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How to clear Safari’s cache and cookies on Mac

There are a handful of situations when clearing Safari’s cookies or cache–one of the places where Safari stores website data to avoid having to download it afresh each time you access a site–can help improve your browsing experience.

The first is when websites simply stop working when you access them on Safari. Perhaps Facebook stops updating with new posts, for example, or the images on a site don’t appear as they should. If this happens, it’s likely the cache has become corrupted.

Alternatively, if you find that personal info automatically completed on sites isn’t correct, deleting cookies can help. These are small files that sites use to save data about you and what you do on the site.

Even if none of these problems affect you, periodically cleaning browser data can help protect your privacy from snoops who want to discover what you’ve been up to online. In this article, therefore, we explain how to clear Safari’s cache and cookies on Mac.

We also have an article that explains How to clear cache on a Mac.

How to clear Safari cookies and cache for websites

Cleaning cookies and the cache data for individual sites can be done via Safari’s Settings/Preferences.

Open Safari
Click on Safari in the menu at the top of the screen.
Click on Settings or Preferences (depending on the version of macOS you are running).
Go to the Privacy tab.
Click on Manage Website Data…
Choose Remove All or select websites individually to remove.

After the data is loaded you’ll probably see a long list of websites. You can choose to Remove All or just select individual websites you want to remove from this list. If you want to select a number of different sites you can click on one and then press and hold the Command key to select a second, third or fourth and so on. We recommend that you don’t select hundreds this way – it’s better to delete in batches just in case you have to start over.

If you would prefer to select all and then deselect the ones you want to keep you can do so. Use Command + A to select all, then press and hold Command while clicking on any website you are happy to keep in this list. Just click Remove afterwards, not Done, as that will just undo all your hard work.

There’s a search field you can use to track down individual sites.

Bear in mind that deleting cookies might remove autocompleted login usernames and passwords for sites, and will almost certainly log you out of that site if you’ve configured it to automatically log in each time you visit.

How to clear Safari cache

The hidden Safari Developer menu can be used to clear just the cache, leaving cookies and the browser history in place. This is a very useful diagnostic step to take before removing those two items if a website behaves badly.

If you just want to clear all your cache you can do so by following these steps:

Open Safari.
Click on Safari in menu bar at top of screen.
Click on Settings/Preferences (depending on the version of macOS you are running).
Click on the Advanced tab.
Check the box beside Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar.
Now there will be a new Develop tab in the menu at the top of your screen. Click on this.
Click on Empty Caches.

Alternatively click on Option/Alt + Command + E.

Close any open Safari windows and select Empty Caches on the Develop menu. Then click File > New Window to start Safari with a clean cache.

How to remove autocomplete data from AutoFill

Safari’s AutoFill tool can fill in username and password details on websites as well as credit card details and other elements like your address and email details.

This can be really useful, but it can also be annoying if the data it fills in is incorrect or out of context. It’s also a problem when AutoFill helpfully enters old or incorrect passwords or emails and addresses.

You can change this data, or delete it by following these steps:

Click on Safari.
Click on Settings/Preferences.
Choose the AutoFill tab.
Here you can edit contact information, usernames and passwords, credit cards and other data. Click on Edit beside the category you want access to.
You’ll need to enter your password or use Touch ID to gain access.

Delete incorrect data: If you are finding that Safari is autofilling incorrect data about you–your address, for example–click Edit beside Using information from my contacts. This will open up your Contacts app. Your card will be at the top or under My Card. You can add and amend data about you here.

Delete incorrect passwords and site logins: If you wanted to delete incorrect passwords, for example, you can just click on the Passwords tab. If you know which password you want to remove search for the website or service and then find the older password option (if there is more than one) and select it and then click on the – below the column to remove it. You can then select Delete Password. If that means there is no password saved for that website, you can then recreate the entry for the site by clicking the Add button. You’ll first need to provide the URL of the site (that is, something like https://facebook.com ), and then type the username and password alongside (hit the Tab key to move from field to field).

See: How to autofill passwords, bank cards, names and addresses for more.

Delete logins and passwords system-wide

Pruning site logins can also be done via the Keychain Access app, which you’ll find in the Utilities folder of the Applications list in Finder, although you should be very careful using this app because it pretty much controls the entire security operation of your Mac! However, by removing errant username and password entries here you’ll stop virtually all of your Mac apps using them, and not just Safari.

Just type the name of the site into the Search field, and look in the list of results for entries of the kind Web Form Password. Right-click the entry and select Delete.

If you want to delete your Chrome or Firefox cache, cookies or browsing history read: How to delete your Mac browsing history . For alternative web browsers take a look at: Best web browser for Mac.

Clear Safari cache on Mac
Clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad
How to save passwords when clearing your cache

How to clear your Safari browser cache on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad

You can clear your cache on Safari in just a few steps on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
Clearing your cache, as well as history and cookies, can help resolve your device's performance issues.
Clearing your cookies will clear your passwords as well, unless you save them with keychain.

A cache is a store of data. When you visit a website on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, the Safari browser keeps a snapshot of the pages you view.

If you go back to that website, Safari loads the cached page in an instant, instead of taking the time to retrieve the page from the internet again.

But an overloaded cache can take up storage space and cause your device to run inefficiently — and it could use a periodic clearing.

Here's what you need to know to clear your cache on Safari, as well as your cookies and browsing history.

How to clear Safari cache on Mac

You can either clear just your cache or your cache, history, and cookies.

Clear your cache

1. Click on the Safari tab at the top left of your screen and choose Preferences from the dropdown menu.

2. Click the Advanced tab of the menu that pops up.

3. At the end of the tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar box and close the Preferences menu.

4. Click the Develop tab from the Safari menu at the top of the page.

5. Click Empty Caches from the dropdown menu.

Clear your cache, history, and cookies

You may also want to clear your browsing history and cookies in addition to emptying your cache. Here's how to do that.

1. Choose the History tab at the top of your screen.

2. At the very bottom of the dropdown menu, choose Clear History.

3. A box pops up with a choice to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. Choose your time frame and click the Clear History button.

Once you clear the history, it will also clear the cache and cookies associated with that time period.

How to clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad

To clear your cache and browsing history:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap Safari .

3. Tap Clear History and Website Data .

4. On the screen that pops up, choose Clear History and Data .

To clear your cache but not your browsing history:

3. Tap Advanced .

4. Tap Website Data .

5. Choose Remove All Website Data .

What happens to saved passwords when you clear your cache

When you clear your cache, history, and cookies, you may discover that Safari has logged you out of your favorite websites.

While clearing Safari's cache alone will not delete your passwords, clearing your history and cookies can. That's because when you empty your cookies, you will lose their password data saved in Safari as well. And keep in mind that clearing your history also clears its associated cookies.

Luckily, Apple has a solution to this problem. If you use iCloud, check your iCloud settings on your phone or computer.

Make sure that you've checked the box for Safari. As long as this box is checked, any passwords you save through your browser will stay safe in your keychain .

Main content

Clear Cache, Cookies and History on Safari

Updated at: Feb 26, 2022

Here are instructions to help you clear your browsing history, cookies & cache in Safari on macOS.

There's a few guides here, what would you like to do:

Clear the entire Cache, Cookies, and History in Safari on macOS
Clear the Cache, Cookies, and Local Storage Data (but not the history) in Safari on macOS
Clear saved Form Data and Passwords

Clear the entire Cache, Cookies, and History in Safari

Click the "safari" menu.

Make sure you have a Safari window open and active; you will see the "Safari" menu in the top left of your screen. Click it and it will expand to show Safari specific options.

The location of the Safari menu - in the top left of the screen

Click the "Clear History..." item

Now that you have expanded the Safari menu, you will see the Clear History... item - click on it.

The Safari menu showing the Clear History item.

Choose the time range to delete and then "Clear History"

Safari now gives you a very simple interface for clearing your browsing cache, history, and cookies. When you click Clear History your cache, browser history, and cookies will be deleted for the specified time range.

The Safari dialog for showing the time range to clear your browsing data for

If you choose the default option of " all history " then the entire historical record of your browsing on this computer will be deleted. At the top of the prompt, you'll see "Clear: all history" - you can click on this Select field and choose a time range to clear instead.

So instead of deleting all your history, you can choose to just delete Today's browsing history, or just the past hour's history.

Once you have decided how much you want to delete, click the Clear History button.

Congratulations, you have now cleared your selected browsing data from your computer. You can simply close this window and continue to use Safari.

Clear the Cache, Cookies, and Local Storage Data in Safari

These steps will remove Safari's automatic cache of temporary data it has stored while you browse the internet; these steps won't delete your browsing history .

Click the "Preferences" menu item

Now that you have expanded the Safari menu, you will see the Preferences item - click on it.

The expanded Safari menu, showing the the Preferences item

The Safari Preferences screen will now appear.

Click the "Privacy" tab

The Safari Preferences screen has a number of sections, indicated by the various options along the top of the screen (General/Tabs/AutoFill etc). Click the Privacy item to see privacy related options.

The Preferences window, showing the Privacy tab

Click "Manage Website Data...

On the privacy tab, click the Manage Website Data button to show a list of all the sites Safari has collected data for.

The Privacy pane showing the Manage Website Data button.

Select the site/s you want to delete data from, and click "Remove"

On this screen you will see a list of all the domains Safari has collected data for. Find the ones you want to remove (you can search for a domain in the Search field in the top right of the window.

Delete one page from Safari's Cache

If you just want to delete the cache and cookies from one website, you can select the domain name here and press the Remove button. This will keep all the other data intact and just remove the one site's cookies and cache.

You can remove sites one at a time, you can hold down the ⌘ Command button and keep clicking to select more than one domain at a time.

When you have selected the domains you want to clear the data from, simply press the Remove button and Safari will clear the data for those sites.

If you remove data for any sites you are logged in to, you will probably have to re-log in to them again, but your browsing history will still be intact.

Clearing Form Data and Passwords in Safari

Follow these instructions to clear the form data and passwords that have been saved in Safari.

Click the "AutoFill" tab

The Safari Preferences screen has a number of sections, indicated by the various options along the top of the screen (General/Tabs/AutoFill etc). Click the AutoFill item to see AutoFill related options.

Choose what to AutoFill, and edit/clear existing data

On the AutoFill screen, you will see a listing of types of data Safari can be configured to "remember" for you - that way, when you need to fill out some forms online, Safari will try to automatically put the correct data in for you. You can turn this feature on or off for different types of data, including contact information, credit cards, usernames & passwords, and so on.

Checkboxes to choose what Safari will AutoFill, and Edit buttons to clear existing data.

To review, edit, and delete the items that Safari has saved, click the corresponding Edit... button. Some of these items require you to enter the password for your computer - that is, the user you are currently logged in as on your Mac.

You can use these interfaces to review and optionally delete any information you've previously entered from your computer. Because some of it is sensitive (Passwords, Credit Card numbers etc) you will have to unlock various sections by entering your computer's password.

When you are finished, simply close Safari's Preferences by clicking the Red "close" button.

More guides and help for Safari

Need more help with Safari? Read our other Safari guides .

Clear cache & history

Do i need to clear my cache.

Not sure why you've been asked to clear your cache? We can explain. Why you need to clear your cache

What is a cache?

Before you consider clearing your browser cache, you should know what it is! Learn a little bit about browser caches

Is it safe to clear my cache?

Are there any risks to clearing your cache? Find out if it's ok to clear your cache

Update my web browser

Do i need to update my browser.

Find out if your browser is out of date Is my browser out of date?

Why should I update my browser?

There are very good reasons to, find out here! Why update your browser?

Is it free to update Chrome?

Find out about the cost of updating Chrome... Does Chrome cost anything?

What does "Update browser" mean?

What does it actually mean? What does it mean to update your browser

Get help with our guides

How to enable javascript.

Change your JavaScript settings Guide to enabling Javascript

How to enable Cookies

Configure your cookie settings for privacy Guide to enabling cookies

I can't log in to a website..

We've got a detailed guide to help you solve login problems How to fix website log in problems

Why do websites use cookies?

Why are cookies useful? Do you need them? What's the deal with cookies?

How to update your browser

Old software puts you at risk. Keep your browser fresh and up to date

Clear Cache, Cookies and History

How to reset your browsing history How to reset your browser

Try a different web browser

Different web browsers have different features - try a different one to see if you prefer it. Experiment a bit!

Use a VPN to hide your IP address

We recommend NordVPN to hide your IP address or to unblock websites. Hide your IP Address

Clearing your cache, cookies, and browsing history - Frequently asked questions

How to clear cache.

Clear instructions to clear your cache, cookies, and history. follow the guides.

Learn how to clear your cache, cookies, and history

Before you consider clearing your browser cache, you should know what it is!

Learn a little bit about browser caches

What does "Clear your Cache" mean?

Have you heard the phrase "clear your cache" but aren't sure what it means?

What "clear cache" means

Not sure why you've been asked to clear your cache?

Why you (might) need to clear your cache

Clear the cache for just one page

Need to completely reload a page but don't want to clear your entire cache?

How to clear the cache for just one page

Should I clear my cookies?

Can clearing cookies help with problems or privacy? Here's some info.

Why you (might) need to clear your cookies

Are there any risks to clearing your cache?

Find out if it's ok to clear your cache

What happens when I clear my cache?

When I decide to clear my cache or cookies, what actually happens?

See what happens

Clear Cache in Chrome Shortcut

Don't bother clicking the menus, use the handy keyboard shortcut!

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Chrome

Clear Cache in Firefox Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Firefox

Clear Cache in Edge Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Edge

Clear Cache in Brave Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Brave

Clear Cache in Safari Shortcut

Keyboard shortcut to clear cache in Safari

Does clearing cache in one browser affect the other browsers on my computer?

Are the different caches on my computer related to each other?

How big is Chrome's Cache?

Find out how much temporary space Chrome is using for your Cache

The size of Chrome's cache

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

I can’t clear my history on Safari!

I can’t clear my history on Safari. It is very irritating because I know how to but the “clear” button is grayed out and I cant push it. I cleared everything in settings, but when i search things that I accidentally searched before pop up. I don’t understand why I cannot clear history when I push the bookmark button, and it is really annoying that it is grayed out. I tried looking it up, everything all the websites say to do are from a long time ago and they do not work, like when you go to General in Settings, there is supposed to be a button that says “Restrictions”, but there isn’t anymore. Please help me!

iPhone 7, iOS 12

Posted on Mar 20, 2019 5:03 PM

Posted on Mar 23, 2019 7:17 PM

Turn off Screen Time Restrictions.

How-To Geek

How to clear safari browsing data with a keyboard shortcut.

Need to quickly clear your Safari browser history on your Mac? Here's how to create a custom keyboard shortcut to get the job done in a flash.

If you use Safari on Mac and would like to quickly clear your browser history without digging through menus, you can take care of it with a keyboard shortcut and a click by creating a custom shortcut in System Preferences . Here's how.

First, we'll need to visit "System Preferences" to create the custom keyboard shortcut. On your Mac, click the "Apple" icon in the upper-left corner and select "System Preferences."

In "System Preferences," select "Keyboard." In "Keyboard" preferences, click the "Shortcuts" tab.

In the sidebar menu, click "App Shortcuts."

Click the plus sign (+) located near the bottom of the window to add a new shortcut.

A pop-up window will appear. First, click the drop-down menu labeled "Application" and select "Safari.app."

In the "Menu Title" text box, enter "

" exactly. It must include the three dots at the end, as it must match the existing menu command in Safari under the "History" menu.

Next, select the "Keyboard Shortcut" box and type the shortcut you want to use to clear Safari's browser history. We chose Shift+Command+H, but you can enter any unused keyboard combination.

Then click the "Add" button, and the shortcut will be added to the list. You're now clear to close System Preferences (unless you want to tweak the keyboard shortcut key combination after testing it out.)

Open "Safari" and press the keyboard shortcut you just defined. A small pop-over window will appear with a drop-down menu and two buttons. In the "Clear" menu, you can choose how much of your history is cleared. When you're ready, click the "Clear History" button.

Your Safari browsing history will be cleared to whatever level you selected. Safari will remember the setting you chose in the "Clear" menu, so next time you call up the window with your custom shortcut, you can just click the "Clear History" button.

If you find yourself frequently clearing your browser history, consider trying Safari's Private Browsing mode , which is a special mode that doesn't keep track of your browsing history. You can even configure Safari to start with a Private window every time you open the app .

Related: How to Always Start Safari in Private Browsing Mode on a Mac

Clear the history, cache and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Find out how to delete your history, cookies and cache in Settings.

Delete your history, cache and cookies

Clear your cookies and the cache, but keep your history

Delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers, delete history, cache and cookies.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

ios-17-iphone-14-pro-settings-safari-clear-history-and-website-data

Clearing your history, cookies and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.

When there’s no history or website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

To visit sites without leaving history, turn Private Browsing on .

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there’s no website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Tap the Edit button, then select the website(s) that you want to delete from your history.

Tap the Delete button.

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device so that site can remember you when you visit again.

To block cookies:

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on Block All Cookies.

ios-17-iphone-14-pro-settings-safari-block-all-cookies

If you block cookies, some web pages may not work. Here are some examples:

You'll likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct user name and password.

You may see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are turned off.

Some features on a site may not work.

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.

Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.

Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari? Solutions and Answers

Safari allows you to clear your history for a certain length of time, or you can clear the whole thing.
You may just need to restart your device to clear your history.
Remember that the steps for iPhone and iPad will be roughly the same.

Cant Clear Safari History November 2023 Featured

If you’re having issues because you can’t clear your Safari history, know that a solution isn’t too far behind. I love using Safari for a great browsing experience, but I was recently unable to clear my history, which was giving me some problems. Fortunately, I discovered a solution to my problem. Let’s take a look at some troubleshooting steps and solutions.

Why Is My Clear History Button Grey?

If your Clear History button is grey, the most likely reason is that you do not have any History to clear. However, you may also be experiencing a grey Clear History button due to certain Content & Privacy Restrictions within Screen Time being enabled. You can check on iPhone via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and ensure that Safari is enabled. Note, however, that this will require your password.

On Mac, you can disable Screen Time via System Settings > Screen Time> Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions . Ensure Access to Web Content is set to Unrestricted. Of course, if you didn’t set up Screen Time in the first place, this likely isn’t your issue. Keep reading for further solutions.

How Do I Clear My Safari History and Cache?

1. how to clear your safari browser history.

If you need to clear your Safari history, you can check out our full guide here . However, note that on iOS, clearing your history is as easy as going to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data . For Mac, all you need to do is open Safari and select History > Clear History from the menu bar. With both Mac and iOS you are able to choose how much of your history you delete based on time.

2. Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

If you’re still having issues clearing your Safari browsing history, it may just be that you need to disable iCloud sync for Safari. This default option shares your history and your reading lists across all your Apple devices. It may be the case that some history or content did not sync properly.

Disable iCloud Sync iOS

Time needed: 2 minutes

If you need to disable iCloud Sync on iOS, follow these steps.

Disable iCloud Sync macOS

From the Apple Menu, go to System Settings .
Select [Your Name] .

3. Reset Network Settings (iOS Only)

If you are still looking for an effective solution to your clear history issue, you may want to consider resetting your network settings.

Go to the Settings app.

4. Delete History Manually (Mac Only)

If you need to clear your Safari history on Mac and are having problems, remember you can delete your history manually.

Cant Clear History Safari Tap Go To Folder

While holding down the Command key, select the following items: History.db , History.db-lock , History.db.shm and History.db.wal .

Cant Clear History Safari Select Move to Trash

Empty your Trash.

Why Can’t I Clear History in Safari?

The most likely reason that you’re unable to clear your Safari history is that there is no history left to clear. However, if you’re having issues, look at basic things, such as restarting your Apple device or ensuring that Screen Time restrictions are not preventing you from clearing your history. You may also want to consider that iCloud Sync may prevent you from properly clearing your history.

Being able to clear your entire history from Safari is incredibly useful. However, it’s only useful if it’s working correctly. Fortunately, solutions for your history clearing problems are rather easy, so there’s little to worry about. Not clearing your history can be a common issue for many users. However, a comprehensive solution is available.

iOS 17 – How to Clear Safari Cache: Quick Guide

Clearing the cache on Safari for iOS 17 is quite straightforward. Simply head to the ‘Settings’ app, tap ‘Safari’, and then ‘Clear History and Website Data’. Confirm your action, and the cache will be wiped clean, giving you a fresh browsing experience.

After you complete this action, your Safari browser will no longer have a record of the websites you’ve visited or the data it had stored to make those sites load faster. This means that the next time you visit those sites, they may take a little longer to load, but you’ll have the benefit of a clean slate.

You can also check out this video about how to clear Safari cache on iPhone for more on this topic.

Introduction

Ever noticed your iPhone running a bit slower or your Safari taking ages to load a webpage? It might just be that your browser is cluttered up with too much data. That’s where clearing your Safari cache comes in handy, especially with the new iOS 17. This simple task can breathe new life into your device, making your browsing experience quicker and more efficient.

But why is this important? Well, every time you visit a website, Safari stores information from that site in its cache. This is done to help pages load faster the next time you visit. However, over time, this data builds up, taking up valuable space and potentially causing performance issues. Clearing the cache can remove these unwanted files and protect your privacy by erasing your browsing history. This is particularly relevant for anyone who uses their iPhone for browsing the web regularly – from students researching for a project to professionals who need quick access to information on the go.

Related: Safari History iPhone: How to See It [2023 Guide]

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Clear Safari Cache in iOS 17

Before you begin, understand that clearing your cache will log you out of any websites you’re currently signed into and may result in some sites loading more slowly the next time you visit them. Now let’s get started.

Step 1: Open the ‘Settings’ app

Navigate to the home screen of your iPhone and open the ‘Settings’ app.

This is the app with the gear icon, and it’s where you’ll begin the process of clearing your cache.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap ‘Safari’

Once you’re in ‘Settings’, scroll down until you find the ‘Safari’ option and tap it.

‘Safari’ settings is where you can find all the options related to your web browsing experience, including privacy and security settings.

Step 3: Tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’

In the ‘Safari’ settings, look for the ‘Clear History and Website Data’ option and give it a tap.

Tapping this will prompt you with a warning that clearing will remove history, cookies, and other browsing data.

Step 4: Confirm your action

After you tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’, a confirmation message will appear at the bottom of your screen. Confirm that you want to clear the data.

Once confirmed, your Safari browser cache will be cleared, and your device may perform better during web browsing.

Video About Safari Cache

Additional Information

When you clear your Safari cache, it’s just like giving your iPhone a mini detox. But remember, it’s not just about speeding things up or getting back storage space; it’s also a key step in safeguarding your privacy. Each webpage you visit could leave digital footprints that track your behavior. By clearing the cache, you’re essentially covering those tracks, making it harder for advertisers and other third parties to profile you.

Does this mean you should clear your cache daily? Not necessarily. Regularly clearing it can be redundant and might even make your browsing less efficient. It’s more about finding a balance and doing a clear-out when your iPhone feels sluggish, or before you hand over your device to someone else.

As for the settings and preferences you lose, it’s only an issue if you rely heavily on your browser to remember your details for different sites. For the majority of sites, a simple re-login will restore your settings. Plus, with the advent of password managers, it’s no longer such a chore to keep track of your login details.

Open the ‘Settings’ app.
Scroll down and tap ‘Safari’.
Tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’.
Confirm your action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the cache delete my bookmarks.

No, clearing the cache will not delete your bookmarks. Your saved bookmarks are stored separately and will remain intact.

How often should I clear my Safari cache?

It depends on your browsing habits, but typically once a month is sufficient for most users. If you browse heavily, you may consider clearing it more frequently.

Can I clear data for just one site?

Yes, you can clear data for individual websites by going to ‘Settings’ > ‘Safari’ > ‘Advanced’ > ‘Website Data’ and then swiping left on the site you want to remove data for.

Does clearing the cache affect AutoFill?

No, clearing the cache does not typically affect AutoFill information since that is stored in a different part of your iPhone’s memory.

What’s the difference between clearing cache and cookies?

Clearing the cache removes temporary files stored by Safari to make web pages load faster, while cookies are small files that store information about your interaction with specific websites.

So, there you have it – everything you need to know about how to clear Safari cache on iOS 17. It’s a simple yet powerful way to keep your iPhone running smoothly and your web browsing experience as sharp as ever. Sure, there might be a couple of trade-offs, but the benefits of a speedier, more secure Safari are well worth it.

Remember to balance the frequency of your cache-clearing with your daily needs, and don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper into your iPhone’s settings to maintain peak performance. Happy browsing, and enjoy the clean, fresh feel of a cache-free Safari!

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.

Clear Safari history without deleting logins/passwords/cookies

Thread starter clumsythief83
Start date Jun 25, 2019
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clumsythief83

Macrumors 6502.

Jun 25, 2019

Hi guys, I wonder if there is a way to delete Safari history without deleting logins/passwords/cookies. I used to use Safari on my ipad and iPhone but that missing options makes me go back to Google CHrome instead. Anyone knows how we can achieve it? Thanks.

macrumors 601

Deleting Safari's history should not delete the passwords themselves as they're stored in your keychain. But deleting Safari's history will remove website favcons and cookies. I haven't found a way around that either.

Jun 26, 2019

Yeah I find that annoying that I have to re-login to all my websites after I clear history. Hopefully there will be a fix one day.

macrumors 68030

Jun 27, 2019

that is true across all browsers that I use on multiple platforms.

Scepticalscribe

Macrumors ivy bridge.

chscag said: Deleting Safari's history should not delete the passwords themselves as they're stored in your keychain. But deleting Safari's history will remove website favcons and cookies. I haven't found a way around that either. Click to expand...

CTHarrryH said: that is true across all browsers that I use on multiple platforms. Click to expand...

Jun 28, 2019

clumsythief83 said: Yeah I find that annoying that I have to re-login to all my websites after I clear history. Hopefully there will be a fix one day. Click to expand...

Screen Shot 2019-06-28 at 11.34.09 AM.png

Dec 9, 2021

The above link is for the Mac not iOS. I am a new iPad owner. Opera browser for iOS/iPad OS is different from Android. I use Safari on my iPad as it comes closest to word wrap, which I miss from Opera on Android. Opera for Android has two different ways to empty history. One method clears just history while the other clears everything. It is sad how mobile browsers fall short of desktop browsers. With the Firefox browser for desktop, I can remove history items one day at time without clearing everything.

macrumors 68020

Dec 21, 2021

For two years I stopped using Safari, just Edge and iOS version does what you want, but I’m finding I really like Safari on iOS iPadOS. Trade offs At a minimum Safari should — use to? Block 3rd party cookies.

macrumors 6502a

Weaselboy said: https://cookie5app.com I use an app called Cookies to manage this. You can tell it what you want deleted and whitelist cookies you want to keep. I have it set to run the cleanup when I quit the browser. I suggest buying it from the dev. and not the App Store so you get updates faster without having to wait for App Store approval. View attachment 845497 Click to expand...

Dec 22, 2021

SigEp265 said: Did this app get removed from the App Store? Their website seems to be different too … Click to expand...

Cookie by SweetP Productions

At $25 I'd like to know there is a functional trial period to use it with a couple browsers with enough time to evaluate. Also, to export cookies before clearing, JIC. On Edge, I block 3rd party cookies, but I see a lot of cookies with zero k in size. Not sure what those are. I spent a lot of effort and $$ on bookmark managers, URL Manager Pro etc. which are gone. Support for iOS and Mac?

https://sweetpproductions.com/products/cookieapp/Cookie.dmg There is a "try it" link that appears to be a trial.

How to Clear Safari History, Cache, and Cookies on your iPhone

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Safari stores your browsing history as well as cached files and cookies from every website you visit. Clearing Safari history, cookies, and cached data on your iPhone can be beneficial for various reasons, including performance improvement, privacy, troubleshooting, and general maintenance.

Sometimes, you also may simply want a fresh start and prefer to clear your history regularly to minimize your digital footprint.

Clearing your history ensures others can’t see which websites you’ve visited or what information you’ve searched for. This is mostly applicable if you share your iPhone with others or search for sensitive information.

Over time, cached files and cookies from sites you visit can accumulate and take up a significant amount of storage space on your iPhone. Clearing them will free up storage capacity. Excessive data accumulation, including history, cookies, and cache, can slow down Safari’s performance. Clearing this data could speed up your browsing experience.

Also, if a website isn’t loading properly, clearing your browsing history, cache, and cookies will force Safari to download fresh data and could help resolve the issue.

How to Clear Safari History

To clear your Safari history and website data such as cookies and caches, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down to Safari and tap it.
Find Clear History and Website Data and tap it.
On the next screen, you’ll have the option to clear history from the Last Hour , Today , Today and Yesterday , or All history. Select whichever one you prefer.

How to Clear Safari Cache and Cookies

The steps above will clear all of your browsing history, plus cookies, cache, and other browsing data (this is what “website data” refers to). However, you can preserve the history of the sites you’ve visited while clearing out only your cookies and other stored browsing data such as caches and stored preferences for individual websites.

Here’s how to clear your Safari cache and cookies, but keep your history:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll all the way down to Advanced and tap it.
Tap Website Data . Depending on how much data is stored, this screen might take a few seconds to load.
To flush the data for an individual site, locate it in the list and swipe right-to-left to delete it. You can also select Show All Sites to expand the list.
To delete all cookies and caches, select Remove All Website Data at the bottom of your screen and then tap Remove Now to confirm.

Clearing Safari’s history and website data is a straightforward process that can protect privacy, improve performance, and help manage valuable storage space effectively. Whether or not you’ve been thinking about it, give it a try to see if you notice a difference.

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How to Clear Safari Profile Web History on iPhone

In iOS 17 , Apple has increased the options available for clearing Safari's web history and website data. You can even clear Safari's cache for a specific Safari profile. Keep reading to learn how it works.

If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one. Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited.

With ‌iOS 17‌, Apple doesn't just let you clear Safari's history and website data for a specific timeframe. You can also clear the cache for a specific Safari Profile. (Profiles are is designed to help separate your browsing sessions into things like Work, School, or Personal: For more on how to use Profiles, click this link .)

How to Clear Safari Cache

Here's how to clear Safari history and website data on iPhones running ‌iOS 17‌, and iPads running iPadOS 17 .

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Safari .
Tap Clear History and Website Data in blue.
Choose a timeframe in which to clear your history: Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history .
Choose a specific profile to clear from the list, or check All Profiles .
To close all open tabs within your timeframe and profile(s), toggle on the switch next to Close All Tabs .
Tap Clear History , then confirm when prompted.

That's all you need to do. The next time you open the associated profile(s), you should notice that all web history for the chosen timeframe will be gone.

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