How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

Chrome keeps copies of images, scripts and style files from the sites you visit so that pages load faster the next time. Most of the time this cache does its job quietly. Occasionally, though, it holds on to an old version of a file, and a site starts to look broken, shows outdated content or keeps failing to log you in. Clearing the cache forces Chrome to download fresh copies.

Menu names in Chrome change from time to time. Recent versions say "Delete browsing data"; older ones say "Clear browsing data". The steps are otherwise the same.

Before you start: cache is not cookies

The deletion screen lists several kinds of data side by side, and it helps to know which one you actually need:

To fix a page that will not update, ticking only Cached images and files is usually enough, and you stay signed in everywhere.

Clear the cache in Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux or ChromeOS

1. Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
2. Choose Delete browsing data. On some versions it sits under More tools or inside Settings > Privacy and security.
3. Pick a time range. "Last hour" is enough if a problem has only just started; "All time" empties the whole cache.
4. Tick Cached images and files. Untick the other boxes if you want to keep your history and stay signed in.
5. Click Delete data and reload the page that was causing trouble.

The keyboard shortcut opens the same screen directly: Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, or Cmd + Shift + Delete on a Mac.

Clear the cache in Chrome on Android

1. Open the Chrome app and tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap Delete browsing data, or go to Settings > Privacy and security and find it there.
3. Select a time range, tick Cached images and files and clear the other boxes if you want to keep them.
4. Tap Delete data.

Android also has a separate "Clear cache" button under the system settings for the Chrome app. That empties the app's storage in a similar way, but the browser's own menu gives you more control over what goes.

Clear the cache in Chrome on iPhone and iPad

1. Open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap Delete browsing data. It is also reachable through Settings > Privacy and security.
3. Choose a time range and make sure Cached images and files is selected.
4. Tap Delete browsing data again to confirm.

Clear the cache for one site only

If a single website misbehaves, there is no need to empty everything. On desktop, click the icon to the left of the web address, open Site settings and choose Delete data. You can also type chrome://settings/content/all into the address bar, search for the site and remove its stored data from the list. Be aware that this removes that site's cookies too, so you will need to sign in to it again.

Try a hard reload first

A hard reload tells Chrome to fetch fresh files for the page you are on, without touching anything else. Press Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, or Cmd + Shift + R on a Mac. For a more thorough version, open Chrome's developer tools with F12, then right-click the reload button and choose Empty cache and hard reload.

This is often the fastest fix for a site you have just updated yourself, or a web app that keeps showing an old screen after a change.

When clearing the cache does not help

• Extensions. Ad blockers and privacy add-ons sometimes break pages. Try the site in an incognito window, where most extensions are off by default.
• Cookies. Login loops are often caused by a stale cookie rather than the cache. Delete the site's data as described above.
• An outdated browser. Open Settings > About Chrome to check for updates and restart when asked.
• The site itself. If a page fails on several devices and networks, the problem is probably on the website's side.

Clearing the cache now and then is harmless, but doing it every day brings no benefit and makes browsing slightly slower. For more step-by-step fixes, see our guide to organising computer files so you can find them or browse the Tech desk.