How to clear your Firefox cache

18 Nov 2024, 17:34 by Zach Gray-Traverso · Android Police

Web browsers are the pioneers in internet exploration. While apps have specific uses, browsers offer unparalleled versatility and flexibility. Whether you're on a computer or a great Android smartphone, a browser is essential for browsing the web. Firefox is one of the most trusted web browsers for its security and customization. While it usually performs well, it can get bogged down over time by all the data it saves. To fix this, clear the cache to improve performance.

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What is a cache, and why should I clear it?

A cache is data your browser stores to load a web page faster. If you compare loading times for the first time you go to a website to subsequent times you go to the site, you'll notice it loads faster after the first time. This is because your browser stores information, like images or scripts, to help load the website faster when you visit it.

As you navigate to a site over time, and what's on the page changes, the cache gets larger. As your browser tries to load this growing data each time you open a website, it gets bogged down. By clearing your cache periodically, you can speed up your browser and save storage space on your device. Clearing your cache also provides enhanced privacy since it removes private data collected by your browser and the website.

Don't clear the cache all the time. It will make your browsing experience worse.

How to clear your Firefox cache

Clearing the cache can be done on a computer or phone.

How to clear your Firefox cache on a desktop computer

Launch Firefox.
Select the main menu (the three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner and select Preferences or Settings, depending on the Firefox version.
Select Privacy & Security on the left.
Go to the Cookies and Site Data section and click the Clear Data button.
Select the data you want to remove and click the Clear button.

How to clear your Firefox cache on Android

Open the Firefox app.
Select the overflow menu (the three dots) in the lower-right corner.
Tap Settings.
Scroll down and select Delete browsing data.
Choose which data you'd like to delete and press the Delete browsing data option.

How to clear your Firefox cache on iOS

Launch the Firefox app.
Select the main menu in the lower-right corner.
Select Settings.
Choose the Data Management option.
Select which data to delete and tap the Clear Private Data button.

Automatically clear your cache when you close Firefox

If you want to be extra secure, you can clear your cache and other browsing data when you close Firefox.

Automatically clear cache on a desktop computer

You can set up Firefox to clear the cache every time you close it.

Launch Firefox.
Select the main menu button.
Select Settings.
Choose Privacy & Security and scroll to the History section.
Check the Clear history when Firefox closes option.
Select the Settings button.
Select the data to remove when you close the browser.
Select Save Changes and close settings to finish the setup.

Automatically clear cache on Android

You can also automatically clear your cache on Android.

In the Firefox Android app, tap the three dots.
Select Settings.
Select Delete browsing data on quit.
Toggle on the option and choose which data to delete when you exit.

To use the feature, open the menu using the overflow menu (the three dots) and select the Quit option to close your browsing session.

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Clear that cache

A cache is a useful tool that can slow down your device and leave security loopholes. Firefox makes it easy to clear your cache, even automatically, if you want. To improve your security while browsing, block malicious websites on Firefox to stop them from accessing your information.