how to delete cache on android
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
how to delete cache on android
Your Android phone's limited memory can fill up quickly. And one of the easily overlooked causes is the cached information that apps regularly create in order to perform at their best.
These temporary data files are called buffers; A large part of your Android phone's storage may be filled with cache files. Let's see what are temporary app files and how to clear cache on Android.
What is cached data?
Your phone uses temporary data stored in cache files to quickly recall relevant information when you open an application. For example, Spotify can cache your most frequently used playlists so you don't have to load the entire playlist every time you open them. Google Chrome can cache a large image on a web page you frequently visit, so Google Chrome doesn't have to download the image every time you open the page.
The cache file is only useful for the linked program; For instance, Spotify doesn't use Instagram's cache. In many cases, when an application decides that temporarily stored information is no longer useful, it deletes the accompanying cache files. Websites, apps and games all use cache files to give you a smoother experience. The
cache is not only used by your Android phone but is also a function of desktop browsers and other software. Without cached data, your device will have to reload the usual images and other content every time you access it, which is inefficient.
To clear the cache on an Android device
On modern Android versions, you need to clear the cache files for each individual app; there is no system wide option to clear all caches. Note that you rarely need to clear all device caches. In most cases, clearing the cache of some problematic apps can fix memory or performance issues.
Follow these steps to clear cached data for Android apps. We used stock Android 12 for these tutorials; Your device may look slightly different or use a different menu name.
Open Settings and select Memory.
In the list of results, tap Apps (Other apps on Android 11 and earlier). This will take you to a list of all the apps installed on your phone.
Select the application for which you want to clear the cache. To see which apps are taking up the most space, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Sort by size. We will use Chrome as an example.
On the app info page, tap the Clear Cache option.
That's all it takes to clear the cache files of any app on your Android phone. Remember that if you tap Clear Storage instead, you will delete all app data. This will essentially reset it to a new state, like you just installed the app from the Play Store. Only do this if the app is severely misbehaving.
Older Android versions give you the option to clear all cached files at once by going to Settings > Storage > Cached data. From there, just hit OK when you see the option to clear all cache files. Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to clear all cache on modern Android versions. So you will have to repeat the above operation to clear the cache of many apps.
What happens after clearing Android cache?
After deleting cached files, you will recover storage space and apps will continue to function normally. However, because you've cleared used data for optimal performance, some content (like those mentioned above) will load more slowly the next time you use the app.
You may have noticed that when you clear the cache, it comes back. It's normal; Over time, apps will regenerate cached data based on your usage. Since caching is very useful, you shouldn't worry when the application creates cached files.
Clearing the cache won't log you out of apps or cause other major changes. You will not lose any data like game progress, browser bookmarks or other data. If you want to go through a more in-depth wipe process, check out our in-depth guide on clearing cache and data on Android.
Benefits of Clearing Cache on Android
Cache files are very important and you usually don't need to worry about them. However, sometimes it helps to manually delete cache files from your Android phone.
Here are some ways to clear the cache on Android:
First of all, clearing the cache helps you to save storage space on your phone. But this is a temporary solution because new cache files are always created when you use the app. If your device is running low on space and you need to clear the cache regularly, it might be time to upgrade to a new phone with enough space for your needs.
Sometimes old cache files can get corrupted. When this happens, applications may experience performance issues. Deleting invalid cache files can resolve these issues.
Old cache files could theoretically pose security and privacy threats. Websites that are cached in your browser may contain sensitive information. If an unauthorized person has access to these files, they can use them to obtain personal information.
If a browser or other application refuses to retrieve the latest version of a page, clearing the cache may force it to be updated.
Should You Clear Android Cache Regularly?
Now that you know the benefits of clearing the cache, you may think that you need to manually clear the cache on a schedule. But it really backfired. Remember that cached files are used to speed up access to content that you use frequently.
This is why it's not a good idea to regularly delete old cache files by hand. Android already has a built-in mechanism for deleting unused files, and it works well in most cases. The main opportunities to manually clear cache files arise when:
Application cache files get 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 you don't want to delete your videos, photos, and apps. Remember that this is a short-term fix; you may need to use other means to free up Android storage space.
Should I use Android cleaning apps?
There are many apps on play store that claim to delete unused photo, video and cache files on your phone quickly and securely. While they can sometimes provide a useful service, these apps are often not worth using for a number of reasons:
phone (which is not the case).
Apps take up more space on your phone and can even slow down performance by constantly running in the background.
Often they are filled with spam and require in-app purchases for most features.
Be careful if you decide to use Android cleaning apps. If possible, avoid them altogether. Most Android phones already have some kind of smart storage that deletes old files, making third-party apps virtually useless for this purpose.
Check out our Android acceleration guide to find out what really works and what doesn't.
Clear Android Cache Quickly and Easily
Clear unused cache files on Android is an affordable way to temporarily free up space and useful when troubleshooting apps. But that's not something you should do often or through untrusted third-party apps. Only use it as a specific tool when necessary for the performance of the device.
Also, you should know the signs of poor Android performance and how to diagnose them.