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How to clear Chrome cache and cookies on computer, Android and iPhone

By LookedApp · Published

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Open the three-dot More menu in Chrome, choose Delete browsing data, pick a time range, tick the data types and confirm.

What you're clearing

Cookies are files that sites create to save browsing data. The cache holds parts of pages, such as images, so they open faster next time. Google's reasons to clear them: to fix loading or formatting problems, to see the newest version of a site, or to free local storage.

Afterward, settings on some sites are gone, and if you were signed in you'll need to sign in again. Some sites load slower at first because images have to download again.

On a computer

  1. Open Chrome, select More at the top right, then Delete browsing data.
  2. Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data, and any other items you want gone.
  4. Select Delete data.

You can also type "Delete browsing data" in the address bar and select the action chip that appears. To clear cookies for one site only, Google points to Chrome's cookie settings.

On Android

  1. Tap More beside the address bar, then Delete browsing data.
  2. Choose a duration (the default is 15 minutes). Tapping Delete data here clears browsing history, including open tabs.
  3. To pick specific data types such as cookies and cache, tap More options first.
  4. Tap Delete data.

On iPhone or iPad

  1. Tap More, then Delete Browsing Data.
  2. Next to Time Range, choose a duration. The default is 15 minutes.
  3. Tap Browsing Data to choose what to delete. Saved passwords are separate: Manage other Google data, then Passwords and passkeys.
  4. Tap Confirm, then Delete Browsing Data.

Sign-ins you lose

Google says you'll have to sign back in to sites you were signed in to. Your Google Account is different. On Android, deleting cookies while signed in to Chrome doesn't sign you out of it, and you stay signed in on google.com and youtube.com. On a computer with sync on, you stay signed in to the synced account "in order to delete your data across all your devices." The iPhone page warns that clearing may sign you out of your Google Account, so update your recovery phone number and email first.

To sign out of your Google Account on all websites, sign out of Chrome.

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