How to Clear Cache on Android (Apps, Chrome, and Samsung)

To clear cache on Android, open Settings > Apps, pick the app, tap Storage (or Storage & cache on a Pixel), and tap Clear cache. That deletes only the app's temporary files, so you stay signed in and keep your data. For the browser, open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, choose Delete browsing data, then tap More options so you can pick "Cached images and files" for "All time."

Also in this topic: Android Guides hub.

Jump to: what cache is · one app (Pixel and Galaxy) · Chrome · Samsung Internet · all apps at once · the missing "Wipe cache partition" · apps to be careful with · when it's worth doing · FAQ

Quick answer: Android has no single "clear all cache" button anymore. You clear it one app at a time in Settings, clear your browser's cache inside the browser, or use the Junk files card in Files by Google. Samsung removed "Wipe cache partition" from the Galaxy recovery menu with its February 2026 updates, so guides that still send you there are out of date.

What Clearing Cache Actually Does

An app's cache is a folder of temporary files, like thumbnails, downloaded images, and bits of web pages, that the app saves so it can load faster next time. Clearing it is safe. Google's storage help page says Clear cache "deletes temporary data" and that "some apps may be slow the next time you open them," because they have to download those files again.

Clear storage (called Clear data on some phones) is a different button. Google says it "permanently deletes all app data," which signs you out and wipes settings, offline downloads, and anything the app saved only on the phone. Here's the difference at a glance.

	Clear cache	Clear storage / Clear data
What it deletes	Temporary files only	Everything the app stored on the phone, cache included
Signs you out?	No	Yes
Settings and offline downloads	Kept	Deleted
Comes back on its own?	Yes, as you use the app	Only after you set the app up again
When to use it	An app is glitchy, slow, or showing old content	Clearing cache didn't fix it and you've backed up what matters

One thing most guides leave out: Android already deletes cache files on its own when it needs room. The Android developer guide on app-specific storage warns app makers that "when the device is low on internal storage space, Android may delete these cache files to recover space." So clearing cache by hand is mostly a fix for a misbehaving app, not a regular cleanup chore.

How to Clear Cache for One App

The quickest route on any Android phone is to touch and hold the app's icon, tap the small i or App info, and go straight to the storage screen. If you'd rather go through Settings, the path depends on your phone.

Google Pixel and stock Android

1. Open Settings and tap Apps.
2. Tap See all apps and pick the app.
3. Tap Storage & cache, then Clear cache.

That's the path on Google's Pixel app troubleshooting page, which also calls it "a short-term solution" because "cached data will build up again." Motorola, Nothing, and other near-stock phones usually use the same wording.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings and tap Apps.
2. Find the app in the list or search for it.
3. Tap Storage, then Clear cache.

Those are the steps on Samsung's US page on clearing app cache and data. The same screen has Clear data. Samsung warns that it resets the app "to factory default settings" and that some system apps can't have their data cleared at all.

If you don't see a Clear cache button, look for Manage space or Manage storage. Some apps put their own cleanup screen there instead.

How to Clear Cache in Chrome on Android

Chrome's cache lives inside Chrome, so you clear it from the browser, not from Settings. The menu changed recently, and many guides, including Android's own article, still tell you to go to History > Clear browsing data. Google's current Chrome help page (checked October 30, 2026) describes it like this:

1. Open Chrome and tap the three-dot More menu to the right of the address bar.
2. Tap Delete browsing data.
3. Tap More options.
4. Set the time range to All time, check Cached images and files, and uncheck anything you want to keep.
5. Tap Delete data.

Don't just tap Delete data on the first screen. Google says the quick version deletes browsing history, closes your open tabs, and has a default range of only 15 minutes. That's the wrong tool if you're trying to fix a site that won't load. You can also type "Delete browsing data" in Chrome's address bar to jump to the same screen.

Watch the other checkboxes too. "Cookies and site data" signs you out of most websites, although Google says you stay signed in to Google sites if you're signed in to Chrome. "Saved passwords" deletes your saved passwords, and Google warns that deleting data saved to your Google Account on one device removes it from every device you're signed in on. For a site that looks broken, Cached images and files is usually all you need.

How to Clear Cache in Samsung Internet

Samsung's browser keeps the option under its own settings. Per Samsung's US guide to clearing Samsung Internet's history, cache, and cookies:

1. Open Samsung Internet and tap More options (the three dots).
2. Tap Settings > Personal browsing data > Delete browsing data.
3. Check Cached images and files. Leave Passwords and Autofill data unchecked unless you mean to remove them.
4. Tap Delete data, then Delete to confirm.

Samsung's "Samsung Browser is slow" page pairs this with closing tabs you don't need, which also helps.

Can You Clear Cache for All Apps at Once?

Not from Android's Settings app. Samsung says it outright on its US support page: "The only way to clear the cache on every app at the same time would be to perform a factory reset." That's far too drastic for a cache problem. Here's what you can do instead.

• Files by Google (any Android 8.0+ phone): Open the app, tap Menu > Clean, and on the Junk files card tap Clean, then Clear. Google's junk files help page says this removes temporary app files and that app settings aren't affected. The catch is that it's permanent: Google's Trash help page says files cleared from the Junk files card skip the 30-day Trash.
• Auto-archive in the Play Store: Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Settings > General and turn on Automatically archive apps. Google's storage help page says this removes apps you rarely use while keeping their data, so it often frees far more space than clearing cache.
• Samsung Galaxy: Device care (under Settings > Device care, or Battery and device care on older One UI versions) closes background apps and scans for app problems. It isn't a full cache wipe, so clear the cache of the specific app that's acting up.

If your real goal is more free space, cache is rarely the big win. Our guide to freeing up storage on Android walks through offline downloads, photos, and archiving apps you don't use.

Why "Wipe Cache Partition" Is Gone on Galaxy Phones

Many top results and AI answers still tell you to boot into recovery mode and pick "Wipe cache partition." On a current Samsung Galaxy, that option isn't there anymore. 9to5Google reported on February 27, 2026, citing GalaxyClub, that Samsung's One UI 8.5 and February 2026 security updates strip the recovery menu down to three options: "Reboot system now," "Wipe data/factory reset," and "Power off." XDA later reported that a US Galaxy S24 Ultra showed only those three choices after the February 2026 patch. According to 9to5Google, GalaxyClub also reported that the update can't be downgraded.

Don't go looking for it in recovery. The only wipe left there is the factory reset, which erases the whole phone. One wrong button press with the volume keys can cost you everything that isn't backed up.

You aren't losing much. Most modern phones install updates with what Android calls A/B or "seamless" updates. The Android Open Source Project's documentation says that with A/B updates, "the cache partition is no longer used to store OTA update packages," so there's little left for that option to clean. If a Galaxy got slow after an update, restart it, update your apps, and clear the cache of the apps that misbehave. A Samsung community moderator gave the same advice when users asked about the missing option.

Apps to Be Careful With

Clearing cache is safe for every app. Clearing storage is where people lose things. Treat these apps with extra care.

• Google Play services: Google's Play services help page says clearing its data isn't recommended "unless you've tried all other troubleshooting options," because it "may delete" passwords, transit cards, and virtual payment cards saved to Google Pay, and you may need to sign back in to your Google Account. Clearing its cache alone is fine.
• Google Play Store: Clearing its cache is the first fix for stuck downloads, so try that before clearing its storage. See our guide to the Play Store not downloading apps for the full order.
• Chat, notes, and authenticator apps: Make sure your chats or codes are backed up before you clear storage. Our guide to backing up an Android phone covers what Google's backup includes.
• Games: Progress that isn't linked to a Google Play Games, Facebook, or publisher account can live only on the phone. Clear cache, not storage, unless you've linked an account.

When Clearing Cache Is Worth Doing

Clearing an app's cache is worth trying when the app crashes, freezes, shows old content that won't refresh, or a website looks broken in your browser. It's also a reasonable first step when one app has grown to several gigabytes of cache and you need space today.

It isn't worth doing on a schedule or with "cleaner" apps. Android trims cache when storage runs low, and the files come back as you use your apps. Clearing them constantly just makes apps reload images and pages, which costs time and mobile data. If an app keeps crashing even after you clear its cache, work through our guide to fixing apps that keep crashing on Android, and if the whole phone is acting up, see what to do when an Android phone keeps restarting.

How we put this together: We checked every menu path in this guide against Google's Android, Pixel, Chrome, Play, and Files by Google help pages and Samsung's US support pages on October 30, 2026. The recovery-menu change comes from 9to5Google's report and Samsung community threads, as linked above. Menu names can vary slightly by phone maker and software version.