How to Clear Cache on Chrome: Windows, Android, iPhone

Menu path: Chrome menu > More tools > Clear browsing data ·
Windows/Linux shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Delete ·
Mac shortcut: Command + Shift + Delete ·
Time range choices: Last hour, last 24 hours, last 7 days, last 4 weeks, all time ·
Cached file types: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and fonts

The pattern: the snapshot separates the safe categories from the uncertain ones, so the checkboxes you leave alone matter more than the menu path.

Six details explain nearly every choice you’ll make in Chrome’s cleanup panel: the menu path, the shortcuts that bypass it, the time-range options, and what Chrome stores there.

What does “cache” mean?

Before you delete anything, it helps to know what the cache actually is. Chrome stores copies of page resources on your device so it doesn’t have to download the same files on every visit (Google Chrome Help).

What files does Chrome store in its cache?

• HTML documents and page text
• CSS stylesheets
• JavaScript files
• Images, icons, and fonts

These are the files that make a page look and behave the way it does. When the site updates one of them, your local copy lags behind — which is why pages sometimes look stale or broken.

Why does Chrome need a cache?

• Faster repeat loads: serving a file from disk is quicker than downloading it again.
• Less bandwidth: Chrome skips re-downloading unchanged resources.
• Better offline resilience: some cached resources let pages open even with a weak connection.

Chrome’s own documentation describes the cache as a local store of reusable resources; clearing it just makes Chrome rebuild that store on the next visit. In other words, the cache is a shortcut, not a vault.

Where is the Chrome cache stored?

The cache lives in Chrome’s profile directory on your device; the exact path varies by operating system and by whether you’re signed in to Chrome sync. Opening the folder directly is neither supported nor necessary, which is why the official advice is to use the cleanup panel instead.

What this means: the cache is a performance feature with a freshness problem. Clearing it is simply a way of forcing Chrome to rebuild its shortcuts.

How do I clear the cache on Windows?

On Windows, Chrome’s cleanup panel is a couple of clicks from the three-dot menu, and the same path works on Windows 10, Windows 11, and older builds.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Delete

From there, don’t touch any checkboxes yet: first choose the time range, then look for Cached images and files.

How to clear Chrome cache on Windows 10

1. Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
2. Choose More tools, then Clear browsing data (or More, then Delete browsing data in newer builds).
3. Pick a time range from the dropdown — Last hour narrows the cleanup; All time clears everything.
4. Check Cached images and files.
5. Click Clear data (or Delete data) and let Chrome finish.

After you confirm, Chrome removes the selected cached files and the panel closes. Saved passwords and bookmarks stay untouched unless their checkboxes were selected.

How to clear Chrome cache on a laptop or PC

• Works the same on Windows 10, Windows 11, and older Windows versions.
• Works on ChromeOS too, where the same Clear browsing data panel is available.
• If Chrome is signed in to your Google Account, check the sign-in note below before choosing a long time range.

One wrinkle on desktop: when Chrome is signed in, browsing data saved to your Google Account can be removed from other devices as well. That’s why the safest first attempt is a short time range with only Cached images and files checked.

How do I clear the cache in Chrome on Android?

Android gives you two routes: Chrome’s own browsing-data panel and the system-level app settings. Both remove cached files; they differ in what else they touch.

Clear Chrome cache on Android using Chrome’s browsing-data panel

1. Open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap the browsing-data option — labeled Clear browsing data or Delete browsing data depending on the version.
3. Choose a duration from the dropdown. Chrome’s default shown duration is 15 minutes, so switch to a longer range if you’re fixing an older problem.
4. Check Cached images and files.
5. Tap Clear data (or Delete data).

If you only check Cached images and files, your history, cookies, and saved passwords stay intact. Google notes that deleting cookies on Android while signed in to Chrome doesn’t sign you out of your Google Account, but it can still sign you out of other websites.

Clear Chrome cache through Android app settings

• Open Android Settings, then Apps (or App management) and tap Chrome.
• Tap Storage, then Clear cache. This removes only the app’s cached files.
• Tap Clear storage only if you mean it — it wipes app data and can sign you out of the Google Account inside Chrome.

Use this route when Chrome’s own panel won’t open or you want a system-level reset. The downside: Settings doesn’t let you pick a time range, so it clears everything at once.

What to check if you want to keep passwords and cookies

• Leave the Passwords checkbox unchecked — saved passwords live in Google Password Manager and stay until you remove them (Google Password Manager Help).
• Leave Cookies and site data unchecked to stay signed in to sites.
• Check only Cached images and files for the least disruptive cleanup.

On Android, the distinction matters because the same panel also hosts your Google sign-in data. Clearing cookies while signed in to Chrome doesn’t sign you out of your Google Account on Android, but site-level logins are another story.

How to clear browser cache on iPhone?

Chrome for iOS keeps its own set of cached files, separate from Safari. The cleanup panel works much like Android’s, with one extra option for saved passwords nearby (Google Account Help).

Clear cache in Chrome on iPhone or iPad

1. Open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu at the bottom-right.
2. Tap Delete Browsing Data (or Clear Browsing Data in older builds).
3. Pick a time range: Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or All Time.
4. Check Cached Images and Files.
5. Tap Delete Browsing Data to confirm.

After confirmation, Chrome clears the selected items. If you chose a short range, only recent cached files go — enough to refresh a page that has been acting up since yesterday without resetting your whole browser.

Time range and data types in Chrome’s Clear Browsing Data panel

• Browsing History, Cookies and Site Data, Cached Images and Files, Saved Passwords, and Autofill all appear as separate checkboxes.
• Saved passwords have their own separate route on iPhone: More > Manage other Google data > Passwords and passkeys (Google Account Help).
• Choose All Time to force every site to reload fresh; choose a short range to limit the disruption.

If staying signed in matters, the rule is the same as elsewhere: leave Cookies and Saved Passwords unchecked and clear only Cached Images and Files.

Why this matters on iOS: the panel can do much more than cache cleanup, and the time range is the control that decides whether you stay signed in or start over.

Will I lose anything if I clear the cache?

Short answer: not the things people usually worry about. The cache is temporary by design; your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history are separate categories that Chrome only removes when you select them.

Is it safe to clear all caches?

• Yes for cached files: they’re disposable copies that Chrome rebuilds on demand.
• Clearing the cache alone never deletes saved passwords, bookmarks, or downloads.
• The risk isn’t the cache — it’s the boxes next to it. Cookies, history, and passwords are separate decisions.

If you’re unsure what to do, clear only Cached images and files. That’s the cleanup Google’s support docs describe as the least disruptive option because it avoids cookies, history, autofill, and saved passwords.

What should I delete when clearing the cache?

• Cached images and files — the safe daily choice; fixes stale pages.
• Cookies and other site data — choose this only when you want to sign out everywhere or fix login issues; it removes site preferences too.
• Browsing history — unrelated to cache; keep it unless you’re cleaning your tracks.
• Saved passwords — clear these only if you actually want them gone (Google Password Manager Help).

How can I clear the cache without losing passwords and sign-in info?

• Open the cleanup panel and leave the Passwords box unchecked — saved passwords are managed separately in Google Password Manager.
• Leave Cookies and other site data unchecked if you want to keep your logins.
• Keep the time range short (Last hour or Last 24 hours) to limit what gets rebuilt.
• If Chrome is signed in, know that deleted browsing data can be removed from other synced devices too.

The implication: clear the cache when pages look wrong, and leave cookies alone unless you’re deliberately signing out. The first reload will be a bit slower; that’s the entire cost.

The cost of a cache clear is measured in seconds, not data.

What happens if I never clear my cache?

Nothing dramatic — at first. The cache quietly piles up and keeps serving older copies of pages until a site changes something and your saved copy becomes stale.

Should I clear my cache on my PC?

• Yes, when a page looks outdated or broken after a site update.
• Yes, when you’re done using a shared computer and want to remove local copies of pages.
• No, on a fixed schedule — the cache is there to make browsing faster, and clearing it too often slows down your first visits.

For most people, cache clearing is an exception, not a routine. The right trigger is a specific symptom: old content, broken styling, or a site that asks you to “hard refresh.”

What are the disadvantages of clearing the cache?

• First loads are slower after a cleanup because Chrome re-downloads resources it used to have locally.
• If cookies are cleared alongside the cache, every site you visit will treat you as a new visitor until you sign back in.
• Stored preferences such as settings and consent choices can be wiped when site data goes.

The trade-off is between freshness and speed. A never-cleared cache is fast but can be stale; a freshly-cleared one is up to date but slower on the first lap.

Is it better to clear storage or clear cache?

• Clear cache removes temporary files and is the safe, reversible option.
• Clear storage (Android’s more aggressive button) removes app data, including sign-in state, and can reset Chrome to a first-run state.
• On Android, start with Clear cache; only use Clear storage when Chrome is misbehaving at a system level.

Chrome’s own panel and Android Settings are different tools: the panel gives you checkboxes and time ranges, while Settings gives you a single switch with no undo.

The trade-off: never clearing keeps pages fast but can hide updates; clearing on a trigger keeps pages fresh at the cost of a slower first visit. Neither choice destroys your data — the only dangerous options are the checkboxes next to cookies and passwords.

For that reason, cache clearing belongs in the troubleshooting drawer, not the weekly routine.

What each Chrome cleanup option actually removes

Three levels of cleanup, one pattern: the more boxes you tick, the more sign-ins you lose.

The implication: the smaller the checkbox list, the smaller the side effects. The cache is the only category you can clear without touching your identity on any site.

Pros and cons of clearing the Chrome cache

The real question is whether you’re chasing fresh pages or fast pages. Clearing cache costs you a few seconds of reload time; clearing cookies costs you a round of sign-ins.

Step-by-step: clear the Chrome cache without losing passwords

This sequence works on any device: open the cleanup panel, narrow the time range, check only cached files, and leave everything else alone.

Windows 10 and PC

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac).
2. Set the time range to Last hour or All time, depending on how old the problem is.
3. Check Cached images and files only.
4. Click Clear data (or Delete data).
5. Reload the page that was acting up.

Android

1. Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, then tap the browsing-data option.
2. Pick a duration — the default shown is 15 minutes, so switch it if you need a deeper clean.
3. Check Cached images and files.
4. Leave Passwords and Cookies unchecked.
5. Tap Clear data and reload the page.

iPhone and iPad

1. Tap the three-dot menu, then tap Delete Browsing Data.
2. Choose a time range.
3. Check Cached Images and Files.
4. Uncheck everything else unless you want a bigger reset.
5. Confirm, then reload the site you came to fix.

What this means: whichever device you start on, the safe move is the same — clear only the cache, keep everything else, and reload.

What we know for sure — and what stays uncertain

The pattern: the official docs agree that the cache is the disposable layer, and passwords live separately — the uncertainty is only in how each version labels the controls.

What the sources say

When you’re signed in to Chrome, your browsing data is saved to your Google Account. If you delete your browsing data, it’s removed from all your devices.

— Google Chrome Help (Chrome’s official support documentation)

Deleting cookies while you’re signed in to Chrome doesn’t sign you out of your Google Account on Android, and you stay signed in on Google services such as Search and YouTube.

— Google Account Help (Google’s official account support)

If your goal is to keep saved passwords and sign-in data intact, leave those categories unchecked and clear only the cached files causing the problem.

— University of Wisconsin–Madison Knowledge Base (UW–Madison’s official IT knowledge base)

Why this matters: the official documentation consistently separates the cache from passwords and cookies, so the data-loss fear around cache clearing is mostly misplaced.

What this means for you

The cache is a convenience, not a vault. Clearing it is one of the few browser cleanups you can do in seconds without logging out of everything — if you tick only Cached images and files. For the average reader on Windows, Android, or iPhone, the choice is clear: clear the cache when a page looks wrong, leave cookies alone, and you’ll lose nothing but disposable temporary files. For the privacy-focused reader, the trade-off is explicit — add cookies to the removal list, expect to re-enter logins, and you’ll see the freshest version of every site. For anyone juggling passwords and logins, the implication is clear: check the smallest box that fixes the problem, or you’ll trade a quick cleanup for a round of password resets.

Frequently asked questions

If you’re still unsure which boxes to tick, the smallest selection is the safest one: Cached images and files, and nothing else.

Related reading

• How to Clear Cache on Chrome: Desktop, iPhone, Android
• How to Clear Cache on Chrome: Desktop, Android, iOS (2025 Guide)

The same actions apply across those walkthroughs; the only variable is which Chrome version you’re on.