When you use a browser, like Chrome, it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites. Learn how to change more cookie settings in Chrome. For example, you can delete cookies for a specific site. If you use Safari, Firefox, or another browser, check its support site for instructions. After you clear cache and cookies:In Chrome
In other browsers
What happens after you clear this info
How cache & cookies work
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When you visit a Web page, the text, images and other media are downloaded to your computer and stored temporarily on your hard drive or SSD in a file or folder known as a cache. This speeds up loading for future visits, but can lead to privacy concerns, since the files may be accessible to other users even after the browser is closed.
Google Chrome
On Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers, Chrome stores temporary internet files at “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache” by default. On Macintosh OS X computers, Chrome stores temporary internet files at “/Users/[user]/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/Default/Cache” where “[user]” is the current user’s username. Chrome users can clear the cache can by pressing “Ctrl-H” (Windows) or “Command-Y” (Mac), clicking “Clear Browsing Data,” checking “Empty the Cache, selecting “the beginning of time” from the drop-down list, and clicking “Clear Browsing Data.”
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft’s Windows-only browser, Internet Explorer, stores temporary Internet files at “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files” by default. This folder is hidden by default. Internet Explorer’s cache can be cleared pressing “Windows+C” in Internet Explorer, then selecting “Internet Options,” then the “Delete” button under Delete Browsing History.
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox’s temporary Internet files directory is “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles[profilename].default\Cache” by default for Windows 7 and Windows 8 where “[profilename]” is a sequence of random characters assigned to your profile. The Macintosh OS X version of Firefox stores temporary Internet files at “Users/[user]/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/[profilename].default/Cache” where “[user]” is the current user’s username and “[profilename]” is a sequence of random characters assigned to your profile. Firefox’s temporary Internet files are cleared by clicking “Firefox | Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac) | Advanced | Network | Clear Now.”
Apple Safari
Safari, Apple’s Mac-only browser, stores a single cache file named cache.db in the directory “/Users/[user]/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari” where “[user]” is the current user’s username. Safari’s temporary Internet files can be cleared by clicking “Safari” and selecting “Empty Cache.”
Disclaimer
Information in this article applies to Chrome 29, Internet Explorer 10, Firefox 22, and Safari 5.1.7. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.