Refresh your Android device by clearing the cookies & cache in your browser

The web browser on your Android phone gathers a lot of information from the websites you visit and a lot of it stays there even when you don't need it to. Whether you're using Samsung Internet, Firefox or Google Chrome a large portion of that data is stored in your browser's cookies and cache. The websites you visit may benefit from this information by loading more quickly when you are already logged in. That's good but your browser's cookies and cache include a lot of data that isn't necessary and can even pose a privacy concern.

Why it's important to frequently clear your cookies and cache

Your cookies and cache collect a lot of stuff that is simply useless. It's possible that some of it came from websites you've only ever visited once. Others appear to be actively monitoring your surfing history and displaying adverts based on what you are purchasing or streaming online. For instance, I frequently see ads for buying glasses online after exploring a few shops or I occasionally see Amazon ads that just so happen to feature the last item I had in my shopping basket.

Because of this frequently clearing up your cache is a savvy practice. It enables you to delete data from your phone that you no longer require particularly if one of your phone's cookies contains an unidentified data tracker. You'll need to log back into some of your favorite websites after clearing your cache but it's just a small price to pay to make sure your phone isn't storing unnecessary data.

Depending on the phone and web browser app you're using there are a few minor differences in the processes. we'll go through how to clear this data in the sections below. For Google's Chrome browser (typically the default on many Android phones such as the Google Pixel line), Samsung's internet browser (commonly the default on the Galaxy phone series) and Mozilla's Firefox browser. If you have further Apple devices to clean up you can also read our separate article on how to delete the cache on an iPhone web browser.

With Google Chrome

You may clear your cookies and cache from within the Android version of Google Chrome By first clicking the More icon in the top right corner of the browser, denoted by an order of three dots then clicking History and finally clicking Clear browsing data. You can also do this by selecting Privacy and Security from the Chrome Settings menu and then clicking Clear browsing data.

Chrome also has Basic and Advanced settings for deleting cookies, site data, browsing history, cached pictures and downloaded files. You can select to delete every piece of data by using the time range drop down menu or just a part of it from the last 24 hours to the last four weeks. By selecting advanced you can also erase Autofill form data, saved passwords, and site preferences. Click the blue Clear data button after selecting what you want to erase. If Chrome determines that some websites are "important" to you, you can see an additional prompt and you'll have the chance to confirm before clearing. If you don't get the prompt, Chrome will start clearing right away according to your instructions.

Samsung Internet

There are two methods you can use to remove the cache and cookies from your Samsung Internet browser. Both the Settings app on your phone and the browser itself can be used to clean. Choose Options from the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner of the Samsung Internet browser app then select Settings. Scroll down to Personal Data and tap that then tap remove browsing data to bring up a menu of options to remove. You can delete your browsing history in any combination of cached pictures , site data, cookies and files, passwords and autofill forms. when you tap Delete data A prompt will appear asking your confirmation before the deletion.

You can customise what you want to erase the most by using the browser software itself. However you may find comparable options in your phone's settings menu by opening the Settings app, selecting Apps, then scrolling down to and selecting Samsung Internet and Storage. At the bottom of Storage there are separate options to clear cache and clear data. While tapping Clear data displays a message informing you that all of the application's data, including files, settings, accounts and databases would be permanently destroyed, tapping Clear cache immediately deletes the cache. This procedure should clear off all residual data even though it doesn't expressly mention cookies allowing you to restart the Samsung Internet browser as if it were brand new.

Using Mozilla Firefox

You may erase the cache from within the Mozilla Firefox Android app, much like with Google Chrome. To access this feature Tap the More button which is once more represented by three vertically arranged dots, just to the right of the address bar. Select Settings and then click Delete browsing data. Here we are talking about of the three browsers Firefox has the most options under the Delete browsing data menu, allowing you to remove not only Cookies and Cached pictures and files but also any open tabs, your browsing history and site data, Site permissions, and even your Downloads folder. 

Although you cannot choose a time range like you can with Chrome, you can be more specific about the types of data you wish to erase. For individuals who never want to store their browsing history after using the app Firefox now offers an alternative choice. The Delete browsing data on quit option located in the Settings menu, instructs Firefox to delete any combination of these settings each time you close the application. It's a helpful function if you want to keep the browser organized  for example, to prevent mistakenly giving someone who may have stolen or somehow gotten access to your phone your browser history.