Clearing the cache on an iPhone can remove stored website data, temporary files and other information that may no longer be needed. It can also help when Safari is behaving unexpectedly, a website is not loading correctly or an app is taking up more storage than expected. However, there is no single “clear all cache” button on iPhone. The correct method depends on whether you want to clear Safari cache, website data or cached data stored by an individual app.
Key Takeaways
- You can clear Safari’s cache from Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
- You can remove website data while keeping your Safari history through Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
- iPhone does not provide one universal button for clearing the cache of every third-party app.
- Checking Settings > General > iPhone Storage shows which apps and content are using the most space.
- Offloading an app removes the app itself while keeping its documents and data, which can free up some storage without deleting your data.
- Clearing Safari cache can remove website data, cookies and browsing information, so you may need to sign into some websites again.
- Cache clearing can help with certain browsing or app problems, but it is not a guaranteed way to make an older iPhone faster.
- Businesses that need iPhones temporarily for testing, demonstrations or events can consider iPhone rental instead of purchasing additional devices.
Pro Tip: Check iPhone Storage Before Clearing Anything
Before deleting cached data, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check what is actually using space. If photos, videos or large apps are responsible for most of the storage usage, clearing Safari cache alone will make little difference.
What Is Cache on an iPhone?
A cache is temporary or stored data that apps and websites use to make certain content load more efficiently. For example, Safari can retain website data, while individual apps may store temporary files or other data as you use them.
Cache is not necessarily bad. In many cases, it exists to improve the experience by allowing frequently accessed information to load without downloading or generating everything again.
The problem occurs when stored website data becomes outdated, an app accumulates a large amount of temporary data or you are trying to troubleshoot a website or app that is behaving incorrectly.
It is also important to distinguish cache from personal files. Clearing cache is not the same as deleting all your photos, messages or documents. However, some methods for clearing app data can remove locally stored information, so you should check what an app stores before deleting or reinstalling it.
Does Clearing Cache Free Up iPhone Storage?
It can, but the amount of storage you recover depends on what is currently stored.
Safari website data may occupy some storage, while apps can also accumulate documents and data over time. If your iPhone is nearly full, however, cache may not be the main reason.
Apple recommends checking Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space each app and category is using. From there, you can review apps and take actions such as offloading or deleting them.
Large amounts of storage are often caused by:
- Photos and videos.
- Downloaded films or TV programmes.
- Large apps and games.
- Messages and their attachments.
- Files stored locally.
- Music and podcasts downloaded for offline use.
- Documents and data associated with individual apps.
- Safari and other website data.
This means clearing cache should be treated as one part of storage management, rather than a universal solution for a full iPhone.
How to Clear Safari Cache on iPhone
If you use Safari and want to clear its stored browsing data, the current iPhone process is straightforward.
Clear Safari history, cache and website data
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Select Safari.
- Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Choose the timeframe you want to clear.
- Tap Clear History to confirm.
Apple’s current instructions place Safari under Settings > Apps > Safari and provide a timeframe option when clearing history and website data.
Depending on what you clear, this can remove browsing history, cookies and website data. It does not remove your AutoFill information.
If your reason for clearing cache is that a website is displaying old content, failing to load or behaving strangely, this is one of the first troubleshooting steps worth trying.
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How to Clear Safari Cache Without Deleting Your History
You do not have to remove your entire Safari history if you only want to clear stored website data.
Apple provides a separate option for removing cookies and website data while keeping your browsing history.
Follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Safari.
- Select Advanced.
- Tap Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data.
- Tap Remove Now to confirm.
This removes website data used for things such as tracking and storing information that helps websites remember you.
This option can be preferable if you want to troubleshoot website behaviour but do not want to remove your complete Safari browsing history.
How to Clear Cache for an Individual iPhone App
Unlike Safari, iOS does not provide a universal Clear Cache button for every third-party app.
Whether you can clear an app’s cache depends on the app developer and how the app manages its stored data.
Some apps include their own option in their settings to clear temporary files or downloads. If an app does not provide such an option, you may need to use iPhone Storage to determine how much space it is consuming.
Go to:
Settings > General > iPhone Storage
Tap the app you want to investigate.
Depending on the app and iOS options available, you may see choices such as:
- Offload App
- Delete App
- Options for managing documents or data within the app
Apple explains that offloading an app frees the storage used by the app while keeping its documents and data. The app icon remains available so it can be reinstalled later.
How to Offload an App and Free Up Space
If an app is using significant storage but you want to keep its documents and data, offloading can be a useful middle ground.
To offload an individual app:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Select iPhone Storage.
- Tap the app you want to manage.
- Select Offload App.
- Confirm the action.
The app itself is removed, but its documents and data are retained. You can reinstall the app later by tapping its icon.
This is different from deleting an app. Deleting removes the app and its associated data, so make sure you understand the difference before choosing an option.
How to Clear App Cache by Reinstalling the App
If an app has become unusually large, is repeatedly crashing or does not provide its own cache-clearing option, deleting and reinstalling it can sometimes remove locally stored app data.
Before doing this, check whether the app stores important information locally.
For example, some apps synchronise information with an online account, while others may store downloads, documents or other content on the device.
Before deleting an app:
- Check whether you are signed into the correct account.
- Confirm important data is synchronised.
- Check whether offline downloads will be removed.
- Make sure you know your login details.
- Check the app’s own instructions if it stores important files.
If the app contains information that is not backed up or synchronised, deleting it may result in data loss.
How to Check Which Apps Are Using the Most Storage
If your goal is to free up iPhone storage, start by identifying what is actually taking up space.
Go to:
Settings > General > iPhone Storage
The iPhone Storage screen provides an overview of available storage and shows how much space individual apps and categories are using.
Look for unusually large apps or categories.
For example, if a video-editing app is using several gigabytes, clearing Safari cache will not meaningfully solve the storage problem. You would need to manage the content or data associated with that app.
The same applies to photographs and videos. If your Photos library is responsible for most of the storage usage, focus on managing media rather than clearing browser cache.
Does Clearing Cache Make an iPhone Faster?
Clearing cache can help with specific problems, but it should not be presented as a guaranteed way to make an iPhone faster.
For example, clearing Safari website data may help when websites are loading incorrectly or displaying outdated information. Removing unnecessary app data can also free some storage.
However, if an iPhone is generally slow, the cause may be unrelated to cache.
Other factors can include:
- Very low available storage.
- An older iPhone model.
- Outdated iOS software.
- A problematic app.
- Battery or power-management issues.
- Too much locally stored content.
- Network problems that make online services appear slow.
If the iPhone is nearly full, checking iPhone Storage is more useful than repeatedly clearing browser cache.
When Should You Clear Cache on an iPhone?
You do not need to clear your iPhone cache on a fixed daily or weekly schedule.
It makes more sense to clear relevant cached or website data when there is a specific reason.
Consider clearing Safari data when:
- A website is not loading correctly.
- A website appears to show outdated information.
- Safari is behaving unexpectedly.
- You want to remove stored website data.
- You are troubleshooting a browser problem.
- You want to remove browsing information from the device.
Consider managing app storage when:
- A particular app has become unusually large.
- An app is repeatedly crashing.
- The app provides its own cache-clearing option.
- You need to recover storage.
- You no longer need the app or its downloaded content.
If there is no specific problem and your iPhone has plenty of available storage, routinely clearing cache is generally unnecessary.
What Happens When You Clear Safari Cache?
Clearing Safari’s history and website data can affect how websites behave the next time you visit them.
Depending on what you remove, you may:
- Lose browsing history for the selected period.
- Be signed out of some websites.
- Lose certain website preferences.
- Remove cookies.
- Remove stored website permissions.
- Need websites to load certain content again.
Apple notes that clearing Safari history and website data removes cookies and permissions granted to websites, such as permissions to use your location or send notifications.
This is why clearing all website data should be used deliberately rather than as a routine maintenance task.
What If Clearing Cache Does Not Fix the Problem?
If you clear the relevant cache and the problem remains, the cache may not be the cause.
For Safari problems, try:
- Checking your internet connection.
- Opening the website on another network.
- Restarting the iPhone.
- Checking whether the problem affects other websites.
- Checking Safari settings.
- Checking for iOS updates.
- Temporarily reviewing VPN or Private Relay settings if relevant.
Apple recommends trying another network and restarting the device when Safari is not loading websites correctly.
If only one website is affected while other websites work normally, the problem may be with that website rather than the iPhone.
For an individual app, check whether other users are reporting an outage, update the app and consider reinstalling it if your important data is safely backed up.
How to Free Up More iPhone Storage
If clearing cache has not freed enough space, use the iPhone Storage screen to identify larger sources of storage consumption.
Go to:
Settings > General > iPhone Storage
Then review the recommendations and the list of apps.
You can free additional space by:
- Removing apps you no longer use.
- Offloading apps while retaining their documents and data.
- Deleting downloaded videos and music you no longer need.
- Removing unnecessary files from the Files app.
- Reviewing large message attachments.
- Managing photos and videos.
- Removing offline content from individual apps.
Apple recommends using the iPhone Storage screen to identify how much space apps are using and provides options such as offloading or deleting apps.
Do not delete important files simply to increase the amount of free storage. Review the content first and make sure anything important is backed up.
Using iPhones for Testing and Temporary Business Projects
Cache management can also matter when businesses use iPhones for app testing. A test device may accumulate browser data, application data, downloads and temporary files across repeated test cycles.
For teams that need multiple devices, iPhone 17 rental provides access to current iPhone models for app testing, conferences, exhibitions and temporary business projects. Devices can be prepared and configured before dispatch.
For projects that require a different generation, iPhone 16 rental provides iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models for temporary business and event requirements.
Using dedicated test devices can also make it easier for development teams to reproduce issues consistently rather than relying on employees’ personal iPhones.
Conclusion
Knowing how to clear cache on an iPhone is useful when Safari is not behaving correctly, website data has become outdated or an individual app is consuming more storage than expected. For Safari, you can clear history and website data directly through Settings > Apps > Safari, or remove website data separately while keeping your browsing history.
For apps, iPhone does not provide one universal cache-clearing button. Instead, check the app’s own settings or use Settings > General > iPhone Storage to identify large apps and decide whether to offload, delete or manage their stored data.
Clearing cache should not be treated as a guaranteed performance fix. If your iPhone is slow or running out of space, identify what is actually consuming storage first. That approach is more effective than repeatedly deleting cache without addressing the underlying problem.
For businesses that need multiple iPhones for app testing, demonstrations, conferences or temporary projects, iPhone rental can provide ready-to-use devices without requiring a permanent hardware purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clear the cache on my iPhone?
For Safari, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, choose the relevant timeframe and confirm. You can also go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data to remove website data while keeping your browsing history.
How do I clear an app’s cache on iPhone?
There is no universal cache-clearing option for every iPhone app. Check the individual app’s settings first. If it does not offer a cache option, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space the app uses and consider offloading or deleting it where appropriate.
Will clearing cache delete everything on my iPhone?
No. Clearing Safari cache and website data does not factory-reset your iPhone or erase all personal content. However, clearing website data can remove cookies, browsing information and website permissions. Deleting an individual app can also remove its associated data, so check before doing so.
Does clearing cache make an iPhone faster?
It can help with specific browser or app problems and may recover some storage, but it is not a guaranteed performance boost. If your iPhone is generally slow, check available storage, software updates, problematic apps and other potential causes.
How often should I clear my iPhone cache?
There is no need to clear the cache on a fixed schedule. Clear relevant cache or website data when you are troubleshooting a specific problem, managing storage or intentionally removing stored website information.
