Safari stores parts of the websites you visit, along with cookies and history, to load pages faster. Clearing this data can fix pages that load slowly or display incorrectly, and frees some storage.
Clear history, cache and cookies
- Open Settings > Apps > Safari. (On older versions of iOS, Settings > Safari.)
- Tap Clear History and Website Data.
- Choose a time range, such as All History.
- Tap Clear History.
This removes your browsing history, cookies and cached website data from Safari on this iPhone. If you use iCloud for Safari, history is also cleared on your other signed-in devices.
You can also do this from Safari: tap the Bookmarks button, open the History tab, and tap Clear.
Clear the cache but keep your history
- Open Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data, then confirm.
Your history remains, but cookies and cached data are removed, so you will be signed out of websites.
Clear data for one website
If only one site is misbehaving:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
- Search for the site, or find it in the list.
- Swipe left on it and tap Delete.
This keeps you signed in everywhere else.
Other ways to speed up Safari
- Close tabs you do not need. Tap the tabs button, then press and hold Done to close all tabs, or set Settings > Apps > Safari > Close Tabs to close them automatically after a day, week or month.
- Remove Safari extensions you do not use in Settings > Apps > Safari > Extensions.
- Update iOS to get the latest version of Safari.
Frequently asked questions
Does clearing the Safari cache delete passwords?
No. Saved passwords are stored in Passwords and iCloud Keychain, not the Safari cache. You will need to sign in to websites again, and your saved passwords can fill in the details.
How do I clear the cache on iPhone without losing history?
Go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data and tap Remove All Website Data.
Will clearing Safari data free a lot of storage?
Usually a modest amount. It is most useful for fixing slow or broken websites.
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