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4 Steps to Clearing Cache on an Android

Updated: September 2, 2023 by Marc Storch

Key Points:

Files in a phone’s cache can take up much needed space and need to be cleared periodically.
Clearing your phone’s cache will not remove essential files from your device.
If you frequently browse websites with large videos or images on Chrome, your browser will put that in the cache.

If your phone is running out of space, we recommend clearing its cache before deleting precious photos. Apps on your phone typically create temporary information, or cache, as they run, so that they can perform a specific action quicker. Files in your cache can take up a fair amount of space and need clearing. This action won’t remove essential files from your android device.

If you frequently browse a website with large videos or images on Chrome, your browser will put that in the cache. That way, it won’t have to reload it every time. However, the website can take up precious space in your cache for new files or data. So, unless you only use the same apps and websites, we highly recommend regularly clearing your cache. This will ensure your phone performs at its top level.

Here are 4 easy steps to clear your cache on an Android device.

1. Open Settings and Select Storage

Locate the Settings app on your phone. Typically the icon will be a gear wheel after you get the app open and select Storage.

Note if you are using a Samsung phone, you do not have to select Storage. Instead, you will go directly to Apps.

2. Select Apps

After you select Storage, you will find a list of options. From here, you will tap on the Apps option. If you are on an older phone that uses Android OS 11 or older, you might see Other Apps.

3. Choose The App You Want To Clear

Once on the Apps screen, you will see a list of all the apps installed on your phone and how much storage they take up. To sort the apps depending on the amount they are using, you can select the 3 dots in the top right corner and tap on Sort by size. When you have one selected, tap on the icon to bring up the app’s information screen.

4. Clear Cache

After selecting an app to clear. On the information screen, you will see two options. One will be Clear storage, and the other will be Clear cache. For this process, we want to choose Clear cache.

And you have done it. Repeat these steps for all the apps you want to clear the cache. We recommend clearing the top three apps that take up the most space on your phone.

To see exactly how these steps work just check out the video below which will walk you through the process of clearing the cache on your Android device.

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4 Steps to Clearing Cache on an Android FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is it good to clear cache on Android?

If you need more storage, clear the cache of the apps that take up the most space. Clearing your Android app cache can help fix speed issues and free up storage space.

What does Clear cache mean on Android?

Clear cache simply means removing junk files from your device. Clearing your cache will delete the temporary files that apps on your phone creates.

Does clearing cache delete photos?

You won’t lose any of the pictures on your smartphone by clearing the cache. Cached data includes temporary files that get deleted when you clear the cache.

Will clearing cache delete text messages?

Clearing the cache will not delete any messages when clearing the cache for your messages app.

What's the difference between clear cache and clear data?

Clearing the cache deletes temporary data. For example, some apps can open slower the next time you use them. Clear data storage: Permanently deletes all app data.