On this page · 11 sections
- Quick reference: clear the Chrome cache on any device
- How to clear cache in Chrome on a computer
- What each checkbox deletes
- How to clear cache in Chrome on Android
- How to clear cache in Chrome on iPhone and iPad
- How to clear cache for one site only
- When clearing the cache fixes things, and when it will not
- For IT teams and support desks
- For web teams: stop asking users to clear their cache
- How eCorpIT can help
- References
Summary. On a Windows or Linux computer, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (⌘ + Shift + Delete on a Mac) to open Chrome's Delete browsing data dialog, choose a time range, tick Cached images and files and select Delete data. To reload one page without its cached copy, press Ctrl + Shift + R or Shift + F5 (⌘ + Shift + R on a Mac). On Android and iPhone the same dialog sits under More (the three dots), with a default range of 15 minutes. Google's desktop steps include ticking Cookies and other site data, which can sign you out of websites, so untick it if you only want the cache gone. On a computer and on iPhone, saved passwords and passkeys are not touched; on Android, Saved passwords is one of the boxes you can tick. If you are signed in to Chrome, deleted data also leaves your other devices. Web teams can end most clear-your-cache tickets with fingerprinted file names cached for a year and revalidated HTML.
About this article. For anyone whose Chrome shows an old or broken page, and for the IT and web teams who handle those tickets. We checked every step, shortcut and setting name on 11 November 2026 against Google's Chrome Help pages, the Chrome for Developers DevTools docs, web.dev and the Chrome Enterprise policy list. The stable releases that day were Chrome 157 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and Chrome 158 for iPhone and iPad. Labels can shift between releases, which now arrive every two weeks (see our Chrome two-week release cycle playbook). General information only. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.
Quick reference: clear the Chrome cache on any device
The routes below come from Google's help pages and shortcut lists.
| Device | Fastest route | What to tick for cache only | Time range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows, Linux | Ctrl + Shift + Delete | Cached images and files | You choose, such as Last hour or All time |
| Mac | ⌘ + Shift + Delete | Cached images and files | You choose |
| Chromebook | More > Delete browsing data | Cached images and files | You choose |
| Android | More > Delete browsing data > More options | Cached images and files | Default 15 minutes |
| iPhone, iPad | More > Delete Browsing Data > Browsing Data | Cached Images and Files | Default 15 minutes |
| One page, any computer | Ctrl + Shift + R (⌘ + Shift + R on Mac) | Nothing, the reload skips the cache | Current page only |
Google's Chromebook shortcut list has no key combination for this dialog, so use the menu there. On any platform you can also type Delete browsing data in the address bar and select the action chip. Google's help page still used the older name, Clear browsing data, in an archived copy from January 2024.
How to clear cache in Chrome on a computer
- Open Chrome.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows, Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + Delete (Mac), or select More (three dots, top right) > Delete browsing data.
- Choose a time range: Last hour for a page that changed recently, All time for stubborn problems.
- Tick Cached images and files.
- Untick Cookies and other site data to stay signed in to websites, and Browsing history to keep it. Google's published steps include selecting the cookies box, so check it before you confirm.
- Select Delete data.
What each checkbox deletes
Google's desktop help page lists seven types of data. The first two rows matter most:
| Option | What it removes | Side effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cached images and files | Text and images Chrome stored so pages open faster | The next visit to each site loads a little slower |
| Cookies and other site data | Cookies, plus application caches, Web Storage, Web SQL and IndexedDB data, link handlers and media licences | You may be signed out of sites, and saved preferences can go |
| Browsing history | Visited addresses, New Tab shortcuts, address bar predictions | The History page is emptied |
| Download history | The list of downloads | Downloaded files stay on your computer |
| Autofill form data | Autofill entries, including addresses and cards stored in Chrome | Cards and addresses saved in your Google Account stay |
| Site settings | Permissions such as camera, location and JavaScript | Sites ask for permission again |
| Hosted app data | Local storage of hosted Chrome Web Store apps | That app data is erased |
The desktop dialog leaves Google Account activity, extension data, and saved passwords and passkeys (managed in Google Password Manager) alone. On Android, deleting history also closes open tabs, and Saved passwords is a tickable box. On iPhone and iPad the list is shorter: history, cookies and site data, cached images and files, and autofill data.
How to clear cache in Chrome on Android
- Open Chrome.
- To the right of the address bar, tap More (three dots) > Delete browsing data.
- The first screen deletes browsing history, including open tabs, for the chosen duration; the default is 15 minutes. To clear only the cache, tap More options.
- Check the time range, tick Cached images and files, untick everything you want to keep (Saved passwords especially), and tap Delete data.
Deleting cookies while signed in to Chrome does not sign you out of your Google Account, but data saved to that account is removed from every device where you are signed in.
How to clear cache in Chrome on iPhone and iPad
- Open Chrome.
- Tap More (three dots) > Delete Browsing Data.
- Next to Time Range, choose a duration. The default is 15 minutes.
- Tap Browsing Data, select Cached Images and Files and anything else you want removed, then tap Confirm.
- Tap Delete Browsing Data.
You can also start from More > History > Delete Browsing Data. Google suggests deleting browsing data and signing out of Chrome before you give away or dispose of a device.
How to clear cache for one site only
Chrome has no checkbox for one site's cached files, but four tools come close.
1. Hard refresh (fastest). Press Ctrl + Shift + R or Shift + F5 on Windows and Linux, Ctrl + Shift + R on a Chromebook, or ⌘ + Shift + R on a Mac. Google describes this as reloading the page without its cached content.
2. Delete one site's cookies and data. Go to More > Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies > See all site data and permissions, search for the site, select Delete next to it and confirm. Expect to be signed out of that site; it is a sensible next step for login loops.
3. DevTools: Empty Cache And Hard Reload. Open DevTools with F12 or Ctrl + Shift + J (⌘ + Option + I on a Mac). With DevTools open, long-press the Reload button and choose Empty Cache And Hard Reload, which makes Chrome fetch every resource from the network. The option exists only while DevTools is open.
4. DevTools: Clear site data. In DevTools, open Application > Storage, make sure Cache Storage is selected and click Clear site data. An option there also clears third-party cookies. For testing, the Network panel's Disable cache checkbox mimics a first-time visitor, and right-clicking the request table offers Clear browser cache.
When clearing the cache fixes things, and when it will not
Usually fixes:
- A site shows an old logo, layout, price or file after an update, or images and styles look half-loaded.
- A web app misbehaves after a deployment (hard refresh first, then Clear site data).
- Login loops or session-expired errors (these need the site's cookies cleared, not just the cache).
Usually does not fix:
- Slow internet, DNS errors or a site that cannot be reached.
- A site that is down, or a fault on the server.
- Extension conflicts; turn extensions off one at a time to find the cause.
- Pop-ups, a search engine that keeps changing, or extensions that keep coming back. Google's advice is to remove unwanted programs first and then reset Chrome's settings, which keeps bookmarks and passwords.
- A warning that a site does not use HTTPS. That is the site's set-up, and our HTTPS audit guide explains what owners must fix.
- An old copy held by a CDN or proxy; only the site owner or your network team can purge it.
Clearing the cache for All time does no harm, but every site then downloads its files again. If disk space is the real problem, our guide on how to delete temp files on a laptop covers the rest of the system.
For IT teams and support desks
- Give users the shortcut, not a screenshot tour. Ctrl + Shift + Delete with only Cached images and files ticked avoids signing people out of every business app.
- Use Chrome Enterprise policies on managed devices.
BrowsingDataLifetimedeletes chosen data types once they are older than a set number of hours (minimum 1 hour).ClearBrowsingDataOnExitListdeletes them when the user closes all windows, but not after a crash, which suits shared front-desk PCs.AllowDeletingBrowserHistoryset to Disabled stops users deleting browsing and download history, andDiskCacheSizesets a disk cache size in bytes that Chrome treats as a hint.
- Know the sync side effect. From Chrome 115, setting either of the first two policies turns off sync for the selected data types unless sync or browser sign-in is already disabled. Google warns both can permanently delete local data, so pilot them first.
For web teams: stop asking users to clear their cache
If customers must clear their cache after each release, fix your HTTP headers instead, following web.dev's guidance:
- Versioned static assets. Put a fingerprint or version in the file name (for example
style.x234dff.css) and serve it withCache-Control: max-age=31536000, one year (365 x 86,400 seconds). A new release gets a new URL, so browsers fetch it at once.
- HTML and other unversioned URLs. Use
Cache-Control: no-cacheso the browser revalidates with the server before each use, and send anETagso an unchanged file returns a small304 Not Modified.
- Responses that must never be kept.
no-storetells browsers and intermediate caches such as CDNs not to store any version.
- Do not omit the header. Leaving out
Cache-Controldoes not turn caching off; browsers guess instead.
- Service workers. A normal refresh is not enough for a new service worker to take over, while a hard refresh bypasses the service worker entirely. Test updates with DevTools Clear site data.
How eCorpIT can help
eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our web development team in Gurgaon can audit your cache headers, asset versioning and CDN purge steps so releases reach users without clear-your-cache emails. Talk to us at /contact-us/.
Last updated: 11 November 2026.
