Delete temporary internet files or cached files

Your internet browser stores data from web pages in temporary internet files or cached files. On subsequent visits to a web page, your browser quickly loads the page from the temporary or cached file and downloads only new content from the website’s server. You may occasionally encounter issues where your browser displays the data from the temporary or cached file but fails to download new content. For example, you might not see files that were recently uploaded for you. If you suspect that this is happening or if you are experiencing other issues, you should clear your temporary internet files or cached files and then try to reload the website again.

The steps required to delete temporary internet files or cached files vary by browser. For your convenience, we’ve summarized the instructions for supported browsers below.

Apple Safari

In Safari, you can clear your browsing history or — if you prefer not to clear the history — follow the second set of steps to clear the caches.

Clear your browsing history

  1. Choose Safari > Clear History and Website data.
  2. In the popup, select all history from the drop-down list.
  3. Click the Clear History button.

Clear the caches

  1. Choose Safari > Preferences.
  2. Click Advanced.
  3. Mark the Show Develop menu in menu bar checkbox.
  4. Choose Develop > Clear Caches.

Clear the cache on a Mac

  1. Choose Safari > Preferences.
  2. Click the Advanced tab.
  3. Mark the Show Develop menu in menu bar checkbox, and then close the Preferences window.
  4. Choose Develop in the tool bar, and select Empty Caches.
  5. Close and re-open Safari.

Google Chrome

To delete cached files in Chrome, follow these steps.

  1. Click the Customize and control Google Chrome  button in the upper-right corner of the window, and choose More tools > Clear browsing data.
  2. In the Time range field, select All time.

  3. Mark the Cached images and files checkbox.

    Note: If necessary, clear the Browsing history and Cookies and other site data checkboxes.

  4. Click the Clear browsing button.

Microsoft Edge

To delete temporary internet files from Edge, follow these steps.

  1. In Edge, choose  > History.
  2. Click the Clear history link.

  3. Mark the Cached data and files checkbox.

    Note: Mark only the Cached data and files checkbox in the Clear browsing data panel.

  4. Click the Clear button.

Mozilla Firefox

To delete temporary internet files from Firefox, follow these steps.

  1. Click the Open menu  button in the upper-right corner of the window, and click Options.
  2. Click Privacy & Security.
  3. In the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data.

  4. Mark the Cached Web Content checkbox.

    Note: If necessary, clear the Cookies and Site Data checkbox.

  5. Click Clear.