How often should I clear my browser cache?
After each browsing session, each day, week, month or probably shouldn’t. Don’t ask further as I have the answer for you.
Before going further into the question on how often should I clear my browser cache, understand what a browser cache is all about.
What is a browser cache
A browser cache is a temporary storage location on your mobile phone or the computer for files downloaded by your browser to display websites. You can also say that a browser cache is a reserved storage location that collects temporary data or files to help websites, browsers, and apps load faster on your computer or mobile phone.
Cache can be helpful, storing or saving your username or login details for a particular website. Sometimes the cookies are used to track your visit to websites so that businesses can show you ads.
The browser cache is nothing more than a place on your hard disk where the browser keeps things it downloaded once in case they are needed again.
Browser cache is usually overwritten when you reach a certain amount, but will store information about your browsing history until you clear it.
In a browser, cache is very essential as it helps to retrieve data or information faster for the user.
For example, when you revisit a website, the browser checks which contents was updated ij the meantime and only download updated files or what is not already in the cache.
By doing this, it helps to reduce the bandwidth on both the user and the server side and this in turn allows the page to load faster. Hence, the cache is useful when you have a slow or limited internet connection or data.
Now back to the question how often should I clear my browser cache?
How often should I clear my browser cache
You should clear your browser cache when you noticed it has lots of cached files which has in turn take a huge number of space in your internal storage.
On the other hand, I will say you can regularly clear up your browser cached files especially if you browse a lot on the internet or make use of your browser a lot and which you love privacy a lot.
If there are lot of cached files on your computer or mobile phone, it tends to slow the speed a bit.
For example, back then when I was using opera browser to my daily browsing and downloading, I never cleared my cached files and at a point it become so much that my opera browser start to lag.
The cached files was up to 768 mb in size and that was the reason why my opera browser suddenly became slow and lagging at same time. However, when I cleared the cached files, the opera browser went back to normal speed.
It become fast again and this made me to believe that it was the cached files that slowed my browser.
This answers the question on how often should I clear my browser cache.
Mind you, clearing a browser cache doesn’t wipe out information or saved data on a browser, be it mobile browser or windows. It is only when you delete cookies or the browser data that you have wiped out all the saved information and login details.
Another reason why I recommend a regular clearing of cached files is to see new website or webpage settings.
For example, if a website owner redesign its website and you have once visited the website or a web page, you may not see the new until you clear your cached files on your browser.
I’ve seen this happen a couple of times on this website and I can’t see the changes until I clear my cached files. If you have a problem with your browser, one of the things to do in order to rectify the problem is to clear your browser cached files.
Another reason why I recommend to clear your browser cache regularly is to remove corrupted cached files.
Some people don’t know that cached files can get corrupt, and when it does happen you’ll start to experience glitches on your web browser and downloading of files will be a problem for you.
How often should I clear my browser cache?
Regularly or probably after 24hrs though you can as well clear your cache after each browsing session.
How do I clear the browser cache
Having answered how often should I clear my browser cache, now is how do I clear the browser cache.
1. Clear Cache On Google Chrome
On Mobile Google Chrome Browser:
Open the Chrome browser on your mobile phone and tap on the option three dots located at the top right corner of your screen.
When you do so, scroll down to settings and click to open. On that settings page, scroll down privacy and click to open as well.
On the privacy page, you’ll see where it states clear browsing data, tap on it to move over to the next page and that is where you’ll clear the cached files. Google Chrome browser gives you the opportunity to see the size of cached files in your browser.
On tapping clear browsing data, three options are given to you on the basic settings and they are;
- Clear browsing history
- Clear cookies and data
- Cached images and files.
As we’re interested on how often should I clear my browser cache, you will have to untick the browsing history and cookie and data and tick cached images and files.
Having done so, go ahead and tap on clear data.
Immediately you tapped on clear data, the cached images and files will be wiped out from your Google Chrome browser.
On Google Chrome windows;
Open the Chrome browser on your computer and tap dots vertical line on the top right corner of your screen. You’ll see another option and tap on tools.
On tapping on tools, another option will pop up on your screen and look closely you’ll see clear browsing data.
Make sure that only tick Cached images and files box and select other options that suits you like changing the timeframe at the top, and finally tap on clear browsing data button.
And that’s it, you have successfully cleared cached images and files on the Google Chrome browser.
Are you using a Google Chrome browser, how often should I clear my browser cache?
Regularly and I mean to say after each browsing session or after 24 hrs. You can clear your browser cache after 4 weeks which is one month.
2. Clear cache on Firefox browser
On Firefox mobile browser
Open the Firefox mobile browser on your phone and you’ll see a three dot line below the right corner of your screen. You’ll see this if you have updated to the latest version of the Firefox browser.
Tap on the three dots and you’ll see the settings option. Also tap on it to see where it states delete browser data.
Tap on the option and you’ll be given the option to delete cached images and files from the Firefox browser. Tick on cached images and files and leave the rest.
However, if the other options are ticked, kindly untick them leaving only cached images and files.
Next is to tap on delete browsing data. With this you’ve successfully deleted cached images and files from your mobile Firefox browser.
On Firefox windows
To clear cached files and images from Firefox browser, simply tap on the hamburger icon in the top right of your screen and select history.
In the menu that appears next on your Firefox browser, tap on Clear Recent History and Firefox will then open a pop-up.
In the drop-down, given to you, select Everything. Then, make sure to only tick the Cache box and avoid clearing important browsing data. Then, click Clear Now to clear your cached file and images from Firefox browser.
Are you using a Firefox browser, how often should I clear my browser cache?
Regularly and I mean to say after each browsing session or after 24 hrs. You can clear your browser cache after 4 weeks which is one month.
You can easily clear browser cache on other browsers like the Safari, opera browser, Microsoft edge, internet explorer, etc.
How often should I clear my browser cache.
Why is it a good idea to clear your browser’s cache?
Still on the topic how often should I clear my browser cache, now is the importance of clearing a browser cached files and images.
1. Clearing your browser cached files and images makes your browser to run faster be it a mobile browser or on the computer.
If there are loads of cached files and images, it causes problems for the web browser and hence makes it to be slower in opening pages.
2. Clearing a browser cached files and images helps you to see a new changes made to a website or on a web page.
3. Clearing a browser cache helps to fix errors on a browser, such as a corrupted cached files. Like I said, when a cached file and images gets corrupts, it tends to trouble the browser by causing glitches to it.
In order to avoid such, you have to clear your browser cache.
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How often should I clear my browser cache?
Regularly or often clear your browser cache after each browsing session or a maximum of four weeks which is one month.
