Skip to main content

Web Browsing Tip: How to Clear Your Cache

Written by Kris Baker on . Posted in Best Practices.

computer-33521_640Not seeing updates you’ve made on your website? Sometimes when you have just updated your site, your computer will still have an old version of the page loaded for your browser (called cache). This can keep you from seeing edits that have recently been made on any website, even your Demosphere WebWriter® Website. In order to make sure you are seeing the most up to date version of the website, you need to clear your cache, and this is done in different ways for each browser.

The first step is to identify your browser. There are many different web browsers but the five most common are Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Opera. The image below will show you the icon you should be able to see on your browser to help you identify what program you use.

browsers

Next, find out what version of your browser you are using by going to Help -> About. If you do not see the help tab, click the Alt key in order to show you the menus on your browser.

Firefox: Go to the page that isn’t loading properly and hold down your SHIFT key and click the reload icon in the top of the page. This will clear the cache for that page only. Alternatively you can clear your entire cache. If you are using version 4 or later:

  1. In Firefox, click the History menu.
    1. If you don’t have a history menu click Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac’s)
  2. Select Clear Recent History.
  3. Under “Time Range to Clear,” select Everything.
  4. Select the “Details” button.
  5. Select the “Cache” checkbox.
  6. Click Clear Now.

FirefoxClear

If you are using version 3.x of Firefox for Windows use the following steps:

  1. In Firefox, click the Tools menu.
  2. Select Clear Private Data.
  3. Select the “Cache” checkbox.
  4. Click Clear Private Data Now.

If you are using Firefox on a Mac, please follow the below steps for version 3.x and higher:

  1. Click the Firefox menu.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Select Advanced.
  4. Click the Network tab.
  5. In the “Offline Storage” section, click Clear Now.
  6. Click OK.

In previous versions, it will be called “Cache” not “Offline Storage” on Macs.

Internet Explorer: navigate to the page that isn’t loading properly and hold down your CTRL key and click the reload icon in the top of the page. This will clear the cache for that page only.
Alternatively, you can clear your entire cache. If you are using version IE 9 or later:

  1. In Internet Explorer click the gear icon in the top right.
  2. Select Safety.
  3. Click Delete Browsing History.
    1. If you cannot find these options use the keystroke of Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
  4. Check off Temporary Internet Files and website files and Cookies and website Data.
  5. Click Delete and wait for the message that it is done.

IE11Clear

If you are using an old version of Internet Explorer such as IE 8, please use the following instructions.

    1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools. If you don’t see the menu, press Alt on your keyboard to show menus.
    2. Select Delete Browsing History.
    3. Select the checkbox next to “Temporary Internet Files.”
    4. Click Delete.
    5. It can take several minutes for the cache history to be deleted. Once the files have been deleted, click Okay.

IE8Clear

If you are using an earlier version of IE such as Internet Explorer 7.x

  • In Internet Explorer, click Tools. If you don’t see the menu, press Alt on your keyboard to show menus.
  • Select Delete Browsing History.
  • Click Delete files.
  • Click Yes in the confirmation window.
  • Click Close.

Internet Explorer 6.x

  • In Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu.
  • Select Internet Options.
  • Click the General tab.
  • Click Delete Files.
  • Click OK in the confirmation window.
  • Click OK to close the “Internet Options” window.

Note: It can take several minutes for the cache history to be deleted

Google Chrome: Chrome allows you to clear the cache on a page by holding down Ctrl + F5 or Shift+ F5, but it also can clear your full cache if that isn’t doing the job:

  1. In up to date versions of chrome Click on the settings icon Chrome in the top right of the browser.
  2. Select Tools.
  3. Click on Clear browsing data.
    1. If you have trouble finding this location use Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
  4. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site and plug-in data.
  5. Select beginning of time in the drop down next to “Obliterate the following items from:”
  6. Click Clear browsing data.

ChromeClear

 

If your Chrome is an older version use the instructions below:

  1. Click the wrench icon wrench icon on the browser toolbar.
  2. Select Tools.
  3. Select Clear browsing data.
  4. In the dialog that appears, select the checkboxes for the types of information that you want to remove.
  5. Use the menu at the top to select the amount of data that you want to delete. Select beginning of time to delete everything.
  6. Click Clear browsing data.

 

Safari: In Safari’s newest versions, hold down shift key and click reload at the top of the page. In older versions (on mac) hold down the CMD key and press R on your keyboard.  You can also clear your cache by:

  1. Click the Safari menu.
  2. Select Empty Cache.
    1. If you have trouble use Cmd+Option+E.
  3. Click Empty.

Safari for iOS:

  1. Click on Settings on the home screen.
  2. Scroll down and choose Safari from the list.
  3. Find the button that says Clear Cookies and Data and push it.
  4. On the prompt choose Clear Cookies and Data again.

Android mobile browser:

  1. Click the Menu option on your phone or tablet.
    1. If needed click More Options.
  2. Click the Settings option.
  3. Click the Clear Cache option.
  4. Confirm with OK.

Opera: You can clear the cache on a specific page by holding down Shift and clicking the reload button at the top of the page.  In order to clear your cache entirely you can:

  1. In Opera, click the Opera menu.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Click the Delete Private Data option.
  4. Check off Delete entire cache.
  5. Click Delete.

Kris Baker

Kris Baker is the President of Demosphere and has been serving the Youth Sports Community since 2006.