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How to Clear Cache on iPhone - Complete Guide for All Apps (2025)

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Is your iPhone running slow or storage mysteriously full? Cache files are likely the culprit. Apps accumulate gigabytes of temporary data (cache) that never gets automatically deleted, slowing your iPhone and eating storage.

This complete guide shows you how to clear cache on iPhone for Safari, social media apps, and all other apps. Plus, we'll cover what cache is, why it matters, and how to prevent cache buildup.

Quick Answer:

  • Safari: Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data
  • Most apps: Delete and reinstall (only way to clear cache)
  • System cache: Restart iPhone weekly
  • "Other" storage: Offload unused apps

Let's clear that cache!

What is Cache and Why Clear It?

What Cache Files Are

Cache = Temporary files apps store to load faster next time.

Examples:

  • Safari: Website images, scripts, cookies
  • Instagram: Downloaded photos, profile pictures, video thumbnails
  • Spotify: Album artwork, song metadata, playlist data
  • Maps: Downloaded map tiles, location data

Purpose: Speed up apps by not re-downloading same data.

Why You Should Clear Cache

Storage savings:

  • Safari cache: 500MB - 3GB
  • Instagram cache: 1GB - 8GB
  • TikTok cache: 2GB - 10GB
  • Facebook cache: 1GB - 5GB

Performance improvements:

  • Faster app launching
  • Less lag and freezing
  • Fixed loading errors
  • Resolved login issues

When to clear cache:

  • ✅ iPhone storage almost full
  • ✅ Apps loading slowly or crashing
  • ✅ "Other" storage consuming 15GB+
  • ✅ Website/app displaying outdated content
  • ✅ Monthly maintenance routine

How to Clear Safari Cache

Safari is the easiest cache to clear on iPhone.

  1. Open Settings
  2. Scroll down and tap Safari
  3. Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data
  4. Confirm by tapping Clear History and Data

What this clears:

  • ✅ Browsing history
  • ✅ Cookies and cache
  • ✅ Website data
  • ✅ Autofill information

What it preserves:

  • ✅ Saved passwords (in Keychain)
  • ✅ Bookmarks
  • ✅ Reading List

Result: Typically frees 500MB - 2GB of storage.

Method 2: Clear Cache but Keep History

Want to clear cache without deleting browsing history?

  1. Settings → Safari
  2. Tap Advanced (at bottom)
  3. Tap Website Data
  4. Wait for list to load (shows all cached websites)
  5. Tap Remove All Website Data
  6. Confirm

Difference: This keeps your browsing history but deletes cached files.

Method 3: Clear Individual Website Data

  1. Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data
  2. Swipe left on specific website
  3. Tap Delete

Use case: Clear cache for specific problematic websites only.

How to Clear App Cache (Social Media, Games, etc.)

Bad news: iPhone doesn't have a built-in "clear cache" button for most apps.

Only solution: Delete and reinstall the app.

Delete and Reinstall Method

Step 1: Delete App

  1. Long-press app icon on Home Screen
  2. Tap Remove App
  3. Tap Delete App
  4. Confirm deletion

Step 2: Reinstall App

  1. Open App Store
  2. Search for the app
  3. Tap Download (cloud icon)
  4. App reinstalls fresh (zero cache)

Step 3: Sign Back In

  • Log in with your credentials
  • All your account data is preserved on the app's servers

Storage saved: Usually 1GB - 8GB depending on app and usage.

Which Apps to Clear Cache For

High cache offenders:

Social Media:

  • Instagram: 2-8GB typical
  • TikTok: 3-10GB
  • Facebook: 2-6GB
  • Twitter/X: 1-4GB
  • Snapchat: 1-5GB
  • Reddit: 500MB-3GB

Streaming:

  • Spotify: 2-8GB
  • Netflix: 500MB-2GB (downloads separate)
  • YouTube: 1-5GB
  • Twitch: 1-3GB

Messaging:

  • WhatsApp: 1-10GB (includes media)
  • Telegram: 500MB-5GB
  • Discord: 1-4GB

Other:

  • Chrome browser: 500MB-3GB
  • Google Maps: 500MB-2GB
  • Weather apps: 100-500MB

Apps with Built-In Cache Clear

Few apps include cache clearing:

Spotify:

  1. Open Spotify app
  2. Tap Settings (gear icon)
  3. Scroll to Storage
  4. Tap Clear Cache
  5. Confirm

WhatsApp:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Settings → Storage and Data
  3. Tap Manage Storage
  4. Select conversations
  5. Tap Clear to remove media cache

TikTok:

  1. Open TikTok
  2. Profile → Three lines (menu) → Settings and Privacy
  3. Tap Free up space
  4. Tap Clear next to Cache (shows size)

Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome app
  2. Three dots → Settings
  3. Privacy and Security → Clear Browsing Data
  4. Select Cached images and files
  5. Tap Clear Browsing Data

How to Clear System Cache and "Other" Storage

"Other" storage is iOS system cache, logs, and temporary files.

Check "Other" Storage Size

  1. Settings → General → iPhone Storage
  2. Wait for analysis to complete
  3. Look at storage bar at top
  4. Gray section = "Other" (also labeled "System Data")

Normal: 5-15GB Concerning: 20GB+ Critical: 30GB+

Method 1: Restart iPhone (Quick Fix)

Clears: 1-3GB of temp cache

  1. Press Volume Up → Volume Down → Hold Side button
  2. Slide to power off
  3. Wait 30 seconds
  4. Turn back on

See our guide: How to restart iPhone

Method 2: Offload Unused Apps

Clears: 5-15GB (app-specific cache removed)

  1. Settings → General → iPhone Storage
  2. Tap Offload Unused Apps recommendation
  3. Or manually tap each large app → Offload App

What happens:

  • App is removed but data/documents saved
  • Cache is cleared
  • Reinstall anytime to get app back with your data

Method 3: Clear Message Attachments

Clears: 3-10GB typically

  1. Settings → General → iPhone Storage
  2. Tap Messages
  3. Tap Review Large Attachments
  4. Swipe left on large videos/photos
  5. Delete

Or set messages to auto-delete:

  • Settings → Messages → Keep Messages → 1 Year or 30 Days

Method 4: Sync to iCloud then Delete Local

For Photos app cache:

  1. Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Photos
  2. Enable iCloud Photos
  3. Select Optimize iPhone Storage
  4. Wait for photos to upload to iCloud
  5. Local cache is automatically cleared

Result: Photos library that was 30GB local now takes only 5-10GB with full-res in iCloud.

Method 5: Reset All Settings (Nuclear Option)

Only if "Other" is 30GB+

  1. Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone
  2. Tap Reset
  3. Choose Reset All Settings
  4. Enter passcode
  5. Confirm

What this does:

  • Resets all settings to default
  • Clears system cache thoroughly
  • Does NOT delete: Photos, apps, data

What resets:

  • WiFi passwords
  • Wallpapers
  • Notification settings
  • Display settings

Clears: 10-25GB of "Other" storage

How to Check App Cache Size

Want to see which apps are hogging storage?

Built-in Storage Analysis

  1. Settings → General → iPhone Storage
  2. Wait 10-30 seconds for analysis
  3. Apps sorted by size (biggest first)
  4. Tap any app to see breakdown:
    • App Size = Actual app
    • Documents & Data = Cache + saved files

Example:

  • Instagram app: 150MB
  • Documents & Data: 4.2GB ← This is cache!

If Documents & Data is 2GB+ for a social/streaming app, delete and reinstall to clear.

Apps to Check First

Tap these in iPhone Storage:

  1. Photos (usually biggest)
  2. Safari
  3. Instagram / TikTok / Facebook
  4. Messages
  5. Spotify / Apple Music
  6. YouTube
  7. Chrome
  8. Your most-used apps

Prevent Cache Buildup (Maintenance Tips)

Weekly Maintenance Routine

Every Sunday (5 minutes):

  1. Restart iPhone (clears temp cache)

  2. Clear Safari cache

    • Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data

  3. Check storage

    • Settings → General → iPhone Storage
    • Note "Other" size (should stay under 15GB)

Monthly Deep Clean

First day of each month (15 minutes):

  1. Review app storage (Settings → General → iPhone Storage)
  2. Delete and reinstall apps with 2GB+ Documents & Data
  3. Clear message attachments (Settings → Messages)
  4. Check "Other" storage (restart if over 15GB)

Auto-Delete Settings

Configure these to prevent buildup:

Messages:

  • Settings → Messages → Keep Messages → 1 Year
  • Auto-deletes messages older than 1 year

Safari:

  • Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data
  • Check monthly and remove all

iCloud Photos:

  • Settings → Photos → Optimize iPhone Storage
  • Automatically clears local photo cache

Apps to Delete/Reinstall Monthly

High cache accumulation:

  • Instagram (every 2-3 months)
  • TikTok (every 2-3 months)
  • Facebook (every 3 months)
  • Spotify (every 4-6 months)

Set calendar reminders for regular cache clearing.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem 1: Cache Comes Back Immediately

Why: Apps rebuild cache as you use them (this is normal).

Solution:

  • Cache is supposed to exist
  • Only clear when storage is low or app malfunctions
  • Don't obsessively clear cache daily (hurts performance)

Healthy approach:

  • Clear when app cache exceeds 3GB
  • Monthly routine clearing
  • Clear when experiencing issues

Problem 2: "Other" Storage Won't Decrease

Tried restarting, still 25GB+?

Advanced solution:

  1. Backup to iCloud (Settings → [Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now)
  2. Erase iPhone (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content)
  3. Restore from backup during setup

This is the nuclear option but clears stubborn "Other" storage.

Expect: "Other" reduces from 25GB → 8-12GB

Problem 3: Can't Delete App to Clear Cache

Restrictions enabled:

  1. Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions
  2. Enter passcode
  3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases
  4. Ensure Deleting Apps is set to Allow

Problem 4: Clearing Cache Logged Me Out

This is normal. Cache clearing removes:

  • Saved login tokens
  • Cookies
  • Session data

Solution:

  • Keep passwords saved in iCloud Keychain
  • Settings → Passwords → Use iCloud Keychain
  • Re-logging in is quick with autofill

Problem 5: App Slower After Clearing Cache

First launch after reinstalling is always slower (no cache to speed it up).

Wait 24 hours:

  • App rebuilds necessary cache
  • Performance returns to normal
  • You get speed benefits without bloated 5GB cache

Best Apps for Cache Management

While iOS doesn't have official cache clearers, these help:

1. Battery Life (Free)

What it does:

  • Shows detailed storage breakdown
  • Identifies cache-heavy apps
  • Recommends what to clear

Limitations: Can't automatically clear (you still manually delete/reinstall)

2. Phone Cleaner (Free with IAP)

Features:

  • Duplicate photo finder
  • Large file detection
  • Contact cleanup
  • Similar photos merger

Best for: Complementary to manual cache clearing

3. Gemini Photos (Free trial, $5/month)

Photo-specific:

  • Finds duplicate/similar photos
  • Detects blurry photos
  • Cleans screenshot clutter
  • Frees up Photos cache indirectly

FAQ: Clearing Cache on iPhone

Q: Does clearing cache delete app data? A: Cache: Temporary files (safe to delete). Data: Your saved progress, settings, downloads (don't delete unless you want to reset app). Clearing Safari cache keeps passwords/bookmarks. Deleting and reinstalling apps removes cache but preserves account data on servers.

Q: How often should I clear cache on iPhone? A: Safari: Weekly. Apps: When Documents & Data exceeds 2-3GB or when experiencing issues. System cache (restart): Weekly. Don't clear obsessively—cache improves performance when moderate.

Q: Will clearing cache make iPhone faster? A: Yes, if cache was causing issues (excessive size, corrupted files). Performance gains: faster app launches, less lag, smoother scrolling. But clearing too often makes apps slower (they rebuild cache each time).

Q: What's the difference between cache and cookies? A: Cache: Stored website images, files, scripts (speeds up loading). Cookies: Small text files tracking logins, preferences, browsing. Clearing Safari deletes both. Apps handle them together.

Q: Can I clear cache without deleting history? A: Safari: Yes (Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data → Remove All). Apps: No, delete/reinstall clears everything.

Q: Why is my iPhone storage full after clearing cache? A: Check for: Large photo/video library (enable iCloud Photos + Optimize Storage), downloaded music/podcasts, message attachments, old apps. See: How to free up iPhone storage

Q: Does clearing cache improve battery life? A: Indirectly. If corrupted cache causes background processes to run excessively, clearing helps. But cache itself doesn't drain battery significantly. See: Fix iPhone battery drain

Q: What happens if I never clear cache? A: Cache accumulates until storage is full. You'll see "iPhone Storage Full" warnings, apps will slow down, and iOS will automatically offload apps to make room.

Q: Can clearing cache fix app crashes? A: Often yes! Corrupted cache causes 60% of app crashes. Delete and reinstall the problem app first before troubleshooting further.

Q: How to clear app cache on iPhone without deleting app? A: For most apps, you can't. Only Safari, Spotify, WhatsApp, TikTok, and Chrome have built-in cache clearing. All others require delete/reinstall.

Conclusion: Keep Your iPhone Cache-Free

Regular cache clearing is essential iPhone maintenance that frees storage and improves performance. Make it a monthly habit and you'll avoid the dreaded "Storage Full" nightmare.

Remember the essentials:

  1. Clear Safari weekly (Settings → Safari → Clear History)
  2. Delete/reinstall cache-heavy apps monthly (Instagram, TikTok, Spotify)
  3. Restart iPhone weekly (clears system cache)
  4. Check "Other" storage monthly (keep under 15GB)
  5. Enable iCloud Photos + Optimize (massive storage savings)

Pro tip: Set a monthly calendar reminder: "iPhone Cache Cleanup Day" and batch all these tasks together.

Storage Expansion Accessories

If clearing cache isn't enough, expand your iPhone's storage capacity:

Cost comparison: External 256GB flash drive ($35) vs iPhone storage upgrade (+$100-200). Flash drive is 3-5x cheaper.

Related guides:

Cleared 10GB+ of cache using this guide? Share your before/after storage screenshot!

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