web experience. Whether you’re clearing browser cache, offloading apps, or managing message attachments, these steps and considerations can help keep your device running smoothly.