Every time you browse a website for the first time, information from it is stored in temporary files, and these files are called cache. Why is there cache, you ask? Isn’t this a little invasion of your privacy because your browser or gadget retains some information about the sites you have visited? Shouldn’t this be prohibited? Cache files, terrible as they may seem when it comes to your security, is helpful when it comes to your browsing speed. See, those temporary files allow you to load the website faster and directly the next time you visit it, leading to a more satisfying browsing experience from you since you don’t have to wait that long for the site to load. If cache files are not present, the browser would need to connect to the site’s server again for proper reloading.
But then, security is not the only downside to cache files, as helpful as they may be. They also slow down your apps and device systems since they use memory and RAM. Besides, a good number of sites only get visited by a user once, so there is not really a necessity for the cache of these sites to be saved. Now, the question is, is it a good habit to clear your device’s cache? The answer is yes, and regularly. Why?
You will not see all changes made to the webpage if you rely on the cache. If you frequent a website and are religious in clearing the cache memory of your device, the browser, or the app you are using will be alerted to fetch the webpage’s latest version all the time. Also, when you are using a device that other people may have access to, as mentioned earlier, the next user may get access to your information, as the cache can store information such as your payment modes (e.g., debit and credit card information) and log-in credentials. That’s an additional privacy threat!
So, how do you clear your cache? With a laptop, since most online activities are done through browsing, then clearing the cache of your web browser is the way to go. Otherwise, you can also clear the cache of your iDevice or Android device. Here’s how:
Remove your cache in Chrome
Personal laptops run on Chrome. I mean, who uses IE or Microsoft Edge on their personal laptops? To remove cache on your Chrome browser, here are the steps:
To clear the cache and cookies in Chrome, you’ll need to access the browser’s Settings menu. There are three different ways you can get here.
The first way is to click the three vertical dots icon in the top-right corner of the screen, hovering over “More Tools,” and then selecting “Clear Browsing Data.”
(Via: https://www.howtogeek.com/661729/how-to-clear-cache-and-cookies-in-chrome/)
Remove your cache in Firefox
Firefox is another popular browser. Here are the steps to remove cache when your browser of choice is Firefox:
Like all internet browsers, Firefox temporarily stores items (such as images) in a cache to help speed up browsing. If Firefox is your preferred browser of choice, you can choose to clear this cache manually by accessing your “Privacy & Security” tab in the browser preferences. Additionally, you can set up custom settings to clear the cache automatically.
(Via: https://www.businessinsider.sg/how-to-clear-cache-firefox?r=US&IR=T)
Remove cache from your iDevice
Even if you’re an Apple fan, you can still benefit from a good cache clearing. Here’s how:
However, before you begin clearing your iPhone cache, take note that doing so will erase the data for any app whose cache you clear. This is what clearing your cache on an iPhone means: You delete data stored by apps. In many cases, your apps need this data to function properly, or to at least remember your preferences, settings, and any files you’ve saved to them. As such, before you clear the cache for any iPhone app, consider whether or not you may actually need its data.
(Via: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-clear-cache-iphone/)
Remove cache from your Android device
If you’re not a member of the Cult of Apple, then this is for you. But remember, clearing cache and clearing data is not the same.
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 on to information like the artists you viewed outside of your library, album art browsed, and search history as cache. When the app cache is cleared, all of the mentioned data is cleared.
(Via: https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/10/03/clear-app-cache-data-android/)
Now, if you got carried away with removing files that you put even the important ones in the Recycle Bin which you hastily emptied after, don’t fret. We have experts to help you. Read on to know what we will do to get you back your important files: https://www.harddrivefailurerecovery.net/data-recovery-near-me.