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iPhone & iPad: How to clear cache, history, and cookies

It doesn’t take long for caches to fill up on iOS. From the default Safari browser, to third-party apps, follow along for how to clear the cache, history, and cookies on iPhone and iPad.

While clearing the cache in Safari is quick and easy with one fell swoop, doing so can be different depending on the third-party app. We’ll first look at how to clear the cache in Safari on iPhone and iPad and then tackle other apps.

We’ve also got a walkthrough on clearing the cache, history, and cookies on Mac, check that out here.

How to clear cache on iPhone & iPad in Safari and other apps

Safari

  1. Open Settings
  2. Swipe down and tap Safari
  3. Swipe down again and tap Clear History and Website Data, tap it once again to confirm
How to clear cache on iPhone and iPad and other apps

Alternately, if you’d like to clear data from individual websites, without clearing the entire Safari cache, tap Advanced, Website Data, then Edit.

Clear cache on iPhone for third-party apps

Clearing the cache of third-party apps varies from developer to developer. Some like Slack offer an option in the app preferences in iOS Settings, while others like Facebook don’t. Check out the settings of your apps to see your options.

For apps that don’t provide a clear cache button, deleting the app and reinstalling it is the next option.

You can always take a look at Settings → General → iPhone Storage to prioritize which third-party apps you may want to tackle first.

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.