How to clear cache in Safari on Mac and when you should do it
Posted on
by
Doris Muthuri
Safari’s cache makes your browsing faster by saving temporary files from the websites you visit. Most of the time, that’s helpful. However, if those files become outdated or damaged, they can cause websites to display incorrectly, prevent changes from appearing, or make Safari feel slower than it should.
This guide explains how to clear the Safari cache on your Mac in a few steps. It also compares clearing the cache with clearing cookies, browsing history, or resetting Safari so you know which option to choose.
Choose the option that matches what you need:
- Clear only the Safari cache (keeps cookies, website data, and website sign-ins)
- Clear Safari cache and website data (may sign you out of websites)
How to clear only the Safari cache on Mac
If you want to clear only Safari’s cache, you can do that without deleting your cookies or other website data. This means you’ll usually stay signed in to your websites, and Safari keeps your saved website preferences. To do this, you’ll need to use Safari’s Develop menu, which is hidden by default.
Follow these steps to unhide it and delete the cache:
- Open Safari on your Mac. In the menu bar at the top left of your screen, click Safari.
- Select Settings (or Preferences in older versions), then click the Advanced tab.
- Scroll to the bottom and check the box next to Show features for web developers (called Show Develop in the menu bar on older versions of Safari).
- Go back to the menu bar at the top of your screen and click Develop.
- Select Empty Caches to clear Safari’s cache.
Safari clears the cache right away in the background, so you won’t see a confirmation window. It won’t delete your browsing history, cookies, saved passwords, or other website data, so you’ll usually remain signed in to your accounts.
If the website still doesn’t load correctly, refresh the page. Safari will download fresh copies of the website files instead of using the old ones it had stored on your Mac.
What clearing Safari cache does
Clearing Safari’s cache removes the temporary website files stored on your Mac. The next time you visit a website, Safari downloads fresh copies of those files. This can fix problems such as websites showing outdated information, pages not loading properly, images that won’t appear, or websites that don’t reflect recent changes.
Browsers save parts of websites in the cache (such as images), so they can load faster the next time you visit. That’s why you don’t need to clear your Safari cache regularly. It’s usually only worth doing if a website has loading or formatting problems or isn’t showing the latest version.
Clearing only Safari’s cache doesn’t remove your browsing history, cookies, or other website data. Your browsing history is a record of the websites you’ve visited. Cookies and website data can keep you signed in to websites, remember your preferences, save the items in your shopping cart, and store other website settings. These are stored separately from the cache.
If clearing the cache doesn’t fix the problem, you may also need to clear cookies and website data, especially if a website keeps remembering incorrect settings or still isn’t working properly. If you only want to remove the record of the websites you’ve visited, clear your browsing history instead.
How to clear Safari cache and website data on Mac
Follow these steps to clear cache and remove website data from Safari on your Mac. Clearing this data signs you out of some sites, so have your passwords handy. You can clear data for one website that’s giving you trouble or remove it for every website stored in Safari.
- Open Safari on your Mac and click Safari in the menu bar.
- Choose Settings (or Preferences in older versions) from the menu.
- Click the Privacy tab. This is where Safari stores settings for cookies and other website data. Then click Manage Website Data.
- Safari displays a list of websites that have stored data on your Mac. Choose what you want to remove.
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- If you’re having trouble with one specific website, select it from the list and click Remove. This clears the stored data for that website only.
- If you want to clear website data for every website, click Remove All. This deletes the stored website data for all sites in the list.
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- Confirm your choice if Safari asks you to. Then select Done.
How to clear Safari history on Mac
Safari’s Clear History option does more than remove the list of websites you’ve visited. It also removes related cookies and other website data for the time period you choose. That means websites may forget your login session or other saved preferences, so you may need to sign in again. Your bookmarks and saved passwords aren’t deleted.
Follow these steps to clear your Safari history:
- Open Safari on your Mac. Click Safari in the menu bar, then choose Clear History.
- Choose the time range you want to clear. You can remove:
- The last hour if you only want to erase your most recent browsing activity.
- Today to remove the websites you’ve visited since the beginning of the day.
- Today and yesterday to clear the last two days of browsing history.
- All history to remove your entire Safari browsing history.
- Click Clear History to confirm. Safari will remove the browsing history for the time period you selected.
If you use iCloud to keep Safari in sync across your Apple devices, clearing your browsing history may also remove it from your other Macs, iPhones, and iPads that are signed in with the same Apple Account and have Safari syncing turned on.
If you’re trying to fix websites that won’t load properly or keep showing old information, clearing your cache is usually the better choice.
When should you reset Safari on Mac?
Most people won’t need to reset Safari. Clearing the cache or website data is often enough to fix common problems. If Safari still isn’t working properly after you’ve tried those steps, resetting Safari is the next thing to consider.
You may want to reset Safari if you notice things like:
- Your homepage has changed and you can’t change it back.
- Your default search engine has changed without you choosing it.
- You keep seeing pop-ups or being redirected to websites you didn’t intend to visit.
- Safari crashes, freezes, or feels unusually slow, especially after installing an extension.
- A website still won’t load or work properly, even after you’ve cleared the cache and website data.
Current versions of Safari don’t have a single Reset Safari button like older versions did. Instead, resetting Safari means checking a few parts of the browser and changing them back to their default settings if something isn’t right. This usually includes:
- Clearing website data.
- Removing Safari extensions you no longer use or don’t recognize.
- Making sure your homepage and default search engine are set the way you want them.
- Looking through Safari’s settings to check that nothing has changed without your knowledge.
If Safari is still giving you trouble after you’ve done all of that, the problem may not be Safari itself. The cause could be outdated software, a faulty extension, unwanted software, or malware on your Mac.
Check Safari extensions and suspicious behavior
If Safari started acting differently after you installed an extension or downloaded something from the internet, it’s worth checking your extensions first. Some extensions can change how Safari works, while unwanted software on your Mac can also affect your browser. If Safari suddenly starts behaving differently, reviewing your extensions is a good place to start.
Look for signs like these:
- Safari keeps opening pop-ups you didn’t ask for.
- You’re redirected to websites you weren’t trying to visit.
- Your homepage or default search engine has changed without your permission.
- Safari feels unusually slow, crashes often, or behaves strangely.
If you notice any of these problems, open Safari > Settings (or Preferences) > Extensions and look through the extensions you’ve installed. If you see one you don’t recognize, no longer use, or don’t remember installing, remove it. Then use Safari again to see if the problem has gone away. If it has, you’ve likely found the cause.
If the issue started after downloading a file, installing an app, or clicking what looked like a software update, the problem may be caused by unwanted software on your Mac rather than Safari itself. In that case, running a malware scan is a good next step. Intego Antivirus scans your Mac, identifies suspicious files, and quarantines potential threats, so you can remove unwanted files and restore trusted ones.
Fix Safari problems without clearing more than you need
Clearing Safari’s cache is often the simplest way to fix websites that won’t load properly, show outdated content, or behave unexpectedly. Since the cache only stores temporary website files, it’s a good first step that usually won’t affect your saved passwords, browsing history, or website preferences.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, move on to clearing website data or resetting Safari only when necessary. Starting with the least disruptive option lets you fix many Safari issues without removing more information than you need.
Frequently asked questions
Does clearing Safari cache delete passwords?
No. Clearing Safari’s cache only removes the temporary website files stored on your Mac. It doesn’t delete your saved passwords. However, if you also clear cookies or website data, you may be signed out of some websites and need to sign in again, but any passwords you’ve saved in Safari or iCloud Keychain will remain unless you delete them yourself.
Is clearing cache the same as clearing history?
No. Clearing the cache removes the temporary website files Safari stores to load pages faster. Clear History removes your browsing history as well as related cookies and website data, so it may sign you out of some websites.
How often should I clear Safari cache on Mac?
You don’t need to clear Safari’s cache regularly. Only clear it when Safari or a website isn’t working properly, such as when pages won’t load, show outdated information, or behave unexpectedly. If Safari is working normally, there’s usually no reason to clear the cache.
Why is Safari still not working after I clear the cache?
The cache isn’t always the cause of the problem. Safari may still not work if there’s outdated website data, a faulty extension, outdated software, or unwanted software on your Mac. Try clearing website data, checking your extensions, updating macOS and Safari, or running a malware scan with Intego Antivirus to check for malware or other unwanted software.
Can I clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad?
Yes. You can clear Safari’s cache on an iPhone or iPad, but the steps are different from a Mac. Go to Settings > Apps > Safari (or Settings > Safari on some versions of iOS or iPadOS), then tap Clear History and Website Data. This clears Safari’s history, cookies, and other website data. Unlike on a Mac, iPhone and iPad don’t have a separate option to clear only the Safari cache.
