What is Cache, Cookies, and History and How Do You Clear Them...
Each time you use a web browser (Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc), the browser saves (or caches) your information so it won't have to retrieve the same files or images each time you click Back or Forward. You should periodically clear the cache to allow your browser to function more efficiently.
A cookie is a file created by a web browser, at the request of a web site, that is stored on a computer. These files typically store user-specific information such as selections in a form, shopping cart contents, or authentication data. Browsers will normally clear cookies that reach a certain age, but clearing them manually may solve problems with web sites or your browser.
A browser's history is a log of sites that you visit. When you press a browser's Back button, you are moving back one entry in the history log. Browsers will normally clear history at regular intervals, but you may want to clear it manually for privacy reasons.
See below on how to delete cache, cookies and history for your browser version. To find out what browser version you are on, select the Help button at the top of your browser window and select the About option.
How to clear cache in Firefox:
- Click the Menu button
in the top right corner of your Firefox browser window. Select "Settings".
- Select the "Privacy and Security" Panel on the left side of the screen
- Scroll down to the "Cookies and Site Data" section, select "Clear Data"
- With "Cookies and Site Data" and "Cached Web Content" checked, click the "Clear" button
- For more information, visit: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
How to clear cache in Chrome:
How to clear cache in Microsoft Edge:
- Click the three dots
in the upper right corner
- Click on History
- Click on the three dots ... to the right of the History tab
- Select Clear Browsing Data
- Click the dropdown for Time Range and select All Time
- Select all boxes: Browsing History, Download History, Cookies and other site data and Cached Images and files
- Click on Clear Now
- For more information on clearing Edge data, visit: https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/search/results?query=clear+edge+cache&isEnrichedQuery=false
How to clear cache in Safari on Mac
- In the Safari app
on your Mac, choose "History", select "Clear History", click the pop-up menu
- Choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.
- For more information, visit https://support.apple.com/
How to clear cache in Internet Explorer (IE)
Support for Internet Explorer 11 has ended on June 15, 2022
Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be accessible after February 14, 2023. If any site you visit needs Internet Explorer 11, you can reload it with Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.