You're browsing the web on your iPhone, reading about Apple's iPhone 16 event and next week's iOS 18 release when you notice that things look a little off. Images are misshapen, some information is missing. You might be wondering what's going on.

Instead, you should be asking: When was the last time you cleared your cache?

Your browser cache stores website data for faster retrieval, which can keep things a little snappier when everything matches up. But over time page elements might change -- the site might add new images, change layouts, etc. -- and that's when problems can pop up.

You can think of your browser cache like a mini fridge. It's a place where you can store items for the convenience of easier retrieval -- you don't need to trek all the way back to the kitchen for every item. However, that mini fridge gets cluttered over time, to the point where it might be difficult to find what you want or the items in the fridge have gone bad. That's why it's good to clear out your cache (and your actual fridge) every so often.

Whether you use Chrome, Safari or other browsers on your iPhone, your cache builds up that digital clutter over time. Clearing your cache gives the browser a new start, which can speed up your web surfing, even on iOS 17 or the upcoming iOS 18. (If you're trying to get your phone to run faster, try managing your iPhone's storage.)

Website cookies are similar, except they store information about user data, rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you a chance to reset those preferences, which could improve your browsing experience. Note that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, which means you'll have to log into them again and reset any preferences. The upfront investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience down the road, and it can be a useful fix if you've recently changed settings that aren't being applied properly.

Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your cache on your iPhone based on the browser you use.

How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari

Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account. As a result, all your devices' caches will be cleared, and you'll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here's what to do.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Select Safari from the list of apps.

3. Go to Clear History and Website Data.

4. Choose Clear History and Data in the pop-up box.

Then you're set!

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How to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome

Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. Thankfully, Google has simplified the process for clearing your Chrome cache, making it much faster to clear your data.

1. Open the Chrome app.

2. Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options.

3. Swipe over to Settings in the top menu bar. 

4. Scroll down and tap Privacy and security.

5. Tap Clear Browsing Data to open up another menu. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last Hour to All Time). Make sure that Cookies, Site Data is checked, along with Cached Images and Files. Finally, hit Clear Browsing Data at the bottom of the screen.

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How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox

If you're a Firefox devotee, don't worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps. 

1. Click the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options.

2. Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.

3. Select Data Management in the Privacy section.

4. You can select Website Data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.

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What happens when you clear the cache? 

Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up slowing things down if it becomes too bulky or out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. Clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again. 

How often do I need to clear my cache?

Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That's generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.