How To Clear Your Devices' Cookies and Cache

two chocolate chip cookies sitting on top of a white keyboard
Clearing Your Devices' Cookies and Cache

If you are here, you might have been instructed by one of our helpdesk specialists to clear your devices' cookies and cache because you are experiencing difficulties with an online program, website, file, or application.

No worries! This quick guide will help you clear your cookies and cache in no time.

What are cookies and cache? When you use a browser (like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge, etc.), it saves some information from websites in its "cookies" and “cache.”

  • A laptop displaying a cookie icon on the screen, surrounded by binary code, with a small broom sweeping it away
    Cookies are small temporary data files that simplify your online experience by tracking and storing your navigation history, website usage, and so on from the websites you visit.

    Cache (pronounced "cash") remembers parts of pages, like images or videos, to help them open faster during your next visit.

  • An icon of a laptop featuring gears and a clock, representing the concept of website cache data processing
    Together, these temporary data files help websites, browsers, files, PDFs, and apps load quickly.

    When experiencing certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites, it's a good idea to try clearing your cookies and cache, which is a good way to "reset" your browser so that you try everything fresh again.

NOTE!!: Keep in mind that clearing your web browser's cookies and cache may remove some data that you wish to keep (like saved passwords and autofill information).

 Select Your Browser

  1. In the browser address bar, copy and paste: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData


    (NOTE!!: This URL will only work in Google Chrome)

    chrom adress bar showing the url: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

  2. At the top of the Clear browsing data window, click Advanced.
    Chrome browser settings menu showing the "Clear Browsing Data" interface, allowing users to manage their browsing history.
  3. Select the following:
    • Browsing history
    • Download history
    • Cookies and other site data
    • Cached images and files
  4. From the Time Range drop-down menu, you can choose the period of time for which you want to clear cached information. To clear your entire cache, select All time.
  5. Click CLEAR DATA at the bottom of the window
  6. Close all browser windows, then re-open the browser.
  1. In the browser address bar, copy and paste: edge://settings/clearBrowserData

    (NOTE!!: This URL will only work in Microsoft Edge)

    Microsoft Edge Address bar showing the url: edge://settings/clearBrowserData
  2. in the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range. To clear your entire browsing data, select All Time.Microsoft Edge browser settings menu showing the "Clear Browsing Data" interface, allowing users to manage their browsing history.
  3. Check the boxes to select which elements of the history to clear. To clear your entire cache, select all the boxes.
  4. Select CLEAR NOW at the bottom of the window.
  5. Close all browser windows, then re-open the browser.
  1. Open the Application Menu ( three horizontal lines in the top right-hand side of the browser), firefox application menu icon
  2. Click on History in the menu. From the History menu, select Clear Recent Historyside by side of firefox history tab and clear recent histiry tab
  3. At the top of the Clear Recent History window, in the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range. To clear your entire cache, select Everything.
    firefox clear recent history window browser settings menu showing the "Clear Browsing Data" interface, allowing users to manage their browsing history.
  4. Under History, check the boxes to select which elements of the history to clear. To clear your entire cache, select all the boxes.
  5. Click OK at the bottom of the window.
  6. Close all browser windows, then re-open the browser.
  1. Open the Safari Menu (in the top left-hand side of the browser), select Clear History Display of safari browser settings menu on Mac OS
  2. In the Clear History window, in the Clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range. To clear your entire browser data, select All History.Screenshot of Mac-os Safari "clear browsing data" pop-up screen. it reads, "Clearing history will remove related cookies and other website data". Below is the list of options to clear browsing data.
  3. Click Clear History at the bottom of the window.
  4. Close all browser windows, then re-open the browser.

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