How to: Clear a Browser's Cache

When you use a browser, it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites.  Sometimes, clearing a browser's cache is an important part of troubleshooting login issues.

Clearing your browser's cache

In most browsers, you can use the shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE to bring up the menu with the options for clearing cache, cookies, and temporary files.

Chrome

  1. Click the three vertical dots  in the upper right corner.
  2. Click on Settings, then scroll down to the bottom and click on Advanced settings.
  3. Under the Privacy heading, click on Clear browsing data...
  4. For the time frame drop-down menu, choose the beginning of time.
  5. Check the boxes for Cookies and other site and plugin data and Cached images and files.
  6. Click Clear browsing data button.
  7. When finished, restart your browser.

Firefox (Windows)

  1. Click the menu button in the upper right corner.
  2. Click Options, then select the Privacy & Security tab.
  3. Under the Cookies and Site Data heading, click on Clear Data.
  4. Click Clear then Clear Now.
  5. When finished, restart your browser.

Firefox (macOS)

  1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Recent History... .
  2. From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range. To clear your entire cache, select Everything.
  3. Click the down arrow next to Details to choose what history elements to clear. Click Clear Now.
  4. When finished, restart your browser.

Internet Explorer 11

  1. Click the Tools in the upper-right corner of your browser. 
  2. From the Safety menu in the upper right, click Delete Browsing History…
  3. Uncheck Preserve Favorites website data and check Temporary Internet files and website files, and Cookies and website data.
  4. Click Delete.
  5. When finished, restart your browser.

Safari 

  1. From the Safari menu, select Reset Safari...
  2. From the menu, only select Empty the cache and Remove all cookies, then press Reset.
  3. When finished, restart your browser.

Opera

  1. From the Tools menu, click Delete Private Data.
  2. Click the details button.
  3. Select what you would like to have cleared.
  4. Press delete.
  5. When finished, restart your browser.
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