How to Clear Cache on Android

To clear cache on Android, open Settings > Apps > See all apps, tap the app you want, tap Storage & cache, and then tap Clear cache. That removes the temporary files the app has piled up without touching your account, your photos, your chats or your downloads. Below is the exact path, how it differs from clearing data, how to clear your browser cache, and when clearing cache actually helps.

The fastest way: clear one app’s cache

Cache is temporary data an app saves so it loads faster next time — thumbnails, web pages, map tiles and so on. Over months this can swell to hundreds of megabytes, and occasionally it goes stale and makes an app crash, freeze or show old content. Clearing it is safe and quick.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then See all apps (on some phones it is Manage apps or App management).
3. Tap the app you want to fix.
4. Tap Storage & cache.
5. Tap Clear cache.

A shortcut on most phones: long-press the app icon on your home screen, tap the small i (App info) button, then go to Storage & cache and tap Clear cache.

The exact wording shifts a little between brands — Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola and Pixel all use slightly different labels — but the location is the same on every modern Android phone: it lives inside each app’s own storage screen. If you cannot see “See all apps”, look for “Manage apps” or “App management” instead; they lead to the identical list.

Clear cache vs clear data — the important difference

On the same Storage screen you will also see Clear data (sometimes labelled Clear storage). These are not the same thing:

• Clear cache — deletes only temporary files. You stay signed in and lose nothing important. Safe to do anytime.
• Clear data / Clear storage — resets the app to a brand-new install. It logs you out and deletes in-app settings and offline files. Use this only when an app is badly broken and clearing cache did not help.

Rule of thumb: try Clear cache first. Reach for Clear data only as a last resort, and be ready to log in again.

How to clear cache in Chrome and other browsers

Browsers keep their own cache and cookies, and you clear those from inside the app rather than from Settings. In Chrome: tap the three-dot menu (top-right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data. Choose a time range, tick Cached images and files (add Cookies and site data if you want to sign out of sites), then tap Delete data. Other browsers such as Firefox and Samsung Internet have a similar option under their privacy settings.

Is there a “clear all cache at once” button?

No — not any more. Older Android versions had a single system cache button, but Google removed it after Android 6/7. Today you clear cache app by app. A partial shortcut is to restart your phone, which clears some temporary memory. Be cautious with third-party “cleaner” or “booster” apps: many show ads, over-promise, and can slow things down. The built-in Settings path is safer and does the same job.

Fix a stuck Play Store or a downloading problem

One of the most useful cache clears is for the Google Play Store and Google Play Services. When apps refuse to download or update, get stuck on “Pending”, or throw a vague error code, clearing these two caches often fixes it: go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, open Google Play Store, tap Storage & cache and Clear cache, then do the same for Google Play Services. Restart the phone and try the download again. This is safe — you will not lose your apps or purchases.

When clearing cache actually helps

Reach for Clear cache when an app suddenly starts misbehaving: it crashes on open, shows a blank screen, loads outdated content, fails to refresh a feed, or eats an unusual amount of storage. Instagram, YouTube, Chrome, WhatsApp and map apps are common culprits, because they store lots of media thumbnails and web data. If clearing the cache does not fix it, then try Clear data, and if that still fails, uninstall and reinstall the app for a truly clean slate. Work through those steps in order rather than jumping straight to the most drastic one.

If your goal is simply more free space, cache is only part of the picture. Deleting unused apps, large videos and duplicate photos does far more — see our guide to how to free up storage on your phone.

Does clearing cache delete anything important?

No. Clearing cache never removes your account, saved passwords, photos, messages or purchases — it only wipes rebuildable temporary files. The only side effect is that the app may open a touch slower the very next time while it rebuilds its cache, which is completely normal. It is one of the safest troubleshooting steps on Android, so try it before anything drastic.

Doing a bit of digital housekeeping? You might also want to hide apps on Android for privacy, or transfer data from Android to Android if you are moving to a new phone.