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 those files 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.

Example

You might not see files that a client has recently uploaded for you. If you suspect that this is happening or you’re experiencing other issues, you should clear your temporary internet files or cached files and then try 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. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar box.
  4. Choose Develop > Clear Caches.
Clear the cache on a Mac
  1. Choose Safari > Preferences.
  2. Click the Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar box, and then close the Preferences window.
  4. Choose Develop in the toolbar, and select Empty Caches.
  5. Close and re-open Safari.

Google Chrome

To delete cached files in Chrome, follow these steps.

  1. Click the Customise 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. Tick the Cached images and files box.

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

  4. Click the Clear browsing button.

Microsoft Edge

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

  • In Edge, choose Edge  > History.
  • Click the Clear history link.
  • Tick the Cached data and files box.

    Note: Tick only the Cached data and files box in the Clear browsing data panel.

  • 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 Settings.
  2. Click Privacy and Security.
  3. In the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data.
  4. Tick the Cached Web Content box.

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

  5. Click Clear.

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