How and When to Clear Cache on Android
When the apps you use regularly create files to store information, your Android phone will have limited storage. These temporary data files are known as a cache, and cache files might fill up a fair chunk of your Android phone’s storage space. In this guide, we will explain how and when to clear Cache on Android and what Cached data is.
What Is Cached Data?
The temporary data stored in cache files is what your phone uses to recall associated information quickly when you open an app. For example, Chrome might cache a large image on a website you regularly visit, so it doesn’t have to download the image every time you open the page.
Don’t miss: What Is USB Debugging Mode For Android And How To Enable It?
Desktop browsers and other software also use cache. Without cache, your device would have to reload images and other elements every time you accessed them.
COPYRIGHT_NOVA: Published on https://www.novabach.com/i/how-and-when-to-clear-cache-on-android/ by Daniel Barrett on 2022-06-07T12:40:28.000Z
How To Clear The Cache On Android Devices
On modern versions of Android, you need to delete the cache files for each app individually. Follow these steps to clear cached data for an Android app.
- Open Settings and select “Storage.”
- In the resulting list, tap the Other Apps entry. This will take you to a list of all the apps installed on your phone.
- Choose the app whose cache you want to clear. To see which apps are taking the most space, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right and choose Sort by size. Then, tap the Clear Cache option on the app’s info page.
Also read: 8 Best Android File Manager Apps For 2022
That’s all you need to do to clear the cache files for any app on your Android phone.
Note: If you tap “Clear Storage” instead, you’ll remove all data from the app. This resets it to a fresh state like you just installed it from the Play Store.
Older Android versions allow you to delete all cached files at once by going to Settings > Storage > Cached Data. Then, tap OK when you see the option to delete all cache files.
After you clear the cache files, you’ll regain some storage space, and the app will continue to work as normal.
Benefits Of Clearing Cache
- It helps you save storage space on your phone. But this is a temporary solution since new cache files are created all the time as you use apps.
- Sometimes, old cache files can become corrupted. When this happens, apps may run into performance problems. Deleting faulty cache files can solve these issues.
- If a browser or other app refuses to fetch the latest page version, clearing the cache can force it to update.
Don’t miss: How To Block Text Messages On iOS And Android
Should You Clear Cache Regularly?
Now that you know the benefits of clearing cache, you might think you should manually clear the cache on a schedule. But this is counter-productive. Remember that cached files serve the useful purpose of speeding up access to content you use regularly.
That is why it’s not a good idea to delete old cache files by hand frequently. Android already has a built-in mechanism for erasing unused files that work pretty well. The main occasions for manually deleting cache files arise when:
- An app’s cache files are corrupted, causing the app to misbehave.
- You want to delete files containing personal information to protect your privacy.
- You’re running out of storage space on your phone and don’t want to delete your videos, pictures, and apps. Remember that this is a short-term solution; you’ll need to use other ways to free up Android storage space eventually.
Editor’s picks:
