How to clear the cache on your Android phone or tablet (and why you should) - ZDNet

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Storage settings giving options to wide retention oregon wide cache for Facebook

If you're experiencing dilatory show connected a smartphone oregon tablet, determination are communal steps you tin instrumentality to troubleshoot and oftentimes hole it. Simply restarting your instrumentality tin instrumentality attraction of a batch of issues.

Another communal mode to summation performance, oregon astatine the precise slightest escaped up other retention space, connected an Android telephone is to wide an app's cached data and clear Chrome's cached information for websites you visit.

Below I'll locomotion you done some processes, which don't instrumentality precise agelong astatine all. The hardest portion is figuring retired wherever to look, and that's precisely what I'm going to amusement you.

Also: How to grounds a telephone connected your Android phone

As with immoderate tutorial walking you done however to bash thing connected an Android device, the steps for you whitethorn disagree somewhat from what I outline beneath owed to antithetic instrumentality manufacturers and customized bundle connected apical of Android. But the gist of the process is covered and this should beryllium akin capable to get you, astatine the precise least, pointed successful the close direction. (And here's how to wide the cache connected an iPhone.)

How to wide an app's cached data

The quickest mode to presumption each of the apps installed connected your Android telephone oregon tablet is to unfastened the Settings app and look done the main database for Storage; pat it. On the adjacent surface find and pat the Apps option. Some phones, specified arsenic the Moto G 5G, skip the Storage enactment and database Apps straight successful the Settings app. If you're having occupation uncovering the Apps listing, usage the hunt barroom astatine the apical of the Settings app to find it.

When viewing the Apps list, to marque it easier to spot which apps are utilizing the astir retention connected your device, pat connected the three-dot icon successful the top-right country and select Sort by Size.

Android Storage and Apps retention pages showing sorting apps by size

Select immoderate app from the list. Note that I specified selecting an app and not a strategy work specified arsenic Android System Intelligence due to the fact that I've had mixed results erstwhile clearing the cache of a strategy app oregon service. So I lone urge doing this for apps.

When you unfastened an app, you tin spot the app size, idiosyncratic data, cache size and the full magnitude of retention it's taking up. At the apical of the leafage you'll person 2 options: Clear retention and Clear cache.

Don't prime Clear retention arsenic that volition much oregon little reset the app and you'll person to acceptable it each up again. However, you tin wide retired the cache without immoderate antagonistic consequences.

Continue going done the list, looking astatine the apps that are taking up a batch of space, and clearing each one's cache. Or, if you truly privation to beryllium thorough, you tin spell done and wide the cache of each app connected your phone. But I urge starting with the apical culprits, similar the Facebook app seen present successful the screenshots.

How to wide Chrome's cache

Open the Chrome app connected your Android telephone oregon tablet, past pat connected the three-dot paper icon successful the top-right corner. Next, select History > Clear browsing data.

Clearing browsing information for the Chrome browser

The pursuing surface volition amusement you a database of options; you tin take which information you privation to region from Chrome, and prime the clip framework for which you privation the information removed. Each information enactment has a little statement of what it means and what benignant of interaction it volition person connected your experience.

For instance, clearing cookies and tract information volition motion you retired of immoderate (in my experience, all) websites. Clearing cached images and files whitethorn origin Chrome to instrumentality a spot longer the adjacent clip it has to load images for a tract you frequent.

Also: How to wide the Opera browser cache (and wherefore you should)

Pick and take which information you privation to erase, and an magnitude of time, and pat the "Clear data" fastener astatine the bottommost of the screen.

FAQ

What is cached data?

When you're clearing cached data, beryllium it for an app oregon from Chrome, you're truly conscionable removing assorted files and accusation that the app has downloaded. For an app similar Facebook, cached information could beryllium illustration photos, pictures, videos, and akin contented wherever the telephone saves it to velocity up scrolling done your timeline.

In the words, portion the files and information assistance with the wide experience, they aren't indispensable and tin often go bloated, taking up excessively overmuch storage.

How often should I wide my Android device's cache?

That depends! If you're seeing a batch of show issues, it should beryllium thing you bash successful a database of troubleshooting steps. Otherwise, possibly each quarter, oregon doubly a year? It truly conscionable depends connected however good your telephone oregon tablet is running.

Am I lone gaining retention abstraction by clearing the cache?

No. In fact, 1 of the archetypal troubleshooting steps I travel erstwhile I brushwood immoderate weird bugs oregon issues successful an app is to wide the cache. Oftentimes, files successful the cache are corrupted oregon out-of-date, and forcing the app to physique the cache each implicit again fixes that issue. It's a win-win.

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