How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

44,070 views
4 Editors

Edited 7 weeks ago

Three Methods:Versions 10 and Up, Short FormVersions 10 and Up, Long FormVersions 1 through 9

Your cache is a collection of temporary Internet files maintained by your Internet

browser. The purpose of these files is to store website data, allowing websites to load
faster upon revisiting them. Under certain circumstances, however, you may find that
you need or want to clear space by clearing your cache. Here's how to do it if you use
Google Chrome as your default browser.

Method 1 of 3: Versions 10 and Up, Short Form [1]

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

1.

1
Click on the Chrome menu icon. The Chrome menu icon is located next to your
address bar and is positioned to the far right.
o

The icon itself looks like three horizontal lines stacked on one another.

From this icon, you can access a variety of tools, settings, bookmarks, and
nearly any other information pertaining to Google Chrome.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

Ad

2
Select "Tools" from the drop-down menu. This option is listed in the middle of the
Chrome menu that pops up from the menu button.
o

"Tools" is located eleventh from the top, at the bottom of the fourth section.
It has a right-pointing arrow next to the word.
3

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

3
Choose "Clear browsing data..." This is a setting option that appears from the "Tools"
side menu.
"Clear browsing data..." is located at the bottom of the second divided

section of the "Tools" sub-menu. It is the fourth option overall.

Once you select this option, the Clear browsing data dialogue box should

o
pop up.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

4
Check "Empty the cache." The "Clear browsing data" dialogue box has a number of
tickboxes for you to check, and each will clear a certain type of Internet data when
selected. If you only want to clear the cache, only select the tickbox next to "Empty the
cache."
o

This checkbox should be third from the top.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

You can also select other options if you want to clear more than your

o
cache.

"Clear browsing history" will erase any record of the websites you have

visited and "clear download history" will erase any record of the downloads you have
made.
"Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data" will wipe out all data sent

to your browser from a website. Likewise, "Clear data from hosted apps" will wipe out
any information saved to your computer from various third-party applications, and
"Deauthorize content licenses" will revoke any permissions granted to third-party
sources.
o

"Clear saved passwords" will erase any passwords saved to your

personalized Chrome settings and "Clear saved Autofill form data" will erase any
information, such as contact information, that you saved to your personalized account
for the purpose of quickly filling out Internet forms.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

5
Select "beginning of time." Above the tickboxes is a sentence beginning, "Obliterate
the following items from." In order to erase your entire cache, you should select "the
beginning of time" from the drop-down menu next to this sentence.
o

Other options include "the past hour," "the past day," "the past week," and
"the last 4 weeks." Selecting any of these other options will only erase your cache from
within that window of time. Anything prior to that time period will still be retained.
7

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

6
Click on "Clear browsing data." A button stating "Clear browsing data" should be
located in the lower right corner of the dialogue box. Click on this button to finish
clearing your cache.
o

Note that this step is final. There is no undo feature to return your cache
to how it was prior to clearing it.

Method 2 of 3: Versions 10 and Up, Long Form[2]

8

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

1.

1
Click on the Chrome menu icon. This icon is locked into your Google taskbar and
positioned to the far right of your address bar.
o

The icon looks like three horizontal bars stacked one on top of the next.

Clicking on the icon will give you access to a variety of settings,

bookmarks, and other browser information.

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

2
Choose "Settings." The "Settings" option is listed toward the bottom of the drop-down
menu.
o

"Settings" is located in the seventh divided section from the top. The
option is fourteenth from the top.

Selection "Settings" will cause a separate tab to open. This tab will list a
variety of setting-related features for you to change to your liking.
10

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

3
Scroll to the bottom and click "Show advanced settings..." The initial Settings
page only includes the most basic setting-related options. At the bottom of this page is
the option to Show advanced settings. Click on this to expand the Settings page
further.

11

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

4
Click "Clear browsing data..." Continue scrolling until you see the "Privacy"
subheading. Click on the "Clear browsing data..." button to option the corresponding
dialogue box.
o

Clicking on this button will open up a separate dialogue box. The box will
pop up rather than opening in the same tab or in a new tab.

12

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

5
Check the "Empty the cache" box. The "Empty the cache" checkbox is located third
from the top. If you only want to clear your cache and nothing else, check the box next
to this option while making sure that none of the other boxes are checked.
o

If you want to clear other Internet browsing data simultaneously, select

some of the other boxes, as well.

13

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

"Clear browsing history" erases all records of any websites you have

visited, while "Clear download history" erases all record of the data you have
downloaded.
o

"Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data" will clear out your Internet
cookies, which consist of data sent to your browser from various websites.

"Clear saved passwords" will erase passwords saved to your personalized

Google account. Similarly, "Clear saved Autofill form data" will pre-set form information
saved to your account.

"Clear data from hosted apps" will erase information sent to your computer
from third-party applications. "Deauthorize content licenses" will revoke any permissions
granted to third-party sources.

14

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

6
Select "the beginning of time" to erase everything. Above the checkboxes is an
option that allows you to specify the time frame you want to clear the information from.
This option is introduced with the phrase "Obliterate the following information from."
Selecting "the beginning of time" will clear your entire cache.
o

The drop-down menu will also offer you the options of "the past hour," "the
past day," "the past week," and "the last 4 weeks."

15

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

7
Click on "Clear browsing data." This button is located in the lower right corner of the
dialogue box and will finalize the clearing of your cache.
o

Note that this step is final. You will not be given an "undo" option if you are
dissatisfied with the results.

Method 3 of 3: Versions 1 through 9[3]

1.

16

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

1
Click on the "Customize" button. This button is also referred to as the "Tools" button,
and it is located to the far right of the address bar at the top of your browser.
o

The graphic for the button looks like a small wrench.

17

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

2
Select "Options" from the drop-down menu. This choice should be located near the
bottom of the "Tools" or "Customize" drop-down menu.
The "Options" option is located at the top of the sixth section and is the

thirteenth option overall.

If using a Mac instead of a PC, look for the word "Preferences" instead of

o
"Options."

18

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

3
Switch to the "Under the Hood" tab. The "Options" or "Preferences" dialogue box
should pop up. Click on the final tab in this dialogue box, labelled "Under the Hood" or
"Under the Bonnet."
o

Note the two subsections of this tab: "Privacy" and "Network."

19

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

4
Click on "Clear browsing data..." This is the second of two buttons located directly
beneath the "Privacy" subheading of the "Options" dialogue box.
Clicking on the "Clear browsing data..." button should open up yet another

o
dialogue box.

20

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

5
Check the "Empty the cache" option. Underneath the heading "Obliterate the
following items," select the box next to the "Empty the cache" button.
o

Do not select any of the other checkboxes unless you also want to clear
those other options.

Note that options vary slightly in older versions of Chrome when compared
to newer versions. The only other options you have are "Clear browsing history," "Clear
download history," "Delete cookies and other site data," "Clear saved passwords," and
"Clear saved form data."

21

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

6
Clear "Everything." Beneath the checkboxes is the statement, "Clear data from this
period." Select "Everything" from the drop-down menu next to this statement in order to
clear your entire cache.
o

Other options include "Last day," "Last week," and "Last 4 weeks."

22

How to Clear the Cache in Chrome

7
Click on "Clear browsing data." This button is located in the lower right corner of the
"Clear Browsing Data" dialogue box. Clicking it will finalize the process.
As with newer versions, there is no "undo" option. In other words, this step

o
is final.

23