Search

Clear a browser's cache, cookies, and history

When visiting a website, a copy is stored in your browser's cache to help load future visits faster. Sometimes, changes made to a website won't display because of the cache that is stored. Clearing your cache, cookies, and history can help resolve issues when your browser isn't performing as expected.

If you don't see instructions for your specific version or browser, search your browser's Help menu for clear cache. If you're unsure what browser version you're using, select About [browser name] from the Help menu or your browser's menu. 

Before You Begin

Clearing your web browser's cache, cookies, and history may remove the following items:

  • Saved passwords

  • Address bar predictions

  • Shopping cart contents, etc.

You may wish to record some of your saved information first. If you are unable to do so, see Troubleshooting Alternatives below.

Troubleshooting Alternatives

If you're not prepared to clear your cache, cookies, and history for troubleshooting purposes, you can use a private browsing window in your preferred browser as a temporary solution:

For desktop browsers, quickly open the menu used to clear your cache, cookies, and history, by pressing Ctrl+ Shif t+Delete for Windows or Command + Shift + Delete for Macs.

Chrome

  1. In the browser's URL bar, enter: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

  2. At the top of the Clear browsing data window, click Advanced.

  3. Select from the following:

    • Browsing history

    • Cookies and other site data

    • Cached images and files

  4. From the Time range dropdown menu, choose the time-period you want to clear. To clear your entire cache, select All time

  5. Click CLEAR DATA and either close the browser and reopen, or refresh the page in each of your open browser tabs

Firefox

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

  2. From the Time range to clear: dropdown 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.

  4. Click Clear Now.

  5. Close all open browser windows and reopen.

Microsoft Edge

  1. Select Settings and more ... Settings Privacy and services

  2. Under Clear browsing data , select Choose what to clear 

  3. Choose a time range from the Time range  dropdown menu

  4. Select Clear now 

For help with the legacy version of Microsoft Edge, see this Microsoft support article.

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.

Was this article helpful?