When was the last time you cleared your browser cache? Do you know how to do it? There are plenty of good reasons to clear your browser cache regularly. Protecting personal information and helping applications run more smoothly are just a couple.
So how do you clear your browser cache when you’re using Chrome? Before we explain the procedure, let’s talk about the purpose of browser cache and why it’s a good idea to clean it every now and then.
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What Is Chrome’s Browser Cache
Any piece of technology that you use to browse the internet, like a desktop, phone, or tablet, has a browser cache, and Chrome is no exception. When you visit websites, your browser stores various information, such as downloads, files, images, and the locations of the sites you visited. This stored information is called your browser cache and allows you to quickly return to websites that you recently visited without a lengthy load time.
While you only need the information for the time that you are visiting those websites, it doesn’t clear automatically from your browser and instead builds up over time. This buildup of data may cause your computer to take longer to load or run applications, and having old downloads or files present can cause problems with some things like online applications or available hard drive space. Clearing your cache doesn’t mean you’re getting rid of any useful or relevant information, and it doesn’t log you out of any websites. Instead, it will clear information that is outdated or no longer in use, freeing up that space for your browser to run better than before.
Why Should You Clear Your Browser Cache Regularly
If you clear your cache only once or twice a month, websites will load faster, the newest versions of sites will load correctly, and you can avoid tech issues when running certain applications. Clearing your cache is also a good idea anytime a website or application has trouble running, and you’re not sure what’s causing the issue. In fact, this is one of the first steps that many helplines will ask you to do. It’s something small you can do to help your browser run quicker and avoid running into problems when surfing online.
How to Clear Chrome’s Cache in Five Easy Steps
- First, make sure to enable Javascript in Chrome. This will ensure that webpages function correctly. After that first step, Chrome should already be open. At the top right of the screen, click on “More” or the symbol that is three dots in a vertical line.
- How over “More tools” then select “Clear browsing data” from the menu that shows up.
- Select your desired timeline and make sure that “Cached images and files” is selected. You may also want to clear your browsing history, cookies, and site data at this time. If that’s so, then make sure those options are also selected. Be aware checking those extra options may log you out of all websites!
- Click on “Clear data”. Chrome will clear the data you selected for the timeline you chose.
- And you’re done! You can repeat this procedure whenever you want. Regularly cleaning your browser’s cache will help applications on your computer run better and can also help protect your information.
What Happens If You Don’t Clear Your Browser Cache
Typically, not clearing your browser cache is harmless, for the most part. Many people go a long time without realizing they can clear their browser’s cache, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t know about it before.
Without clearing your browser cache, you may notice websites load more slowly or don’t load correctly. Sometimes an uncleared cache can interfere with running certain applications or loading webpages correctly, especially if a webpage has received an update, but your browser is still loading it from outdated cache information. This is why clearing your browser cache is one of the first steps when troubleshooting an unknown problem with an application.