With most of you using your smartphones to surf the web more than your desktop and laptop computers, it only makes perfect sense that you would want your phones to quickly take you to your favorite websites. The web browsers on your smartphone need the same maintenance as your desktop or laptop computer. When was the last time you deleted cookies or cleared your cache on your smartphone’s browser? If it's been a while, you might want to take a moment to perform this. If you're not sure how to do this, here’s a detailed guide to clearing browsing data and cache on mobile web browsers, including Google Chrome, Opera, Samsung Internet, Firefox, and Safari.
Delete Browsing Data, Cache, and Cookies on Android & iPhone
Cleaning data off your smartphone is the best way to speed up web browsing. When you surf the web on your phone, your browsers collect a lot of data in the form of your history, saved entries, and cookies. Whatever phone you're using, here are the steps to do it on all major web browsers for Android and iOS.
1. Clear Browsing Data in Google Chrome. If you're an Android user, Google Chrome comes preloaded as the default browser on almost all Android phones. Besides, many iPhone users prefer using Chrome for its simple interface.
Here’s how to clear browsing data in Google Chrome:
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your phone.
Step 2: Click the three dots on the top left and select Settings.
Step 3: Scroll down and tap Privacy and Security.
Step 4: Click on Clear Browsing Data.
Step 5: You can click on the drop-down menu for the timeframe you want the browser data to be cleared. Select All time to clear all data.
Step 6: Click on Clear Data.
Once you follow the above steps, you will clear all browsing data on Google Chrome on your smartphone. If you want to clear more data, switch to the Advanced tab to delete saved passwords, autofill form data, and the site settings.
2. Clear Browsing Data in Opera. Opera is quite popular amongst users, thanks to the built-in VPN, data saver, themes, and other features.
If using Opera, follow the steps below to clear your browsing data:
Step 1: Open Opera mobile. Click the user menu at the bottom right- as shown above.
Step 2: Click on the Settings icon.
Step 3: Scroll down to find Privacy. Tap it.
Step 4: Click on Clear Data at the bottom.
Step 5: By default, a few options would already be selected to be cleared away. You can deselect/select any as per your choice. Post that, click Clear Data.
Once you follow the above steps, you will be able to clear all browsing data, including passwords, history, site settings, searches, open tabs, bookmarks, and more on the Opera Browser on your phone.
3. Clear Browsing Data on Samsung Internet. Samsung Internet is another popular Android browser loaded on Samsung phones and tablets. Many users prefer it over Chrome for the OneUI-inspired UI, password-protected Secret Mode, and lots of customization options.
Here’s the procedure to clear browsing data on Samsung Internet Browser:
Step 1: Open Samsung Internet. Click the hamburger menu at the bottom right.
Step 2: Click on the Settings icon.
Step 3: Next, click on Privacy and Security.
Step 4: Here, select Delete browsing data.
Step 5: Finally, select the data you want to remove and tap Delete Data.
Once you follow the above steps, you will be able to clear all browsing data on the Samsung Internet browser on your smartphone.
4. Clear Browsing Data in Firefox Browser. Mozilla Firefox has a separate fanbase in the browser world. The mobile browser now carries a modern interface, the in-house GeckoView engine with improved performance, more privacy options, and other changes.
Here’s a step-by-step procedure to clear browsing data in Firefox:
Step 1: Open Firefox on your phone.
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu at the top right > select Settings.
Step 3: Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and click on Delete Browsing Data.
Step 4: Click on Delete Browsing Data.
In Firefox, the Downloads option is checked by default. Please make sure you un-check the option if you do not want to lose any files downloaded through the browser.
Once you follow the above steps, you will successfully clear all browsing data on the Firefox browser on your smartphone. This includes open tabs, history, site data, permissions, cookies, and the cached images and files taking unwanted storage space.
5. Clear Browsing Data in Safari (iPhone, iPad). Safari is the default web browser for all Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads. Instead of deleting the data from within the browser, you need to do it via iOS settings.
Here’s the detailed process to clear browsing data on Safari:
Step 1: Open the Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2: Scroll down to the “Safari” option. Tap it.
Step 3: Next, scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
Step 4: Your device will ask if you want to clear Safari’s data. Confirm your choice.
Bonus- Clear Browser App Data on Android
Getting a clean start on all web browsers for your Android. If you want to start fully afresh on your favorite web browser on your Android Device, here’s a much simpler and alternative option.
Step 1: Open Settings > Apps and notifications > All apps > select the browser app.
Step 2: OR long-press the browser app icon and click on “i” to reach the App info page.
Step 3: Once on the App Info page, click on Clear All Data.
Step 4: Finally, tap OK when prompted.
In case you are using Chrome, you will be provided with a slightly different set of options. After step 3, click on Manage Space and select the data type you want to be cleared from your device. Ideally, you can click on the third option – Clear All Data to start afresh on Google Chrome.
Getting a clean start on all web browsers for your iPhone. On the other hand, iPhone users can uninstall and reinstall the browser app to start afresh. Before clearing data or uninstalling the app, make sure you backup or sync any essential data like saved passwords or autofill data.
I hope you can use these tips to clear out the web browsers on your smartphones. Web Browsers are notorious apps that hog up a lot of memory. Once you clear browsing data on mobile browsers, it can significantly improve your experience by making it smoother. Simple web browser maintenance can help boost your speed on your smartphone. If none of the above steps work, you need to also look at other factors such as your phone’s age, its hardware, how many apps you have running, and what permissions you allow those apps to have. If you need further assistance, please reach out to me with any questions you might have. I am always happy to help.
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