No affiliate links or sponsorship, and BravoTech isn’t affiliated with Apple or Google. The steps follow Apple Support, the iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 and Google Chrome Help, checked October 14, 2026. We didn’t run these steps on a phone for this guide. More how-to guides.
Quick answer
To clear Safari’s cache on iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, pick a timeframe, then tap Clear History. To keep your history, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data > Remove All Website Data instead. Chrome and other apps have their own settings, and iOS clears system caches by itself.
Key takeaways
- Safari has two options: clear history and website data together, or remove website data and keep your history.
- Expect to be signed out of websites. Saved AutoFill information isn’t changed, per Apple.
- Chrome: More > Delete Browsing Data > Cached Images and Files. The default time range is only 15 minutes.
- There’s no “clear System Data” button. Apple says the iPhone removes cached and temporary files itself when it needs space.
How we wrote this guide
Built from official documentation read on October 14, 2026 (PKT): Apple Support’s Safari, storage and troubleshooting articles, the iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, and Google’s Chrome Help page for iPhone. We didn’t test these steps on a device and use no screenshots of our own. Menu names are quoted from Apple and Google; older iOS versions may label things a little differently.
What ‘cache’ means on an iPhone
“Cache” covers three different things on an iPhone, and you can only clear two of them yourself. Browsers store parts of pages so they load faster next time; Google describes it as remembering “parts of pages, like text and images” (Chrome Help). Apps keep their own data. And iOS keeps system caches that Apple says it manages for you (Apple 108429).
| Type | Where it lives | Can you clear it? | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser cache, cookies and site data | Safari, Chrome and other browsers | Yes | In the browser’s settings (below) |
| App data and cache | Inside each app | Sometimes | An in-app option, or delete and reinstall the app |
| System caches and logs | iOS itself | No button | iOS removes cached and temporary files when it needs space |
How to clear Safari cache on iPhone
Safari is the only browser Apple documents. You can clear its cache with your history, or without it. Steps are from Apple 105082.
Clear history and cache together
- Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Safari.
- Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Confirm the timeframe you want to clear, then tap Clear History.
Apple says this doesn’t change your AutoFill information. It also removes the cookies and the location and notification permissions you gave websites (iPhone User Guide). If you use Safari profiles, you can clear one profile or All Profiles. You can do the same from inside Safari: tap the History button, tap the More button, then tap Clear History.
Clear cache and cookies but keep your history
- Go to Settings > Apps > Safari, then tap Advanced.
- Tap Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data, then tap Remove Now.
Apple says this clears data used for tracking and the data websites use to save login information, so you’ll be signed out of most sites. Your browsing history stays.
Remove one website from your history
- Open Safari and go to your Start Page.
- Tap the History button, then the More button.
- Tap Select Websites, select the sites, then tap the Trash button.
This removes those sites from your history. Apple’s current guides don’t describe clearing the stored data of just one site. If a single site keeps misbehaving, Remove All Website Data is the documented fix.
Button grayed out?
If Clear History and Website Data or Remove All Website Data is gray, Apple says there’s either nothing to clear, or web content restrictions are set in Screen Time. Check Screen Time before anything else.
How to clear Chrome cache on iPhone (and other browsers)
Chrome keeps its own cache, so clearing Safari doesn’t touch it. Steps from Google Chrome Help:
- Open Chrome.
- Tap More, then Delete Browsing Data.
- Next to Time Range, choose how far back to go. The default is 15 minutes, so pick a longer range if you want a full clear.
- Tap Browsing Data and select Cached Images and Files. Add Cookies, Site Data if a site is still misbehaving.
- Tap Confirm, then Delete Browsing Data.
Two things to know. Google says data you’ve saved to your Google Account is removed from the account and from your other signed-in devices too. And Google lists saved passwords and passkeys as data that isn’t deleted this way; you manage them separately in Google Password Manager. Using Firefox, Edge or another browser? Look in that browser’s settings and check its own help page.
How to clear app cache on iPhone
iOS has no single button that clears every app’s cache. You have three routes. Some apps have their own option to clear stored data; Apple notes that, depending on the app, “you might be able to delete some of its documents and data.” Otherwise, use Offload App or delete and reinstall (Apple 108429).
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Tap an app to see how much space it uses. Apple notes that cached and temporary data might not count in that figure.
- Choose to offload the app or delete the app.
| Offload App | Delete App | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s removed | The app itself | The app and its related data on the iPhone |
| What’s kept | Its documents and data | Data stored in iCloud (for example, photos or documents saved through the app) |
| Home Screen | With Offload Unused Apps, Apple says the icon stays with a cloud symbol; tap it to reinstall | The app is gone until you redownload it |
| Getting it back | Reinstall; its documents and data were kept | Redownload from the App Store; app data on the phone is gone |
| Clears the app’s stored data? | No. Apple says documents and data are kept | Yes, the app’s data on the iPhone is removed |
To delete from the Home Screen, touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, Delete App, then Delete (iPhone User Guide). Make sure anything important in the app is synced or backed up first. To let iOS offload apps you don’t use, go to Settings > Apps > App Store and turn on Offload Unused Apps (iPhone User Guide).
What about ‘System Data’?
You can’t clear it directly, and you don’t need to. Many people notice a large “System Data” figure in iPhone Storage. Apple’s storage article doesn’t use that name: it describes the matching category as “Other” and lists “non-removable mobile assets, like Siri voices, fonts, dictionaries, non-removable logs and caches, Spotlight index, and system data, such as Keychain and CloudKit database.”
Apple’s position is simple: “To free up space, your device removes cached and temporary files, so you don’t have to.” It also says that when storage runs low, the iPhone removes items you can download again, like unused apps and temporary files.
Skip the unofficial hacks
Online tricks like changing the date, or “cleaner” apps that promise to wipe System Data, aren’t in any Apple documentation we found, and we don’t recommend them. Apple’s documented levers are the storage recommendations, removing content you don’t need, and offloading apps.
To actually free space, follow Apple’s storage guide: back up photos and videos to iCloud and then remove them from the phone, delete old message attachments, remove downloaded videos you’ve watched, and clear out the Files app. You can also move files to another cloud service. Our OneDrive explainer and Dropbox vs Google Drive comparison cover the options.
Should you clear cache? Pros and cons
Clear it when a site won’t load properly or for privacy, not as a daily habit. Apple suggests clearing website data “occasionally to improve Safari performance.”
Pros
Why clear it: it’s one of Apple’s steps when Safari won’t load pages, it removes data used for tracking, and it resets the location and notification permissions you gave websites.
Cons
The trade-offs: you’re signed out of websites, sites forget your preferences, and pages may load slower the first time because the browser has to fetch them again. In Chrome, synced data is removed from your other devices too.
If storage is the real problem, look beyond the browser. Apple lists photos and videos, messages, downloaded videos, files and apps as the common sources of storage use.
Still slow or out of space? Next steps
Work from the least to the most disruptive fix. The first steps come from Apple’s Safari troubleshooting article.
- Try another network. Load a site over cellular or a different Wi-Fi network, and check your VPN if one is on.
- Restart the iPhone. Turn it off and on again.
- Clear Safari website data (above), and make sure JavaScript is on under Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced.
- Check iCloud Private Relay. If only one site fails, Apple suggests turning Private Relay off temporarily.
- Use iPhone Storage recommendations. In Settings > General > iPhone Storage, review the suggestions and tap Enable on the ones you want.
- Reset settings, not data. Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings keeps your content. Erasing the phone is the last resort.
FAQ
Does clearing cache delete passwords?
Clearing Safari’s history and website data doesn’t change your AutoFill information, according to Apple. In Chrome, Google lists saved passwords and passkeys as data that Delete Browsing Data doesn’t remove; you delete them separately in Google Password Manager. You will be signed out of websites, though.
Will clearing Safari cache log me out of websites?
Usually, yes. Apple says Remove All Website Data clears the data websites use to save login information, and Clear History and Website Data also removes cookies. Sign back in afterwards.
How do I clear System Data on iPhone?
There’s no button for it. Apple says your iPhone removes cached and temporary files when it needs space. To free storage, use the recommendations in Settings > General > iPhone Storage and remove photos, videos, messages or apps you don’t need.
Is offloading an app the same as clearing its cache?
No. Apple says offloading frees the storage used by the app but keeps its documents and data. To clear an app’s data on the phone, delete the app and reinstall it, or use the app’s own clear option if it has one.
How often should I clear cache on iPhone?
Apple doesn’t give a schedule. It suggests clearing website data occasionally to improve Safari performance. A sensible rule is to do it when a site misbehaves or when you want to remove browsing data, not every day.
Why is Clear History and Website Data greyed out?
Apple says the button is gray when there’s no data to clear, or when web content restrictions are set in Screen Time. Check your Screen Time content restrictions, or ask whoever manages them.
Sources
Every step in this guide is linked to Apple’s or Google’s documentation. All pages were checked on October 14, 2026 (PKT).
Show all 7 sources
- Apple Support 105082: Delete your Safari history, cache, and cookies on iPhone (Sep 14, 2026)
- iPhone User Guide (iOS 27): Clear your cache and cookies on iPhone
- Apple Support 102456: If Safari isn’t loading websites or quits on your iPhone (Mar 30, 2026)
- Apple Support 108429: How to check the storage on your iPhone and iPad (Oct 13, 2026)
- iPhone User Guide (iOS 27): Manage storage on iPhone
- iPhone User Guide (iOS 27): Remove or delete apps from iPhone
- Google Chrome Help: Delete browsing data in Chrome (iPhone & iPad)
Changelog
- October 14, 2026: First version, prepared from Apple Support, the iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 and Google Chrome Help. No hands-on testing and no screenshots of our own.
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