How to Clear Cache on iPhone: Safari, Chrome, and Apps

To clear cache on iPhone in Safari, go to Settings, tap Apps, tap Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data. iPhone has no single button for every app. Chrome has its own screen, Spotify and TikTok have a clear option, and other apps need deleting and reinstalling.

What is cache on iPhone?

Cache on iPhone is the set of temporary files that apps and websites keep so content opens faster next time. Apple says your device creates these files when you stream or view content, and removes them itself when it needs more space.

Each route takes something different with it, so the choice depends on what you can afford to lose.

How to Clear Safari Cache on iPhone

Safari has two routes, and the difference is whether your browsing history survives. Both are on Apple's Safari page, published 14 September 2026.

Clear history, cookies, and cache

1. Go to Settings, tap Apps, then tap Safari.
2. Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
3. Confirm the timeframe, then tap Clear History.

Apple says this leaves your AutoFill information unchanged. If your Settings list shows no Apps entry, open Safari from the main list, the path older iPhone guides give.

Clear cache and cookies but keep history

1. Go to Settings, tap Apps, then tap Safari.
2. Tap Advanced, then tap Website Data.
3. Tap Remove All Website Data, then tap Remove Now.

This clears the data websites use for tracking and for saving logins, so expect to sign in to some sites again. A grey button means there is no data to clear, or that web content restrictions in Screen Time need checking.

Both routes stop at Safari, so a second browser on the same phone keeps its own files.

How to Clear Chrome Cache on iPhone

Chrome keeps its own cache, and its delete screen sits inside the app. Google's steps are:

1. Open Chrome and tap More.
2. Tap Delete Browsing Data.
3. Next to Time Range, choose a duration.
4. Tap Browsing Data, select Cached Images and Files, then tap Confirm.
5. Tap Delete Browsing Data.

Time Range is the step to watch. Google says the default is 15 minutes, so accepting it leaves older files in place. Selecting only Cached Images and Files leaves your history and cookies alone.

Firefox works from its own settings too. Mozilla's steps are to tap the menu button, tap Settings, tap Data Management under Privacy, then select Clear Private Data. Mozilla warns that this cannot be undone.

Browsers give you a screen for this. Apps may not, because no shared control reaches inside them.

How to Clear App Cache on iPhone

How do you clear app cache on iPhone?

To clear app cache on iPhone, use the app's own clear option if it has one, or delete the app and reinstall it. Apple's storage page lists no setting for all apps at once, and says the device removes cached files so you don't have to.

Each app holds its files apart from the others. Apple says all third-party apps are sandboxed, with a home directory of their own, which is why the route differs from app to app.

Check what an app is storing first

Go to Settings, tap General, tap iPhone Storage, then tap the app. This is the same screen you use to check iPhone storage. Documents & Data lists the app's content, and a large figure may be downloads rather than cache.

Apple notes that cached and temporary data might not count as usage, so a small figure does not prove the cache is small. Depending on the app, you might be able to delete some of its documents and data here.

Spotify and TikTok: use the app's clear option

Spotify and TikTok both publish a clear step, so neither needs a reinstall. These paths are from Spotify's storage page and TikTok's support page, as read on 6 November 2026.

TikTok's page names no platform, so a label may differ on iPhone. It lists Downloads and Drafts as separate items on the same screen, each with its own control.

Other apps may keep a similar option under Storage, Data, or Downloads. WhatsApp is a separate job, which WhatsApp iPhone storage deals with.

Instagram and Facebook: delete and reinstall

We could not confirm a clear cache setting for Instagram or Facebook on iPhone as of 6 November 2026. If your app shows one, use it. Otherwise, deleting and reinstalling removes the cache in both:

1. Check you know your password, or have another way to sign in.
2. Go to Settings, tap General, tap iPhone Storage, then tap the app.
3. Tap Delete App and confirm.
4. Reinstall the app from the App Store and sign in.

Apple says this removes the app and its related data. What your online account holds comes back when you sign in, and anything stored only on the phone does not. Spotify shows the cost: its reinstall page says you need to download your music and podcasts again.

Why Offload App is a different step

Offload App sits on the same screen as Delete App, and some cache guides list it as a clearing step. Apple says it frees the storage the app uses but keeps its documents and data. Apple does not say it removes cached files, so don't count on it for this job.

Whichever route clears a cache, the app or site starts again without those stored files.

What Clearing Cache Changes on iPhone

Clearing a cache removes stored copies, so pages and feeds download again the next time you open them. Chrome's own help says it keeps parts of pages to help them open faster. New cached files then build up as you stream and view content.

Apple and Google list no speed gain from clearing a cache, so don't expect one. Clear it when one website or app is misbehaving, or when you want website data off the phone.

Space is the other reason to clear a cache, and the figure in Settings can mislead.

Does Clearing Cache Free Up iPhone Storage?

Does clearing cache free up storage on iPhone?

Clearing cache frees up storage on iPhone by the amount that cache held, but the figure in Settings may not show it. Apple says cached and temporary data might not count as usage. On a nearly full phone, the device may already have removed some of it.

The largest line in iPhone Storage decides what to do next. A large System Data figure is covered in iPhone System Data and how to clear iPhone system data. A large app total points to Applications in iPhone storage.

If Photos is the largest line, no cache step will move it. Photo cleaner apps work on that line instead, one decision at a time. Apps like Swipe Quick show the camera roll a photo at a time on the device: swipe right to keep, swipe left to delete. Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days.

Other ways to free up space on iPhone include offloading apps you rarely open and removing large videos.

Frequently asked questions

Does clearing cache on iPhone delete photos?

Clearing cache on iPhone does not delete photos from the Photos app, because the Safari and Chrome steps act on browser data. Delete App is the exception to check. It removes the app's related data, so a photo saved only inside that app goes with it.

How often should you clear cache on iPhone?

You should clear cache on iPhone only when you have a reason, because Apple sets no schedule. Its storage page says the device removes cached and temporary files so you don't have to.

Does restarting an iPhone clear the cache?

Restarting an iPhone is not a documented way to clear the cache. Apple's Safari and storage pages list no restart step, and Macworld says a restart recovers memory but won't clear cache as such.

Can a cleaner app clear other apps' cache on iPhone?

A cleaner app cannot clear other apps' cache on iPhone. Apple's file system guide, last updated in 2018, says an app cannot write to other apps' containers. Its December 2024 security guide still describes third-party apps as sandboxed. What iPhone cleaner apps can reach is limited to the data you let them access.