Clearing an app's cache removes temporary files. It's a quick fix when an app shows old content, misbehaves after an update, or takes up more space than expected.
Steps
- Open Settings > Apps.
- Choose the app.
- Open Storage (or Storage & cache).
- Press Clear cache.
Clear cache vs clear storage
Clear cache deletes temporary files only. You stay signed in, and settings and downloads are kept. The app rebuilds the cache as you use it.
Clear storage (sometimes Clear data) resets the app to how it was when first installed. You'll be signed out and lose local data such as offline downloads, unsynced notes or chat history that isn't backed up. For example, clearing storage for Spotify deletes your downloaded songs, and for Google Maps it removes offline areas.
Does clearing cache help?
It helps with display glitches, an app stuck loading, and freeing space quickly. It won't fix bugs in the app itself, and on a phone that's working fine there's no reason to do it regularly. Android manages cache automatically when storage runs low.
If an app still misbehaves, check for an update with our guide on updating Android apps, or reinstall it. Our guide to checking Android storage shows which apps use the most space.
