To clear an app’s cache on Android, open Settings, tap Apps, select the app, tap Storage & cache, and choose Clear cache; this removes temporary files without deleting your data.
Over time apps stash temporary files, called cache, to load faster and reduce data use. Usually that is helpful, but cache can become bloated or corrupted, causing sluggish performance, crashes, or images that will not load. Clearing it is one of the safest and most effective first fixes, and it reclaims storage in the process.
Clear cache for a single app
The steps below apply to stock Android on Pixel and are nearly identical on most brands running Android 14 or 15.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps (or Apps & notifications), then See all apps if needed.
- Tap the app that is misbehaving.
- Tap Storage & cache.
- Tap Clear cache.
The cache size drops to zero immediately, and the app rebuilds only the temporary files it actually needs the next time you open it. You stay logged in and keep all your content.
Clearing cache on a Samsung Galaxy
Samsung’s One UI uses slightly different labels. Open Settings, tap Apps, choose the app, tap Storage, and then tap Clear cache at the bottom of the screen. Samsung’s Device care tool (Settings → Battery and device care → Storage) can also show which apps and file types are using the most space, though it does not clear every app’s cache in one tap.
Cache versus data: an important difference
The button right next to Clear cache is usually Clear storage or Clear data, and the two are very different. Choosing the wrong one can log you out and wipe your settings.
| Action | What it removes | What it keeps | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear cache | Temporary files (thumbnails, page assets) | Logins, settings, downloads, content | First fix for glitches; free up space |
| Clear storage / data | Everything: logins, settings, saved files | Nothing; resets to fresh install | Stubborn problems only, as a last resort |
Always start with Clear cache. Move to Clear storage only if the problem persists, and be prepared to sign back in and reconfigure the app afterward.
Why can’t I clear all caches at once?
Older versions of Android once had a single button to wipe all cached data from Settings → Storage. Google removed it around Android 8, so today you clear cache one app at a time. Third-party “cleaner” apps advertise all-in-one cache wiping, but many add ads, request excessive permissions, or provide little real benefit, so most experts advise skipping them and using the built-in per-app controls instead. If your goal is simply more free space, Google’s storage tools and manual cleanup are safer, in the same spirit as tidying an iPhone described in our guide to how to free up space on iPhone.
Clearing the cache in Chrome
Web browsers are a special case. Clearing the Chrome app’s cache in Settings does not clear your browsing cache, which lives inside Chrome itself. To clear cached web pages:
- Open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu.
- Tap Delete browsing data (or History, then Delete browsing data).
- Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
- Tick Cached images and files, and optionally Cookies and Browsing history.
- Tap Delete data.
This is the Android equivalent of the browser cleanup we cover in how to clear the cache on iPhone, and it often fixes pages that display outdated content or fail to load correctly.
When should you clear cache?
Clearing cache is a targeted fix, not routine housekeeping. Reach for it when an app crashes on launch, images or feeds refuse to load, the app feels unusually slow, or you are running low on storage and want quick, safe wins. There is no benefit to clearing cache on a schedule, because the app simply rebuilds those files, and repeatedly wiping cache can even make an app briefly slower as it re-downloads assets. If your phone is short on space more generally, it helps to know how to check storage on your device first so you target the apps that are actually the culprits.
If clearing cache doesn’t help
Cache clearing solves a surprising number of app problems, but not all. If an app still misbehaves, try force-stopping it (Settings → Apps → the app → Force stop), updating it in the Play Store, or restarting your phone. Only after those steps should you consider Clear storage, and reinstalling the app is the nuclear option that also clears everything. Working through these in order, from least to most destructive, saves you from needlessly signing back into a dozen accounts.
Does clearing cache cost you data later?
There is a small trade-off worth understanding. Because cache stores things the app would otherwise re-download, wiping it means the app fetches those assets again the next time you open it, using a little mobile data and loading slightly slower once. For a streaming or social app on a metered connection, that can add up if you clear cache constantly. This is another reason to treat cache clearing as an occasional fix rather than a habit. The system also manages cache automatically: when storage runs low, Android quietly clears cached files on its own, oldest first, so you rarely need to intervene unless a specific app is misbehaving. In short, let Android handle routine cache management and step in manually only when an app is broken or you urgently need space.
Quick recap
Clearing cache on Android means Settings → Apps → [app] → Storage & cache → Clear cache, and it is completely safe: your logins and content stay put. Samsung tucks it under Storage in One UI, Chrome clears its own web cache from inside the browser, and there is no one-tap button to clear everything at once. Use it to fix glitches and reclaim space, not as a daily ritual.
