Clear Cache, Cookies and History in Chrome

Updated at: May 20, 2024

The controls to clear your Cookies, Browsing history, cache and other data in Chrome are all stored in the same screen. To display these controls and choose what you want to clear, follow these instructions.

1. Click the Chrome menu button

   Click the button that looks like three little black dots on top of each other in the top right corner of the Chrome window.

   

   Chrome's menu will be displayed when you click the "three dots" button.

2. Click "Clear Browsing Data..."

   Click Clear Browsing Data... in the menu which has appeared; it is near the middle.

   

3. Choose what to clear from Chrome

   You are now presented with a choice of what to clear from Chrome.

   Click the various checkboxes on the left of the window to select or deselect the items in the list of what to clear.

   Basic or Advanced

   If you just want the standard or basic options, then you can check or uncheck the three options you are given on the Basic screen:

   • Browsing history
   • Cookies and other site data
   • Cached images and files

   Basic

   

   Those three options are usually the ones you most regularly want to clear.

   However if you want to clear more types of data from your browser, you can click the Advanced tab at the top of the window.

   Advanced

   

   You are now presented with additional options you can check or uncheck to clear.

   These options are considered "Advanced" by Chrome because whereas you might want to regularly delete your cookies or clear your cache, it's more likely that you don't want to regularly clear your list of Remembered Passwords or Media licenses.

   • Browsing history
   • Download history
   • Cookies and other site data
   • Cached images and files
   • Passwords
   • Autofill form data
   • Content settings
   • Hosted app data
   • Media licenses

   Time range

   Also note the Time range option which is present on both the Basic and the Advanced views.

   This option gives you the power to delete your browsing data in a certain time frame.

   For example, you might only want to delete your cookies and history from the Last 24 hours; leaving your older history intact. Or you might want to delete your data from All time.

   Delete Chrome browsing history

   If you want to delete the list of websites you have visited in Chrome, make sure that Browsing history is ticked in the list of items to clear. When you click Clear data it will delete your history.

   Delete list of files downloaded in Chrome

   If you want to delete the list of files you have downloaded in Chrome, make sure that Download history is ticked. This will cause Chrome to get rid of the list of files you have downloaded in Chrome. It doesn't get rid of the files themselves - they will still be available on your computer - but this option will get rid of the list of files you've downloaded recently.

   Delete Cookies in Chrome

   Make sure Cookies and other site data is selected if you want to clear your cookies in Chrome. The "other site data" refers to a way that web browsers are now able to store information on your computer known as "Local Storage".

   Local Storage allows the developers who make webpages to store information to help their website work properly, on your computer. It's almost like a little database on your computer. It's similar in some ways to cookies, but gives web developers a bit more power.

4. Click the "Clear data" button

   Once you have made your selection of what data you want Chrome to clear, click the "Clear data" button to clear those items.

   

   Congratulations, you have now cleared your selected browsing data from your computer. You can simply close this tab and continue to use Chrome.