Browsers - How To Clear Cache and Cookies on Your Browser

Overview

This article provides instructions for you to clear cache and cookies for your web browser. This can help improve performance and security, as well as fixing any formatting or loading issues the browser or website is causing.

Additionally, many web sites that require sensitive, personal information to be transmitted (e.g. UH sites that require UH Username and password, banking and credit card sites, etc.) are setup with security in place to protect your data. However, this security only protects the data transferred between your web browser and that site. Many web browsers, in an effort to speed up web page load times, will temporarily store web page information (in a cache). Browsers may also store usernames and passwords to sites for your convenience. This stored information may not be deleted by your web browser for a while (depending on your browser's setup) and poses a potential security risk to sensitive information.

Private/Incognito Windows

To determine if the issue is with your browser's cache or cookies, you may want to see if it occurs in a private/incognito window. This is less "destructive" as it won't require you to re-log into all your profiles again:

Google Chrome

To clear Google Chrome's cache and cookies: 

  1. Click the menu button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser toolbar (Three vertical dots)
  2. Select Delete browsing data...
  3. In the dialog that appears, check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data
  4. Use the menu at the top to select All time to clear the entire cache and cookies
  5. Click Delete data

Refer to Google's support article (link) for more information. If you want to automatically clear browser data when you close Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome Settings from the 3 dots icon, and then choose Settings 
  2. Click on Privacy and Security
  3. Navigate to Site Settings
  4. Select Additional Content Settings from the menu
  5. Click on On-device Site Data
  6. Select now the radio button Delete data sites that have been saved to your device when you close all windows

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Firefox

To clear Firefox's cache and cookies:

  1. Click the menu button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser toolbar (Three horizontal lines)
  2. Select History
  3. Select Clear recent history...
  4. In the dialog that appears, check Temporary cached files and pages and Cookies and site data
  5. Use the When dropdown at the top to select Everything to clear the entire cache and cookies
  6. Click Clear

If you want to automatically clear browser data when you close Firefox:

  1. Go to the Application menu. (three horizontal lines on the upper right-hand corner)
  2. Click on Settings.
  3. Navigate to Privacy & Security
  4. Under the Cookies and Site Data, select Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed

 

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Microsoft Edge

To clear Microsoft Edges's cache and cookies:

  1. Click the menu button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser toolbar (Three horizontal dots)
  2. Select Delete browsing data...
  3. In the dialog that appears, check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data
  4. Use the menu at the top to select All time to clear the entire cache and cookies
  5. Click Clear now

If you want to automatically clear browser data when you close Microsoft Edge:

  1. Go to Settings & More (three dots on the upper right-hand corner)
  2. Click on Settings
  3. Navigate to Privacy, search, and services
  4. Under Delete browsing data, select Choose what to clear every time you close the browser
  5. Toggle on Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files

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Safari

To clear Safari's cache and cookies:

  1. Click on Safari on the menu bar in the upper left-hand corner of your screen
  2. Click on Settings
  3. Click on the Privacy tab
  4. Click on Manage Website Data...
  5. Click on Remove All
  6. Click Remove Now when prompted

Unfortunately, Safari does not currently offer a way to automatically clear browser data when closed.

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