How to clear your app cache on your phone or tablet
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Does your phone feel sluggish? Does it take longer to open apps or navigate between screens? Consider upgrading to a newer Samsung handset or clearing storage space or cache on your Android phone. Your phone accumulates a significant amount of data, making it difficult to process that data. Among this data is the cache.
You can clear the cache manually through settings or with a third-party app. This article looks at both options and guides you through them step-by-step.
What is a cache?
Cache memory stores temporary data for browsers, games, streaming, and other apps. This data includes miscellaneous information, such as thumbnails, video snippets, and your search history. It reduces load times and makes apps process information faster. All apps, be it YouTube, Spotify, or Google News, save this information as cache data.
Caching saves time by storing information that can be used by the app on a regular basis. On the flip side, storing information as cache takes a toll on the phone’s memory, which can slow it down.
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Difference between clearing app cache and data on Android
While we often mention clearing cache and data in the same breath, they’re two distinct actions on Android. When using the Spotify app, for example, it holds onto information like new artists you viewed, album art browsed, and search history as cache. When the app cache is cleared, all the mentioned data is cleared.
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The application stores information like user settings, databases, and login information as data. When you clear the data, both the cache and data are removed. Clearing data is the equivalent of starting an app from a clean slate as if you installed it for the first time.
Why should you clear the app cache?
The primary reason to clear the application cache is to free up storage, which might impact the phone’s performance. Clearing data is a dramatic step, which is generally reserved for when an app misbehaves. This could result from corrupted cache files, untested server-side changes, buggy software, or a new OS update to Android.
Poorly written apps or poorly sandboxed apps could pose a security threat if they store sensitive user information in their cache and data. In such a scenario, it makes sense to clear them both.
How to clear app cache and data
Clearing the cache is best seen as a temporary fix since every app will populate the storage immediately. Despite the benefits, doing so too often can defeat the purpose of improving load times. Don’t make it a daily routine.
How to clear app cache and data on a Google Pixel
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and select Apps.
- Tap the See all option at the bottom.
- Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
- Tap Storage and cache.
- Select Clear cache.
- Tap Clear storage to clear data and cache.
How to clear app cache and data on Samsung Galaxy phones
- Open the Settings menu.
- Scroll down and select Apps.
- Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
- Scroll down and select Storage.
- Tap Clear data to clear data.
- Tap Clear cache to clear the app cache.
How to clear app cache and data on OnePlus phones
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and select Apps and notifications.
- Tap See all to list all installed apps.
- Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
- Select Storage and cache.
- Tap Clear cache to clear the cache.
- Tap Clear storage to clear data and cache.
How to clear cache and data on Xiaomi phones
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and select Apps.
- Tap Manage apps.
- Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
- Select the Storage option.
- Tap Clear cache to clear only the app cache, or tap Clear data to clear data and cache.
Why not use a third-party app cache cleaner?
Using a third-party cache cleaner app is a futile exercise. If you use an app that claims to boost your phone’s performance, evaluate whether it has helped others. Also, many apps in this genre have been known to mine user data and send it to foreign servers.
There are concerns about using these apps due to their shady practices and privacy policies. They generally demand extensive permissions or display sketchy full-screen ads. Their common selling point of speeding up your phone is usually outweighed by the need to run continuously in the background and use system resources.
Some legitimate apps like SD Maid or Files by Google are worth considering. They show a detailed view of what’s occupying your phone’s storage. SD Maid removes redundant files, deletes duplicate documents, manages apps, optimizes the app database, and runs app cleaning tools on schedule.
Files by Google is a file manager that can free up space on your phone. The app shows you which files take up too much space, highlighting sections that include junk files, duplicates, blurry photos, and large files.
There’s more than one way to speed up your phone
Apps may misbehave and slow down your phone when they store too much cached data. Clearing the app cache is usually the first step in troubleshooting issues that arise from outdated or corrupt cache files. Doing so too often could lead to longer loading times. If your phone still runs slow despite following these steps, try these tips to speed up your old Android phone.
