This article guides you on clearing cache, history, and cookies from the following browsers:

• Chrome
• Edge
• Firefox
• Safari
• Opera.

Instructions are taken from the browsers’ support pages – you will find the source at the end of every section.

Short overview of cookies and cache

Cookies

Cookies are small files stored by websites on your computer. They make your online experience easier by saving browsing information. Sites use cookies to:

• keep you signed in
• remember your site preferences
• give you locally relevant content

Advertisers use tracking cookies to follow you around the web, recording your interests and habits.

To know more about disabling or enabling cookies, please read the knowledge base article Disable or enable cookies in your browser.

Cache

The cache remembers parts of pages, like images, to help them open faster during your next visit. Clearing the cache saves disk space. 
Please remember: clearing your cache regularly will prevent your computer to load older, cached data.

Old, unused extensions can also clutter up your browser, using your RAM and memory.

What happens after clearing the cache and cookies

After you clear cache and cookies, you might:

• Need to sign in again to Chrome or other websites
• Some sites can seem slower. That is because they need to load again their content and images.

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How to clear cache, history, and cookies

Google Chrome

Clearing cache and cookies from a computer

1. On your computer, open Chrome
2. At the top right, select More  
3. Select Privacy and security
4. Select Clear browsing data
5. At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time
6. Next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files", check the boxes. Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
7. Select Clear data
8. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

 

Clearing cache and cookies from Android

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app  .

1. At the top right, tap More  
2. Tap History
3. Tap Clear browsing data
4. At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time
5. Next to "Cookies and site data" and "Cached images and files," check the boxes. Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
6. Tap Clear data
7. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

 

Clearing cache and cookies from iPhone and iPad

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app .
2. At the bottom, tap More  
3. Tap History
4. Tap Clear browsing data
5. Make sure there’s a check mark next to "Cookies, Site Data," and "Cached Images and Files." Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
6. Tap Clear browsing data
7. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Source: Google Account Help - Clear cache and cookies

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Mozilla Firefox

Clearing cache and cookies from a computer

1. Select the menu button
2. Select Settings
3. Select the Privacy & Security panel
4. Go to the Cookies and Site Data section
5. Click the Clear Data… button. The Clear Data dialogue will appear:
   
   Please note: Cookies and Site Data (to remove login status and site preferences) and Cached Web Content (to remove stored images, scripts and other cached content) should both be check marked.
6. Select Clear
7. Confirm your choice
8. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

Source: Firefox Help - Clear cookies and site data in Firefox

 

Clearing cache and cookies from Android

1. Open Firefox
2. Select the menu button 
3. Select Settings
4. Select the option Delete browsing data
5. Select or deselect the setting you want to clear. Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history and site data" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
6. Select the button Clear Private Data
7. Confirm your choice
8. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

 

Clearing cache and cookies from iOS

1. Open Firefox
2. Select the menu button
3. Select Settings
4. Select the option Data management
5. Go to the section Clear Private Data and lock the setting you want to clear. Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
6. Select the button Clear Private Data
7. Confirm your choice
8. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

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Microsoft Edge

Clearing cache and cookies from a computer

1. From the menu bar of Edge, select the 3-dots icon Settings and more ()
2. Select Settings
3. Select the option Privacy, search, and services from the left-side menu 
   
4. Go to the Clear browsing data and select "Choose what to clear"
   
5. Choose the time range and the types of data you want to clear
   
   Please remember to uncheck the option "Browsing history" if you do not want to clear your browsing history
6. Select Clear now
7. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Please note: use the option “Clear browsing data for Internet Explorer mode” to clear browsing data from there. Find more information about this topic in the Microsoft support article “View and delete your browsing history in Internet Explorer”. This is only available because the University has turned on Internet Explorer mode. 

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Safari

On MacBook and iMac

In the Safari app on your Mac

1. From the menu bar select Safari
2. Select Preferences
   3. Select Privacy
   4. Select the option Remove stored cookies and data. Find Browsers older that Ventura 12 can show different wording (for example "Cookie and website data" on macOS Ventura)
   5. Select Manage Website Data, then select one or more websites. Please remember to uncheck the option related to your browsing history" if you do not want to clear it.
   6. Select the option "Remove” or “Remove All"
3. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

 

On iPhone / iPad

To clear your history and cookies:

1. Go to Settings
2. Tap the Safari icon from the left-menu 
3. Tap Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari will not change your AutoFill information. 
   To clear your cookies and keep your history, go to:
   1. Settings
   2. Safari
   3. Advanced
   4. Website Data
   5. Tap Remove All Website Data.
4. Tap Clear (this button could be also labeled as "Remove all website data")
5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

Sources:
• Apple support - Manage cookies and website data in Safari on Mac 
• Apple Support - Clear the history and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

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Opera

Removing cookies and browsing data in one go

The easiest way to clear everything in Opera is to:

1. Press Ctrl+H to open your history page
2. Select Clear browsing data in the top-right corner
3. Select what you want to delete and the time range, like recent history or all-time
4. Select Clear data
5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

 

Removing cookies only

Press Ctrl+Shift+Del to open your Clear browsing data options. Make sure Cookies and site data is selected. Select Clear data.

To see or remove individual cookies, go to:

1. Settings
2. Advanced
3. Privacy and Security
4. Select Site settings
5. Select Cookies and site data
6. Select See all cookies and site data. Use the search bar to find a specific cookie, and select the trash icon to delete individual cookies.
7. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

 

How to clear the cache - cached images and files

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Del to open your Clear browsing data options. Make sure Cached images and files is selected. Click Clear data.
2. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser

 

Source: Opera - How to clear cache, cookies and other history data in browser 

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Related content

How to disable or enable cookies in your browser