Every time you surf the internet, your browser collects and stores information. This information later makes up cache and cookies. The data exists to improve user experience by quickly loading the frequently visited sites or login into your accounts.
However, the problem with cache and cookies is that the data builds up over time — eventually taking up more space and affecting your device performance. That’s why you must get into the habit of occasionally cleaning this data.
The fewer cache and cookies you have saved, the faster your device will become while browsing the web. Now let’s look at a few more purposes that clearing cache and cookies can serve.
ALSO READ: Top 3 Android Settings You Must Use Now to Increase Privacy
What Purpose Do Clearing Cache and Cookies Serve?
There are several reasons why you should clear cache and cookies. One of the major reasons is that it slows down device speed. In that case, deleting cache and cookies will help to troubleshoot your device, thereby increasing your page load time and device performance.
If you’ve made changes on the website yet the browser doesn’t load its newer version, then cache and cookies might be responsible. The site may look as if it is formatted inappropriately or isn’t fully loaded. Therefore, deleting the cache and cookie data will retrieve the newest version.
Most of the time, cache and cookies are the root cause of website-related problems. Due to this reason, your IT support team and web designing team often ask you to delete the cache and cookie data before starting their investigation regarding a problem.
How Often Should You Clear Cache and Cookies?
You should clear cache and cookie data once or twice a month. That is usually the point when your browser starts storing information large enough to slow down your device. However, if you frequently visit more sites, you should clear your cache and cookies more often.
How to Clear Cache and Cookies?
Clearing cache and cookies from your browser are super easy. A general rule of thumb is to go to “Settings”, “Privacy” and then clear cookies in your history and browsing data.
In the case of cache, you can choose which cookies to delete depending on a particular time range or any other option you like.
Here’s how to clear cache and cookies from the latest Chrome and Firefox versions.
Google Chrome
1. Open Chrome.
2. Select the Tools menu. It’s the three dotted lines you see on the top right corner.
3. Click on History.
4. Now, from the left-hand side, select Clear Browsing Data.
5. Then, you’ll also see the option of setting the Time Range. Set it to All Time.
6. Check Cookies and other site data as well as Cached images and files.
7. Click on Clear Data.
8. If you’re using a Windows computer, close Chrome and reopen it to save the changes. In case you’re using an Apple computer, you can go to the Chrome menu and then click on Quit to save the changes.
Mozilla Firefox
1. Open Firefox
2. Select the Tools bar.
3. Choose Options. It will be labeled as Preferences on Mac.
4. Now, click on Privacy & Security from the menu.
5. Go to Cookies and Site Data and click on Clear Data.
6. If you’re using a Windows computer, you can close Firefox and then reopen it to save changes. If you’re using an Apple computer, go to the menu bar, select Firefox and then choose Quit to save changes.
