How to Clear the Cache and the Cookies On Your iPhone
Whether you’re trying to free up storage space for more photos and videos or you want to ditch your old browsing data and cached images, it’s always helpful to know how to clear the cache and cookies on your iPhone.
Sometimes it’s as easy as going into your settings and choosing data management protocols. Other times, you can use third-party apps like the Chrome app or your phone’s built-in Safari browser to clear browsing data. With iOS 18 and later, Apple has also made it easier than ever to manage your storage and privacy settings directly from the Settings app.
How to Clear Cache and Cookies on iPhone or iPad
If you want to clear cache and cookies on your iPhone or iPad, the steps will vary slightly depending on which browser you use. For Safari, the default iOS browser, you have a couple of options.
The quickest strategy is to go to Settings > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data - this will remove your browsing history, cookies, and cached files in one step. Remember it will affect all devices signed into the same Apple ID via iCloud.
If you would like to keep your browsing history but still want to clear stored site data, go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data. From here you can tap Remove All Website Data, or selectively swipe to delete data from specific sites. If no data is currently stored, the remove option will be grayed out.
For those using Chrome on iOS, open the app and tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right corner, then go to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data. You can choose what to delete - like cached images, cookies, and browsing history.
Regularly clearing your cache and cookies can resolve problems with websites not loading correctly, fix login problems, and free up a small amount of storage space on your device. However, it’s worth mentioning that this is not a useful strategy for reclaiming large amounts of storage compared to deleting apps or media files. If you’re also thinking about protecting your personal data more broadly, there are additional steps worth considering beyond just clearing your browser data.
How to Clear your iPhone Cache in Safari
If you want to clear browsing data from Safari and also history, it’s fairly easy on an iPhone. Open the Settings app on your phone and scroll down to choose Safari. From here, tap “Clear History and Website Data” and confirm your choice - this will remove cached files, browsing history and cookies in one step.
If you want more granular control over your data, scroll down to the bottom of the Safari settings page and tap “Advanced,” then choose “Website Data.” Here you can see an overview of data stored by individual sites and remove entries, or tap “Remove All Website Data” to wipe everything at once.
To block cookies entirely, return to the main Safari settings page and toggle on “Block All Cookies.” Remember that blocking cookies can cause some websites to behave unexpectedly or prevent you from staying logged in to services. If you’re also thinking about managing privacy settings like hiding apps on your iPhone, there are additional steps you can take to keep your device more secure.
How to Clear Your iPhone Cache in Chrome
If Google Chrome is your preferred browser and you want to delete logs, files, and other website data, the process is just as easy as doing so on Safari. Start by opening the Chrome app on your iPhone. Tap the “More” icon (the three dots “⋮”) in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
From the menu that appears, tap “History” and then choose “Clear Browsing Data.” Make sure “Cookies, Site Data” and “Cached Images and Files” are checked. You can also choose a time range at the top - choose “All Time” if you want a full clear. Once you’ve confirmed your selections, tap “Clear Browsing Data” and confirm when prompted. If you find your phone storage is filling up unexpectedly, clearing your cache regularly can help keep things running smoothly.
How Do Content Blockers Work?
Content blockers work by filtering web content before it loads in your browser. They use a set of rules to find and block elements like ads, tracking scripts, cookies, and other unwanted content. Because the blocking happens at the system level instead of after the page loads, content blockers in Safari are usually faster and more efficient than traditional browser extensions found on desktop computers.
If you want to stop websites from displaying ads or saving cookies, you can add a content blocker to your iPhone or iPad by looking for one in the App Store. There are a few popular options available, like 1Blocker, AdGuard, and Crystal, each offering different levels of customization and control.
Once you’ve found and installed a content blocker, here’s how to activate it:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap Apps, then select Safari.
- Tap Extensions.
- Find your installed content blocker and toggle it on.
You can enable multiple content blockers at the same time if you have more than one installed, and that lets you use their rule sets for wider coverage. Remember that some websites may detect content blockers and ask you to disable them before granting access to their content.
How Can I Browse on Safari Without History?
Safari has strong privacy tools for users who want to avoid storing data from the websites they visit. Private Browsing creates tabs that won’t store search history or page visits, which can be helpful if you share your Apple products with other household members.
When you’re on your iPhone, open the Safari app and tap the Tabs icon represented by two overlapping squares in the bottom-right corner. Tap the dropdown menu at the bottom center of the screen and choose “Private” to switch to Private Browsing mode. On newer versions of iOS, you may be prompted to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode before accessing your private tabs.
You can also set a preferred search engine specifically for Private Browsing. Go to Settings, choose Apps, tap Safari, and then navigate to Private Search Engine to choose your preferred option. Safari also includes built-in privacy protections like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which limits cross-site tracking even during standard browsing sessions. On top of this, Apple has Safari Privacy Reports that let you see which trackers have been blocked across your recent browsing activity, accessible directly from the address bar.
Why Should You Clear Your Cache and Cookies on Your iPhone?
While your cache can be helpful, usually containing login information and previously visited site data, there’s plenty of reasons why you might want to clear your cache data and delete browsing history and cookies.
For starters, clearing your browser cache and cookies in the Settings app can free up storage space on your iPhone and help improve performance. Website data can quietly accumulate and eat into your available iPhone storage over time, so clearing it occasionally is a good habit - and that’s also the case if your device is running low on space.
Also, if you share your iPhone or iPad with other members of your household, you might not want to leave accounts connected or logged in. Clearing your cache and cookies helps keep your personal information and browsing activity private. If you’re ever planning to sell your old iPhone, taking steps to protect your data beforehand is especially important.
In addition, if you’re experiencing steady webpage problems or want to force a fresh reload of a site, clearing cached data can help resolve the problem. This is especially helpful if pages are loading partially, displaying outdated content, or behaving unexpectedly after a website has been updated.
Finally, clearing cookies can also protect your privacy by removing trackers that websites use to follow your activity across the web. With growing awareness around online privacy, this is an increasingly common reason iPhone users choose to clear their browsing data.
How to Clear Cookies on iPad and iPhone Automatically
While iOS doesn’t give you an automatic cookie-deletion feature, Safari does include a setting that can help manage your browsing data with minimal effort. In iOS 17 and later, you can enable Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection under Settings > Safari > Advanced, which limits how trackers and cookies follow you across sites.
Additionally, Safari’s Privacy Report feature gives you an at-a-glance view of trackers that have been blocked during your browsing sessions, so you can stay well-informed about what’s being grabbed even between manual cleanups.
For a more hands-off strategy, consider enabling iCloud Private Relay (available with an iCloud+ subscription) - it helps mask your browsing activity and cuts back on the data grabbed by third-party cookies altogether.
That said, manually clearing your cookies and cache on a schedule is still the most reliable option - it’s also a habit to pair with clearing your device data before selling or trading in your phone.
How Do I Check iPhone Storage?
If you’ve cleared your cache and cookies but still have performance problems and slowdowns, you might want to check your storage to see if you can free up space by either deleting or transferring data. It’s very easy to check your existing storage and see where your device is at performance-wise.
For starters, open the Settings app. Navigate to General, then to iPhone Storage. On this page, your iOS device will automatically make storage optimization recommendations you can follow.
The iPhone Storage page also gives you an overview of app storage, space, and memory usage. In this view, you can offload apps to free up storage while retaining their documents and data - a helpful option if you want to reclaim space without losing your app information.
You can also delete apps or remove data stored within certain apps. Your device sorts everything into helpful categories, like Apps, Photos, Media, and System Data, which makes it easy to find what’s taking up the most space and where you can cut back. If you’re wondering whether deleting photos from your iPhone also removes them from iCloud, it’s worth understanding how that works before clearing space.
If you find that your iPhone is running low on storage, it may be a sign that it’s time to upgrade to a newer model with more capacity. In that case, trading in your old device through a service like ecoATM is an eco-friendly way to put some money toward your next phone.
Unlock More Storage on Your iPhone or iPad
If you want access to more storage on your iPhone or iPad, then you’ll want to consider clearing search history and autofill information, deleting applications, clearing out old photos, or subscribing to a higher tier of iCloud+.
The easiest way to increase your available storage on either an iPhone or iPad is by upgrading your iCloud+ plan. On your device, get to the Settings app and choose your name at the top. Find the iCloud option and tap Manage Account Storage to see an overview of your space.
You can also scroll down on the iCloud page and choose the “Upgrade to iCloud+” option. iCloud+ plans start at 50GB and increase to 2TB, so there’s likely a tier that works best for you and your budget. Once you find a plan that works for you, choose it and confirm your upgrade.
Clear Your Cache Before Selling or Recycling Your Phone
Clearing your cache is a great trick for freeing up storage and improving your iPhone’s speed. But there are other reasons why you might want to wipe your phone as clean as possible.
If you already have a new phone and are still hanging onto your old one, then you’ll want to clear the cache before recycling or reselling it. Unless your carrier has already wiped the data, clearing the cache and performing a full factory reset helps protect your personal information and makes the device easier to resell or recycle. Recycling your phone is also a great way to keep electronics out of the landfill.
If you haven’t bought a new phone yet but are thinking about it, now is a great time to see your options. With strong lineups from Apple, Google, and Samsung - like the iPhone 16 series, the Google Pixel 9 series, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 series - there’s no shortage of great upgrades available in 2025 and into 2026.
Instead of paying full market price for the latest phone, you can sell your current device for cash to put toward the new one. The best part is, you don’t need to wait in long lines to recycle or sell your used phone. At ecoATM, we work to be environmentally aware, and we care about responsibly reselling and recycling used phones.
Take your used phone to one of our conveniently located kiosks around the nation and get cash almost immediately, or recycle your device responsibly. We’ll evaluate your device to determine its value, or safely recycle old devices that are no longer usable. With ecoATM, you can get quick cash to put toward that new smartphone or finally get rid of that old phone that’s been collecting dust.
Bring Your Used Phone to an ecoATM Kiosk Today
It matters to know how to clear your cache on your iPhone to keep your device running at top speed. If you go too long without emptying the stored data and files, it can be frustrating when trying to open a new app or tab. And wiping your phone clean is the best way to get it ready to recycle or resell.
Giving your iPhone a second life can get you the cash you need and make your next smartphone cheaper. Simply bring in your used smartphone to an ecoATM kiosk. If you’re interested in learning more, find an ecoATM kiosk near you or price your device online!
