TL;DR
To clear browser cache on Mac:
- In Safari, navigate to Settings, select Privacy, click on Manage Website Data, and choose Remove All to clear the cache.
- For Google Chrome, click the three dots in the top right corner, go to More tools, select Clear browsing data, choose Cached images and files, set the desired time range, and click Clear data.
- In Mozilla Firefox, open Settings, head to Privacy & Security, click on Clear Data, check the boxes for Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content, and press Clear.
Tried and Tested ✅: The methods and steps mentioned in this article have been tried and tested firsthand by Ojash Yadav on his MacBook Pro M3 and rechecked for errors on Hashir’s MacBook Air M2.
Is your browser running slow or showing outdated content? Clearing your browser’s cache can speed things up and ensure you’re seeing the most up-to-date information. In this post, I’ll show you how to clear the cache on Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
What is Browser Cache?
Browser cache is a temporary storage location on your computer, specifically within your web browser, where certain web page elements are stored. These elements include images, scripts, stylesheets, and other resources that make up a website.
How Does Browser Cache Work?
When you visit a website, your browser saves these elements locally in the cache so that it can load the website faster on subsequent visits. Instead of downloading all the elements from the web server again, the browser retrieves them from the cache. This leads to improved loading times and a smoother browsing experience.
Warning: ⚠️ Clearing your cache will log you out of most websites, so make sure you have your login details handy before you start.
How to Clear Browser Cache on Mac?
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Here is a detailed step-by-step guide to clear browser cache on Mac:
1. Safari
Here’s how to clear Safari cache on Mac:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen, and select Settings.
- Select the Privacy tab and tap the Manage Website Data button.
- Click Remove All to clear all website cookies completely.
- Alternatively, you can select individual websites and tap Remove.
- Click Done when you have deleted all cookie files.
Here’s another way you can delete cache files on Safari:
- Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar. From the drop-down menu, select Settings.
- Select the Advanced tab and check the box next to the Show Develop menu in menu bar option if it is unchecked.
- Return to your menu bar, click Develop, and select Empty Caches from this drop-down list.
- This will successfully clear your browser cache on Safari.
B. Google Chrome
Follow these steps to clear your cache on Google Chrome:
- Open Chrome and click the three dots at your display’s top right corner.
- Select More tools from the drop-down menu, followed by Clear browsing data…
- A pop-up window will appear. Select the Cached images and files option. You can also clear other browsing data like browsing history, cookies, and more.
- Select the time range you want to clear the cache for (e.g., Last hour, Last 24 hours, All time).
- Now, click Clear data to remove these items from your browser.
C. Mozilla Firefox
If you’re a Mozilla Firefox user, follow these steps to clear your browser cache on Firefox:
- Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the Settings window, click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar, scroll down the right pane, and click Clear Data… under Cookies and Site Data.
- Check the boxes next to Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content, and tap the Clear button.
- Your Firefox browser cache will now be cleared.
Firefox also offers various extensions, such as Clear Cache and CacheViewer Continued, which allow for more advanced cache management options. You can visit the official Firefox Add-ons website and search for cache-related extensions. Install the extension of your choice and follow its instructions to clear browser cache on Mac effectively.
Using MacKeeper to Clear Browser Cache on Mac
Using MacKeeper to clear your browser cache on a Mac is a quick and efficient way to optimize your browsing experience. It simplifies the process, allowing you to clear cache across multiple browsers with just a few clicks.
Here’s how you can clear browser cache on Mac using MacKeeper:
- Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
- Open MacKeeper and click Safe Cleanup in the left sidebar.
- Click Start Scan.
- In the left panel, select Caches.
- You’ll see the browser cache folder in the right panel. Check the boxes next to each folder you want to delete and tap Clean Junk Files.
- This will remove the cache files, and you’ll see the size of the files removed. Click Rescan to run the scan again.
Some websites may load slower the first time after you clear your browser cache because the browser needs to download all elements again.
Clear Browser Cache on Mac and Enhance Your Browsing Experience
Regularly clearing browser cache on your Mac is essential to maintain optimal performance and enjoy a smooth browsing experience. Here are a few more tips to take your Mac browsing one step further:
- Having unnecessary extensions on your browsers can slow down its performance. Learn how to remove browser extensions on Mac to speed up your browsing.
- Ads can be a nuisance while browsing. Check out this guide on removing ads on Mac browsers.
- Some websites can also slow down your browsing experience on Safari. Learn how to block websites on Safari on Mac to optimize their performance.
