To clear Chrome’s cache, click the three-dot menu, go to More Tools, then Clear Browsing Data, tick Cached images and files, and click Clear Data. Or just paste chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar to jump straight there. This works the same way on Windows, Mac, and Android; the steps below also cover clearing data for a single site instead of everything.
Applies to: Google Chrome on Windows, Mac, and Android. No account sign-in is required.
What’s the Difference Between Cache and Browsing Data?
Browser cache is a collection of files, typically images, CSS and Javascript files, that a website stores on your computer so that the site loads faster when you visit it again.
For example, let us take a look at Chrome Story’s logo here. Unlike my site’s design (which, unfortunately, I change quite often) the logo does not change often. If you are a regular reader of Chrome Story (hint – subscribe!!), your browser should not be downloading that logo every time you visit the site, correct? So, we store that on your computer, locally.
The next time you visit Chrome Story, the logo loads from your computer, instead of downloading from the server. This makes it MUCH faster.
If you want to learn more about cache and cookies, here is an excellent article by WP Rocket.
When you clear browsing data, however, you are not just clearing the cache. Clearing data will delete so many other things, including cookies and passwords if you select them. To clear ONLY the cache, select “Cached images and files” from the list of things you can clear, and leave everything else unchecked.
How Do I Delete Chrome’s Data for All Sites?
To delete Chrome’s data for all sites:
Click the Settings icon (three dots) on the top-right corner of the Chrome window. From the menu that appears, select More Tools and then click Clear Browsing Data.
On the next screen, you can either choose Basic options or Advanced for more controls. Before covering those settings, here are two other ways to reach this same page.
Is There a Keyboard Shortcut to Clear Chrome Browsing Data?
You can open the Clear browsing data screen using a keyboard shortcut too:
- Windows: CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE
- macOS: SHIFT + COMMAND + BACKSPACE
There is one more way to reach this page. Open a new Chrome tab and paste the following into the address bar:
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
What Do the Basic Options Cover?
Time Range: This is a dropdown list. You can select from the following options:
- All time
- Last 4 weeks
- Last 7 days
- Last 24 hours
- Last hour
Next, you have the following options. You can select one or more from these:
- Browsing History: As the name suggests, this is the list of all the websites you have visited in the past.
- Cookies and other site data: This is the data that websites store on your computer, specifically on Chrome, to enable certain features and the like. Most of the time this is harmless. However, occasionally, you would want to clear cookies to reset things. You will be logged out of any websites that you have logged into.
- Cached images and files: Websites store some images and files on your computer so that their pages will load faster the next time you visit their website. Some of these automatically get deleted after a time period. However, occasionally, you might be asked to clear cached files and images to fix certain issues.
After you choose what you want to delete and also the time range, click Clear Data, and you are done!
What Do the Advanced Options Add?
The “Advanced” tab of the “Clear browsing data” screen offers more control over what is deleted. You still have the same date range dropdown as the Basic tab, but with a longer list of options underneath it.
- Browsing history: List of sites you visited using Chrome
- Download history: Records of all your downloads using Chrome
- Cookies and other site data: Cookies and other data that websites have stored in Chrome.
- Cached images and files: Images and files stored to make repeat visits to websites faster.
- Passwords and other sign-in data
- Site settings: Site-specific settings like zoom or permissions like notifications and sound.
- Hosted app data
For most of these items, Chrome will show you how many or how much data will be deleted. Select what you want to delete and the date range, click Clear Data, and you are done!
How Do I Clear Chrome Browsing Data on Android?
To clear the data on the Android version of Chrome, tap the menu icon (three dots), choose Privacy and security, and then Clear Browsing Data from the next screen.
You will see a screen similar to what you have on the desktop version of Chrome. Select the date range and the items you want to clear and tap Clear data and you are done!
The Android version of Chrome also offers Basic and Advanced tabs when clearing data, just like desktop.
How Do I Clear Data for a Single Site Instead of Everything?
To open similar settings for one website only:
Open the website and click the lock symbol (or the tune/info icon) in the address bar. This appears at the beginning of the address of the website.
Click “Site Settings“. A new tab opens with settings for the current website. Click Clear Data.
On the confirmation screen that appears, click Clear, and you are done.
You can use this same screen to review the permissions used by this website and change them as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing the cache sign me out of websites?
No, not on its own. Clearing only Cached images and files leaves you signed in. You get signed out only if you also tick Cookies and other site data.
Does clearing browsing data delete my saved passwords?
No, unless you specifically tick Passwords and other sign-in data in the Advanced tab. It is unchecked by default.
Why would I clear data for just one site instead of everything?
Clearing a single site’s data resets that site’s login, permissions, and cached files without logging you out of every other website or losing history elsewhere.
Related Guides
- Make Google Chrome Faster: The Ultimate Guide
- How to Auto-Delete Chrome Browsing History on Exit
- How to View Saved Credit Cards in Chrome
Last verified: August 14, 2026.
