Every app on your device uses your phone's cache to operate. When the cache is full, you will notice issues on your phone, like application slowdown or a program unable to perform various functions. To address these problems, this article offers a complete guide to using the Android phone clear cache option to help improve your device’s performance.
What is Cache？
Cache is the transient data from apps and your phone system to expedite tasks. It lets your Android phone quickly access often-used data, such as images or software files, without reloading them every time. Using an app function or revisiting websites lowers load times and increases efficiency.
However, the cache can occupy a sizable portion of your device as more data is kept. Cached files accumulating over time could cause slower app loading, lagging, or even freezing, compromising performance. Your phone could also store left-over data from an uninstalled app that is just taking up space in your memory. Although cache is temporary, it can add to the clutter that affects the long-term operation of your phone.
Some apps can download and store incredibly large files in your cache, reaching over 1GB. Video streaming apps that let you download movies or shows are an example. If you have a premium subscription and are constantly downloading offline media, chances are high that an app takes up more than half of your local storage space. Knowing how to clear YouTube cache on Android phone or other streaming videos lets you enjoy more available storage.
How to Clear Cache on Android Phone?
Fortunately for today’s users, emptying all the files in your device’s cache is nearly as simple as a single button tap. The only complicated part is to find that specific “button.” Below is a step by step process on how to clear cache on Android phone.
Step 1: Open Settings
Unlock your phone and slide your fingers from the top of the screen to access your device’s settings. It is usually a gear icon among the other icons and sliders that control your phone.
Step 2: Go to "Storage"
Scan down the settings menu and tap "Storage." The accumulated file size from the data of your apps and downloaded files will be shown here.
Step 3-A: Clear The App Storage
Look for the “Apps” menu in the storage menu and tap it. This will show you the amount of total data your Apps are using. Find the “clear cache” option to delete data in your drive’s cache folder.
[DISCLAIMER] This step will delete all stored data in your cache folder, including downloaded movies and shows from streaming apps. If you want to keep those files while deleting the cache from other apps, move to the next step.
Step 3-B: Clear Specific App Cache
If you want to keep files from specific apps, you can do a targeted data removal. In the Storage and Apps menu, you will see the amount of data an app has stored in your local drive. Look for an unused app that uses a large portion of your drive and tap on it. Look for the “Clear Cache” option in the menu and tap on it. If you need to free up more space, go back to the list of apps and clear the data of ones you are not using.
An alternative on how to clear browser cache in Android phone is to open its settings. Locate the browsing data menu in the app. For Chrome, tap on “History” to find “Clear Browsing Data.” Tap on it to get an option on how much of the cache data you want to delete. You can remove everything by selecting “All Time.”
When Should You Clear Your Cache?
Emptying your phone’s cache does not have to be a routine. It is ideal to do it under three certain scenarios:
- Your phone struggles to open apps or perform various tasks, like moving to the main menu. If your apps constantly crash or close independently, consider clearing your cache.
- Clear your cache when you need space in your local storage drive to store new videos, images, or other files.
- After a recent OS update, there is a chance some of its unused data is taking up space in your cache folder.
Tips for Optimizing Android Performance Beyond Cache Clearing
The goal of clearing the cache is to improve your phone’s performance. With the following tips, you can further enhance your device’s speed.
Remove Unused Apps: When you review the list of apps in your settings, you will see which ones you barely use. It is advisable to remove them when you need more local storage space.
Update Your Software: An OS update usually patches bugs or issues with the previous version, resulting in a slightly faster phone. You should update your phone when an update request appears in your notification.
Limit Background Apps: Many apps could run simultaneously on your phone even if not active on your screen. Look for the “Background App” toggle in your Android phone's “Battery” menu to toggle it off.
Use External Storage/Have a Large Internal Memory: It is a good idea to use a TF card to store important files and free up space in your local drive. If you buy a new phone, consider one with incredibly high storage capacity, like the Note 21. The Meizu phone comes with 256GB of internal storage and supports TF card expansion, providing more than enough space to store large cache data.
Conclusion
Understanding your Android phone clear cache function can restore your device’s performance back to normal. Following the steps to delete all od the data in your cache folder or remove ones from specific apps. If your phone is still struggling to do basic commands, use our tips to improve its speed.
FAQs
Can I delete everything in cache?
You can remove all of the cached data on your Android phone without compromising the operation of your applications. The temporary nature of cached files means the software can still run normally after removing the data. Once cleared, your apps may load slower as they rebuild the cache.
What happens when you clear cache on Android?
Clearing the cache in your Android device simply means deleting files in a specific folder. These are temporary files that allow apps to run smoother. Samples of these files include product images from online shopping apps. Software runs slower after clearing the cache due to the process of downloading the files to rebuild its internal system folder.
How often should you clear cache on your Android phone?
When your gadget seems slow, apps crash often, or you find your storage running low, think about cleaning the cache. Another instance is to clear the cache following significant software upgrades or when an app behaves erratically. Since Android is meant to be managed effectively on its own, if your phone runs without problems, there is no need to routinely clear the cache.
Does clearing cache delete data?
Clearing the cache is the process of deleting temporary data in your phone. You should not be concerned since these are not important data in other folders of your local storage drive. In addition, Clearing your cache will not remove any saved login credentials or custom settings for any application. This type of information is stored in a different location outside of the cache folder.