Over time, you might notice that your phone feels sluggish and apps take longer to load. Many users try to free up storage on their phones by clearing their app cache. Meanwhile, others believe that you should let the Android operating system deal with it. So, what should you do? Does clearing your cache even do anything?

The answer isn’t exactly straightforward. Not all apps use cache space optimally, and they might fill up your storage space with cache files in no time. Clearing the cache is a temporary fix to free up space, but making it a daily habit defeats the purpose of the cache files. In this guide, we explain what app cache is and how it works. We also show you how to clear the app cache on any Android phone, whether you use one of the Samsung’s best phones, a Google Pixel, or any other Android phone.

What is a cache?

Caching lets applications like browsers, games, and streaming services store temporary files to reduce load times and make your overall experience faster. YouTube, Spotify, Google News, and other apps save information as cache data. This can be video thumbnails, search history, or snippets of video used to minimize user input.

Caching can save time, as internet speeds aren’t the same everywhere. However, apps offloading data onto your phone slows it down, especially when there isn’t much storage to spare.

Difference between clearing app cache and data on Android

While we often mention clearing cache and data in the same breath, they’re two distinct actions on Android. When using the Spotify app, for example, it holds onto information like new artists you viewed, album art browsed, and search history as cache. When the app cache is cleared, all the mentioned data is cleared.

The application stores more vital information like user settings, databases, and login information as data. When you clear the data, both the cache and data are removed. Clearing data is the equivalent of starting an app from a clean slate as if you just installed it for the first time.

Why should you clear the app cache?

The primary reason for someone to clear the application cache would be to free up storage, which might impact the phone’s performance. Clearing data is a dramatic step, which is generally reserved for when an app is buggy or fails to start. This could result from corrupted cache files, untested server-side changes, misbehaving software, or a new OS update to Android.

Some poorly written apps or poorly sandboxed apps could pose a security threat if they store sensitive user information in their cache and data. In such a scenario, it makes sense to clear them both.

How to clear app cache and data

Clearing the cache is best seen as a temporary fix since every app will once again populate the storage immediately. Despite the benefits, doing so too often can be pointless as it defeats the purpose of improving load times. Clear the cache only when it’s essential instead of making it a daily routine.

How to clear app cache and data on a Google Pixel

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Apps.
3. Tap the See all option at the bottom.
4. Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
5. Tap Storage and cache.

6. Select Clear cache.
7. Tap Clear storage to clear data and cache.

How to clear app cache and data on Samsung Galaxy phones

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Scroll down and select Apps.
3. Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
4. Scroll down and select Storage.

5. Tap Clear data to clear data.
6. Tap Clear cache to clear the app cache.

How to clear app cache and data on OnePlus phones

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Apps and notifications.
3. Tap See all to list all installed apps.
4. Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
5. Select Storage and cache.

6. Tap Clear cache to clear the cache.
7. Tap Clear storage to clear data and cache.

How to clear cache and data on Xiaomi phones

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Apps.
3. Tap Manage apps.
4. Tap the app name whose app cache you want to clear.
5. Select the Storage option.
6. Tap Clear cache to clear only the app cache, or tap Clear data to clear data and cache.

Why not use a third-party app cache cleaner?

Using a third-party cache cleaner app is a futile exercise. If you use an app that claims to boost your phone’s performance, take some time to evaluate whether it has helped. Also, many apps in this genre have been known to mine user data and send it to foreign servers. As the saying goes, an app either dies a hero or lives long enough to see itself become a cleaner app.

Jokes aside, there are genuine concerns about using these apps due to their shady practices and privacy policies. They generally demand extensive permissions or display sketchy full-screen ads. Their common selling point of speeding up your phone is usually outweighed by the need to run continuously in the background and use system resources.

Some legitimate apps like SD Maid or Files by Google are worth considering. They offer value in showing a detailed view of what’s occupying your phone’s storage. SD Maid helps you remove redundant files, delete duplicate documents, manage apps, optimize the app database, and run app cleaning tools on schedule.

Meanwhile, Files by Google is a file manager that helps you free up space on your phone. The app shows you which files take up too much space, highlighting sections that include junk files, duplicates, blurry photos, and large files.

There’s more than one way to speed up your phone

Sometimes, apps may misbehave and slow down your phone when they store too much cached data. So, clearing the app cache is usually the first step in troubleshooting issues that arise from outdated or corrupt cache files. However, doing so too often could backfire and lead to longer loading times. However, if your phone runs slow despite following these steps, try these tips to speed up your old Android phone.