How to clear cache on Android: apps, the browser and the partition

One app’s cache

Google’s Android Help page on clearing up space says you can usually clear an app’s cache and data with your device’s Settings app, that Settings can vary by Android device, and that you should get help from your device manufacturer if yours differs. Its older Pixel page gives the path: open Settings, tap Apps, then See all apps, choose the app, tap Storage and cache, then Clear cache or Clear storage. Samsung’s UK page, updated on 5 June 2026, says to go to Settings, tap Apps, select the app, tap Storage and tap Clear cache. The android.com article gives the same path, with Apps or Applications depending on the Android version, and recommends clearing an app’s cache when the device runs slower than usual.

The two buttons are not the same. Google says Clear cache deletes temporary data and some apps may be slow the next time you open them, while Clear storage permanently deletes all app data and you should try to delete the data within the app first. Comodo, a security company, gives the same warning in other words: avoid tapping Clear storage or Clear data unless you want to reset the app completely. That is the whole answer to how to clear cache on Android for one app: the first button, not the second.

The browser’s cache

The android.com article gives six steps for Chrome on an Android phone: open the Chrome app, tap the three dots at the top right, select History and then Clear browsing data, choose a time range from Last hour to All time, tick Cookies and site data and Cached images and files, and tap Clear data. Google’s Account Help page on clearing the cache and cookies shows the Chrome steps for a computer: More, then Delete browsing data, a time range, Cookies and other site data, other items you want to delete, and Delete data.

Google says what follows: some settings on sites get deleted, so if you were signed in you will need to sign in again, and some sites can seem slower because content such as images needs to load again. It lists three reasons to clear them: to resolve website loading or formatting issues, to get the most up-to-date version of a site, and to free up local storage space. The android.com article adds that clearing the cache can speed up your phone and that some websites might load slightly slower at first as the cache rebuilds.

The cache partition, and Samsung’s other route

Samsung’s page gives a first route that is not per app: Settings, Battery and device care, then Optimise now, and Done once it finishes; on older devices the menu is called Device care and the button Fix now. Samsung then describes clearing the whole cache partition from the recovery menu: switch the device off, open the recovery menu with the button combination for your model, use the volume buttons to select Wipe cache partition, confirm with the power button, select Yes, and choose Reboot device. The combination differs by model: Volume Up, Home and Power on a phone with a Home button such as the S6 or S7; Volume Up, Bixby and Power on an S8, S9 or S10; Volume Up and Side on a Note10, Fold or Z Flip.

The android.com article describes the same idea in general terms, as booting into recovery mode and selecting Wipe cache partition, and says the way to enter recovery differs between devices. Comodo calls it the system cache and says it is often cleared through recovery mode. Google’s Android Help pages that we read do not mention the cache partition, so how it applies to your phone is a question for your phone’s maker.

Does clearing the cache speed the phone up?

The sources lean different ways. The android.com article says clearing the cache can speed up your Android phone, because it removes outdated files and frees storage. Google’s Android Help page says Clear cache deletes temporary data and some apps may be slow the next time you open them, and lists clearing the cache among ways to clear space, not to speed things up. Comodo says outdated or corrupted cache files may cause apps to crash, freeze or misbehave, and that cached items may retain sensitive information; it sells security software. Samsung says the cache may store unnecessary data and also points to updating Google Chrome and Android System WebView for apps that crash as soon as they are opened. For that case see Android apps crashing; for what each browser says clearing removes, what clearing the cache does.