Clearing your browser cache

Clearing your browser cache

The first step in troubleshooting a problem with your site (or any site for that matter) is to clear your browser cache.

Your device's browser will save bits of websites for future use. That way those bits don't need to be downloaded repeatedly. Which is great, until the bits on the website have changed, but your device has old bits. By clearing your browser cache, you're discarding all the old bits, and downloading everything fresh from the site. 

Here are instructions from Indiana University that I've modified to my personal preferences. You can read the full article here if you'd prefer. And don't forget, technology changes, so if these instructions don't match up, you may need to search the web to find out how to clear your browser cache.

Troubleshooting alternatives

If you need to clear your cache, cookies, and history for troubleshooting purposes, but aren't yet prepared to lose the content listed above, you may wish to consider using a private browsing window in your preferred browser as a temporary solution:

Mobile browsers

Android

The steps to clear your cache, cookies, and history may differ depending on the model of your Android device and your preferred browser, but you should be able to clear your cache and data from your application management settings menu:

  1. Go to Settings and choose Apps or Application Manager.
  2. Swipe to the All tab.
  3. In the list of installed apps, find and tap your web browser. Tap Clear Data and then Clear Cache.
  4. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Chrome for Android

  1. Tap Chrome menu > Settings.
  2. Tap (Advanced) Privacy.
  3. From the "Time Range" drop-down menu, select All Time.
  4. Check Cookies and Site data and Cached Images and Files.
  5. Tap Clear data.
  6. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Safari for iOS

  1. Open your Settings app.
  2. Tap Safari.
  3. Tap Clear History and Website Data and confirm.
  4. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Chrome for iOS

  1. Tap Chrome menu > Settings.
  2. Tap Privacy.
  3. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
  4. Choose the data type you want to clear.
  5. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
  6. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Desktop browsers

Chrome


  1. In the browser bar, enter:
     chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
  2. At the top of the "Clear browsing data" window, click Advanced.
  3. Select ONLY the following:
    • Cached images and files

    From the "Time range" drop-down menu, select All time.

  4. Click CLEAR DATA.
  5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Firefox

  1. From the History menu, select Clear Recent History.

    If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt to make it visible.

  2. From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range; to clear your entire cache, select Everything.
  3. Next to "Details", click the down arrow to choose which elements of the history to clear; to clear your entire cache, select all items. Cached images and files is the only required item here.
  4. Click Clear Now.
  5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Microsoft Edge

Important:

Microsoft Edge Legacy support ended on March 9, 2021. If you still have Edge Legacy, UITS recommends installing the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge by running Windows Update.

  1. In the top right, click the Hub icon (looks like star with three horizontal lines).
  2. Click the History icon (looks like a clock), and then select Clear all history.
  3. Select Browsing history (optional), then Cookies and saved website data (optional), and then Cached data and files. Click Clear.
  4. After the "All Clear!" message appears, exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Opera

  1. From the Opera menu, select Settings, then Privacy & Security, and then Clear browsing data....
  2. In the dialog box that opens, from the "Obliterate the following items from:" drop-down menu, select The beginning of time.
  3. Select the following:
    • (Optional) Browsing history
    • (Optional) Download history
    • (Optional) Cookies and other site data
    • Cached images and files
  4. Click Clear browsing data.
  5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Safari 8 and later

  1. From the Safari menu, select Clear History... or Clear History and Website Data....
  2. Select the desired time range, and then click Clear History.
  3. Go to Safari > Quit Safari or press Command-Q to exit the browser completely.