To clear the cache on your iPhone, open Settings, tap Apps, tap Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data and confirm. That single action wipes Safari’s cached files, browsing history, and cookies in one go. Apps are handled differently, and there are gentler options if you want to clear cached data without losing your history or logins. Here is exactly how each method works on a current iPhone.

A quick note on terminology: the “cache” is a stash of temporary files, such as images and page scripts, that your iPhone saves so pages and apps load faster the next time. It is helpful most of the time. You usually only need to clear it when a page keeps showing an old version, a login misbehaves, or you are hunting for storage.

Clear Safari’s cache, history, and cookies

In iOS 18, Apple reorganized Settings so individual apps, including Safari, live under a new Apps section. Here is the full path:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap Safari.
  4. Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
  5. Choose a time range: Last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All history.
  6. Confirm by tapping Clear History.

This removes your browsing history, cached files, and cookies for the range you pick. You will be signed out of most websites afterward, so have your passwords handy, though if they are saved in iCloud Keychain they will fill back in automatically. If you use Safari across several Apple devices signed in to the same account, clearing history on one can clear it on the others too.

Clear cache without losing history or logins

If you only want to dump the cached files but keep your history and stay signed in to sites, use the Advanced menu instead:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Safari.
  2. Tap Advanced.
  3. Tap Website Data. You will see how much space each site is using.
  4. Tap Remove All Website Data, or swipe left on a single site to clear just that one.

This is the more surgical option. Removing data for a single misbehaving site often fixes a stuck page without disturbing everything else you have open.

How to clear the cache for other apps

Here is the honest part most guides skip: the iPhone has no universal “clear cache” button for apps, and most apps do not expose one. Work through these in order:

  1. Check the app’s own settings. Some apps, especially browsers like Chrome and streaming apps, include a clear-cache or clear-data option inside their own settings menu.
  2. Offload the app. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app, and choose Offload App. This removes the app but keeps its documents and data, and reinstalling restores it. It is a clean way to shed cached bloat.
  3. Delete and reinstall. For a full reset, delete the app and download it again from the App Store. You will lose locally cached data and may need to sign back in, but this clears everything the app was holding.

Offloading is usually the smart middle ground. To see which apps are worth offloading, it helps to check your iPhone storage first and target the biggest offenders.

What clearing the cache actually does

Clearing cache is not a magic speed-up, and it will not fix a slow phone on its own. What it does do is force apps and websites to fetch fresh files, which resolves the classic problems: a page that will not update, a video that will not load, a login loop, or a checkout that keeps failing. The trade-off is that the next load of each site or app is slightly slower while the cache rebuilds, and you may have to sign in again.

It is also worth separating cache from the other things eating your storage. Photos, downloaded videos, podcasts, and message attachments dwarf cached web files for most people. If your real goal is space, cache clearing is a minor tactic; there are much bigger wins covered in our guide to freeing up space on iPhone.

Cache, cookies, and history: what’s the difference?

These three get lumped together but are distinct. The cache is temporary files like images and scripts stored to speed up repeat visits. Cookies are small text files that remember things such as your login state, your language, or items in a cart. Your history is simply the list of pages you have visited. The Clear History and Website Data button wipes all three at once, which is why you get signed out afterward; the Advanced > Website Data route targets cached files and cookies for specific sites while leaving your history list alone. Knowing the difference helps you pick the least disruptive fix: a stale image is a cache problem, a stuck login is usually a cookie problem, and cleaning up on a shared device is a history concern.

When you should clear it, and when to leave it alone

Clear your cache when a specific problem points to stale data: a website shows outdated content even after you refresh, an app shows the wrong information, or you are troubleshooting a login or payment issue. Those are the moments a clear-out genuinely helps.

Skip it as a routine habit. Because the cache exists to make browsing faster, wiping it constantly just makes your favorite sites reload from scratch every time, which is slower, not faster. Clear it with a reason, not on a timer. And before any big cleanup or reset, it is wise to back up your iPhone so nothing important is lost.