How to Clean Edge Cache: A Simple Guide

Your browser’s cache stores copies of web pages, images, and scripts to load them faster on repeat visits. Over time, this cache can become bloated, corrupted, or outdated, leading to slow page loads, broken layouts, or errors. Clearing it forces Edge to fetch fresh content from websites, which often resolves these issues. Before you start, note that clearing cache will sign you out of most websites and may remove some saved preferences. You don’t need any special tools—just a few clicks in Edge’s settings.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Edge browser (any recent version)
Your Windows or Mac computer
Optional: a list of websites you want to stay logged into (since you’ll need to sign in again)

Step-by-Step

Open Edge and access settings. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the dropdown, select “Settings.” This opens a new tab with Edge’s configuration options.
Navigate to Privacy, search, and services. In the left sidebar of the Settings page, click “Privacy, search, and services.” This section contains all browsing data controls. If you don’t see the sidebar, click the hamburger icon (☰) at the top left to expand it.
Find the “Clear browsing data” section. Scroll down on the right-hand panel until you see “Clear browsing data.” Click the “Choose what to clear” button next to it. This opens a small pop-up window with checkboxes.
Select the time range and data types. In the pop-up, use the “Time range” dropdown to choose “All time” to clear everything. Then, ensure the checkbox next to “Cached images and files” is checked. You can also check “Cookies and other site data” if you want a more thorough clean, but this will log you out of websites. Leave other options like “Browsing history” unchecked unless you specifically want to remove them.
Click “Clear now.” After making your selections, click the “Clear now” button. Edge will immediately delete the cached files. You’ll see a brief confirmation, and the button may become disabled for a moment while it works.
Restart Edge. Close the browser completely and reopen it. This ensures the cache is fully refreshed. Your next browsing session will start fresh, and pages may load a bit slower initially as new cache is built.

Common Mistakes

Choosing a narrow time range: Selecting “Last hour” or “Last 24 hours” won’t clear older cache files that might be causing issues. Always use “All time” for a thorough clean.
Forgetting to check the right boxes: If you only check “Browsing history” and leave “Cached images and files” unchecked, you won’t actually clear the cache. Double-check that the cache option is selected.
Clearing too much data: Clearing cookies and site data along with cache will log you out of every website and remove saved passwords (if you’ve chosen to save them). This can be annoying if you’re not prepared. Stick to cache only unless you have a specific reason.
Not restarting the browser: Some cache data may remain in memory until you fully close and reopen Edge. A restart ensures the cleanup is complete.

Tips

Use the shortcut: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac) to open the “Clear browsing data” panel directly, without navigating through settings.
Clear cache regularly: Make it a habit to clear cache every few weeks to keep Edge running smoothly, especially if you visit many media-heavy sites.
Use “Choose what to clear” selectively: You can clear cache for a specific time period if you only need to fix a recent issue, but “All time” is usually safest.
Consider using Edge’s “Efficiency mode”: This feature (found in Settings > System and performance) reduces resource usage and can help with performance, though it doesn’t replace cache clearing.

Troubleshooting

If clearing the cache doesn’t solve your problem, or if something goes wrong, try these steps:

Check if the issue persists: After clearing cache, reload the problematic page. If it still looks broken, the issue might be with the website itself, not your browser. Try a different site to confirm.
Clear cookies as well: Sometimes corrupted cookies cause issues that cache clearing alone won’t fix. Go back to “Clear browsing data” and also check “Cookies and other site data,” then clear again. Be prepared to sign in to websites again.
Disable extensions: Browser extensions can interfere with page loading. Temporarily disable all extensions (Settings > Extensions) and see if the problem goes away. If it does, re-enable them one by one to find the culprit.
Reset Edge settings: If problems continue, you can reset Edge to its default state (Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values). This clears cache, cookies, and disables extensions, but keeps your bookmarks and passwords. This is a more drastic step, so use it as a last resort.
Update Edge: An outdated browser can have bugs that affect caching. Go to Settings > About Microsoft Edge to check for updates and install any pending ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cache log me out of websites?

Only if you also clear cookies. Clearing just “Cached images and files” will not log you out. However, some sites may appear to log you out if they rely on cached data for session management, but that’s rare.

How often should I clear Edge cache?

There’s no hard rule, but every few weeks is a good practice for regular users. If you experience frequent issues or run low on disk space, you can clear it more often.

Does clearing cache delete my passwords?

No, clearing cache does not affect saved passwords. Passwords are stored separately in your Edge profile. However, clearing cookies may log you out of sites where you’ve saved passwords, but the passwords themselves remain.

Can I clear cache for a single website?

Edge doesn’t have a built-in feature to clear cache for a specific site. You can use the “Clear browsing data” option for all sites, or use developer tools (F12) to clear cache for the current site only, but that’s more technical.

Will clearing cache speed up my browser?

Yes, clearing a large or corrupted cache can improve loading times and responsiveness. However, the effect may be temporary as new cache builds up. It’s most effective when you’re experiencing slowdowns or errors.

Is clearing cache the same as clearing history?

No. History is a record of the pages you’ve visited. Cache is the actual files stored to speed up loading. You can clear one without the other. Clearing history doesn’t remove cached files, and vice versa.

Sources: Microsoft Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.