# How to clear cache on iPhone

**Short answer:** for Safari, go to **Settings › Apps › Safari › Clear History and Website Data** and choose **All History**. For Chrome, use **Delete browsing data** in Chrome's settings. Other apps have no system-wide cache button: use the app's own "Clear cache" option if it has one, or delete and reinstall the app. iOS also clears caches automatically when storage runs low.

## Steps
1. **Safari:** **Settings › Apps › Safari › Clear History and Website Data** (on iOS 17 and earlier, **Settings › Safari**). Pick **All History** and confirm. You'll be signed out of most websites.
2. **Safari, one site at a time:** **Settings › Apps › Safari › Advanced › Website Data**. Swipe left on a site to remove its data, or tap **Remove All Website Data**.
3. **Chrome:** open Chrome › **•••** › **Settings › Privacy and Security › Delete Browsing Data**. Choose **All Time**, tick **Cached Images and Files** and confirm.
4. **Apps with their own button:** look in the app's settings for **Storage**, **Free up space** or **Clear cache**. TikTok, Spotify, Telegram and Snapchat all have one.
5. **Apps without one:** **Settings › General › iPhone Storage › [app] › Delete App**, then reinstall it from the App Store and sign back in. This removes the app's cache *and* its local data, so make sure the data is synced or backed up first.
6. **Restart the iPhone** afterwards. Temporary files are often released at startup.

## What clearing cache frees
| What you clear | Typical space | Side effects |
|---|---|---|
| Safari history and website data | 100 MB–2 GB | Signed out of websites; history gone |
| Chrome cached images and files | 100 MB–1 GB | Pages load a little slower at first |
| TikTok, Instagram, social feeds | 1–10 GB | Videos re-download as you scroll |
| Spotify and music app cache | 0.5–5 GB | Downloaded songs stay unless you remove them |
| Reinstalling an app | Its whole Documents & Data | Local data lost unless synced |

Caches grow back. Clearing them is worth it when one app has ballooned or when you need space right now, not as a weekly habit.

## Does clearing cache reduce System Data?
Sometimes. Safari's website data and some app caches count toward **System Data**, so it can drop after you clear them. Much of System Data is logs, system assets and indexes that no button clears. See [what is System Data](/guides/what-is-system-data-iphone).

## "Cache cleaner" apps
iOS keeps every app in its own sandbox, so no App Store app can clear Safari's cache or another app's cache. Apps that promise "junk file cleaning" or "cache boosting" on iPhone can't do it. Real cleaner apps, Spaceclear included, work on what Apple lets them access: your photo library, contacts and calendar.

## When the space is really in Photos
If your biggest storage category is **Photos**, clearing cache won't make much of a dent. [Spaceclear](/) scans the library for duplicates, similar shots (best kept), screenshots, blurry photos and big videos, which usually frees far more. Spaceclear can't clear Safari or app caches; those are the steps above. Also see [offload vs delete apps](/guides/offload-vs-delete-app-iphone).

## FAQ
### Does clearing Safari cache delete passwords?
No. Saved passwords are stored in the Passwords app and iCloud Keychain, not in Safari's website data. You'll be signed out of websites and need to sign in again, and AutoFill still offers your saved passwords.

### How do I clear cache on iPhone without deleting apps?
Clear Safari and Chrome as above, and use each app's own cache option where it exists. For apps without one, iOS clears their caches automatically when storage runs low; restarting can also help.

### How often should I clear cache on iPhone?
Only when you need space or a website misbehaves. Caches make apps and websites faster, and they rebuild quickly after you clear them.