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Open Settings to the Apps area to find the Clear Cache option that can speed up your phone and fix odd behavior
By
Daniel Nations
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/DanNations-b3e3901c63b544bf8588ac2fc6231f60.jpg "How to Clear the Cache on Android (1)")
Daniel Nations
Writer
- University of Texas at Arlington
Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator.
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Updated on July 15, 2024
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ryanperiansquare-de5f69cde760457facb17deac949263e-180a645bf10845498a859fbbcda36d46.jpg "How to Clear the Cache on Android (2)")
Reviewed byRyan Perian
- Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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In This Article
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In This Article
- Step-by-Step: Clear App Caches
- When to Do It
- Step-by-Step: Clear the Phone Cache
- Frequently Asked Questions
What to Know
- Go to Settings > Apps. Tap an app, then go to Storage & cache > Clear cache.
- Some phones can clear all app caches at once: Device care > Storage or Settings > Storage > Cached data.
- Clearing the data cache can make apps run better and fix things like login issues and unresponsiveness.
This article explains how to clear the data cache on Android. Most of these directions apply to most versions of Android, but some of them are specific to Android 7 and older.
How to Clear an Android App's Data Cache
Here's how to clear data for an app you know (or suspect) is causing problems or using up data.
Open Settings > Apps.
Select the app whose cache you want to clear.
Tap Storage & cache or Storage.
This same process is how you clear the cache on some Samsung phones.
Tap Clear cache to clear the app cache. Tap Clear data or Clear storage to erase the data associated with the app.
Clearing the cache deletes temporary filesthe app uses while it's running. Clearing data deletes settings, passwords, and other information you added and resets the app to its defaults.
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Some Android phones include a bulk option for clearing cache. If your phone has a Device care app, open the Storage section and check if there's an App cache option. From there, you can select All to clear cache for all your apps at once.
How Clearing an App's Cache Can Help
The cache contains temporary files that are used to speed up the app.Sometimes, though, they're too much of a good thing. The data cache might be taking up too much space or it could be outdated or corrupted. These things can cause the app to behave erratically or crash.
Often, you'll know which app is acting up simply by its behavior. If this isn't the case, start your cache-clearing with the browser, then move on to social media apps. Turn next to other apps that access the internet, then to those that occupy the most overall space.
Clearing cache is a temporary space-saving method. As you use an app, it will build up a new cache of temporary files. Here are some other ways to recover storage space on your Android.
How to Clear the Entire Phone's Cache at Once
Before the release of Oreo (Android version 8), the easiest way to deal with the device cache was to delete it all at once. However, Google removed this feature in newer versions. If you're still running an old version, such as on your Samsung Galaxy S9, here's how to delete the entire device cache:
Open Settings.
Tap Storage.
Tap Cached data. Android calculates where the device storage is being used (apps, photos, or other places) and how much you will reclaim. When prompted, confirm your choice.
Clearing the cache data does not erase any personal information or important data.
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Some phones let you wipe the system cache partition. Boot into Android Recovery Mode to see if this is an option for you.
FAQ
How do I clear my browsing history on Android?
To clear your Android browsing history in Chrome, tap the three dots > Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data. In the Samsung Internet app, tap the three dots > Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data. Select Browsing history and tap Delete data.
How do I free up space on my Android phone?
To free up space on your Android, go to Settings > Storage to delete unwanted apps, photos, and videos to create more space. Consider adding a microSD card to expand your storage needs.
How do I clear the clipboard on my Android?
To clear your Android clipboard, download the Clipper Clipboard Manager app and tap the three dots > Delete. Alternatively, use the Gboard keyboard to enable the built-in clipboard manager.
What is a CACHE file?
A file with the CACHE file extension contains temporary information that a program sets aside to make software load data faster. Not all cache files have the CACHE extension.
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