How to Clear Your Cache on Mac

When you experience problems with your browser, the first option you’ll have to resolve it is to ‘clear your cache.’ This refers to data, including cookies and tracking information temporarily stored in your browser to improve your browsing experience. It saves you the effort of having to log in to sites, improves browsing speed, but it also has its bad side, it’s easy for spies to breach your privacy. It also slows down your system over time hence it’s important to reclaim your space routinely.

Chrome

Go to the menu (three-dot icon) on the top right of your browser.

Click on settings

Scroll down to the advanced options

Under the privacy and security menu, click on clear browsing data’

Deselect any other option to remain with ‘caches image and files’

If you need to clear any other data you can select it as well.

Select the time-frame you need to delete the data in the ‘time-range’ drop-down. Remember ‘all time’ will delete everything, including passwords you once saved in the browser.

Hit ‘Clear data’ button.

Firefox

Go to the hamburger icon on the top right corner.

Select Privacy and Security

Scroll to ‘Cached web content’

Click on ‘Clear Now’

Re-launch the browser to complete clearing cache.

You can choose to limit the cache from accumulating by check marking ‘Override automatic cache management’ where you limit its size to MBs. For most users, 350 MB should be enough.

Safari

With Safari, it’s a bit different from the above two.

Choose safari in the top menu and click on ‘Preferences’

Select Advanced tab>Show Develop menu located the menu bar.

On the Develop menu, select Empty Caches.

Restart the browser.

Please note that clearing the cache on Safari may take a while.