Clear cache & cookies - Computer (2024)

FAQs

Should I clear cache and cookies on my computer? ›

The cache and cookies should be cleared regularly for several reasons. Depending on your settings, the cache can grow quite big, use a lot of disk space on your computer and cause slow web browsing. The cache can also cause issues when viewing new versions of previously visited web pages.

After you clear cache and cookies: Some settings on sites get deleted. For example, if you were signed in, you'll need to sign in again. Some sites can seem slower because content, like images, needs to load again.

When you use a browser, like Chrome, it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites.

What is the downside of clearing cookies? The removal of cookies may compromise performance and user experience. For example, clearing your cookies may log you out from certain pages, such as e-commerce platforms.

But even if you deleted more Browsing data than you intended to, for any normal sort of website the probable worst that would happen is you would be logged out of some websites, you would lose your browsing history, and websites might take a fraction longer to download than normal the first time you load them.

If they are or you're using a third-party password management program, clearing your cookies won't clear your passwords, but it may cause you to have to log in using the saved credentials.

How often do I need to clear my cache? Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That's generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.

If it's your personal device, it's a good idea to remove all cookies at least once a month to keep your device neat. Also, you should do this if you see a drop in browser performance or after visiting a shady website.

When you "clear your cache", you are telling your web browser to delete the temporary files it has stored in the process of showing you the websites you've visited.

What will I lose if I clear cookies? ›

Deleting cookies wipes all your personal information from your browser, including usernames, passwords, search history, and website settings and preferences.

Important: If you delete cookies, you might get signed out of sites that remember you, and your saved preferences could be deleted. This applies any time a cookie is deleted. Settings. Delete browsing data.

Website slow to load? It could be your cache. So if you clear your browser's cache and temporary internet files regularly, this helps your computer or device run optimally—and doing so can help fix certain problems, like a website loading slowly, or formatting issues on a web page.

Content settings: Settings and permissions you give to websites are deleted. For example, if a site can run JavaScript, use your camera, or know your location. Hosted app data: Data from hosted Chrome Web Store apps is erased, like the local storage used by Gmail Offline.

However, for a typical internet user, our suggestion is to empty your cache approximately once or twice every month.

Your cache is stored on your Computer or Phone in a temporary directory - these files take up a bit of space on your disk, so by clearing your cache you are deleting those temporary files which frees up a bit of space on your device.

Clearing your web browser's cache, cookies, and history may remove data such as the following: Saved passwords. Address bar predictions.