Clearing my cache consequences ?

[davowolf]

I've been advised to clear my cache by a site on which I've had a bit of trouble; not seeing a page I was looking for.

So how do I do it ? Should I ? And what are the unintended consequences ?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Clearing the browser cache is a common way of dealing with stale data that might mess things up.

Each browser does it a bit differently, but here ya go..

Safari: How to Clear Your Safari Browser Cache: iPhone, iPad, Mac
Chrome/Brave/Vivaldi/Arc/any other variation of Chrome: Clear cache & cookies - Computer - Google Account Help
FireFox: How to clear the Firefox cache | Firefox Help

If you are using any other browser, then just search for "<browser name> clear cache" and follow instructions.

I would highly recommend ONLY clearing the cache/data/cookies for that one specific site as opposed to deleting all to start with. When you delete the cache, all of your settings/logins are affected, so you'll have to log back into that site. If you do this globally, then you'll have to do that across all sites.

If you go global, you might also erase your history and other things, so start small and go big if need be.

 

[davowolf]

Well that was easy Ashwyn, thanks; and it seemed to do the trick on the web site in question, enabling me to view the page I previously couldn't.

 

[MacBiter]

Generally though, there are no consequences (negative, that is) to clearing out cache files on your Mac. They only exist to make previous data available to programs that would otherwise have to seek it out fresh or recreate it, which of course is slower.

If you're at all nervous, download the relevant Onyx for your particular OS and run its 'cleaning' routines.

 

[IWT]

There is another option. If you hold down the Option Key, then Click on "History" it changes from "Clear History" to "Clear History and Keep Website Data" which I find very useful.

Ian

 

[davowolf]

1. Ian I did just that as you suggested.
2. But re the OnyX s/w, apart from allowing access as it requested, and I nervously did. I downloaded it for Sequoia 15.1.1. The big X icon is in the dock but I'm unsure which of the functionalities ('maintenance' 'utilities') to run and what each does. But I am reading through the options to see what's what. It looks impressive. But and why does it have the same icon as X (formally Twitter) ?
3. Just a comment on the cache list. I was amazed just how long the list of sites is. Many with long unintelligeable names, just a string of digits and numbers and others unrecognisable. I've removed many of these but it would take the rest of today to go through these and remove them. A job for a rainy day methinks.

 

[MacBiter]

2. But re the OnyX s/w, apart from allowing access as it requested, and I nervously did. I downloaded it for Sequoia 15.1.1. The big X icon is in the dock but I'm unsure which of the functionalities ('maintenance' 'utilities') to run and what each does. But I am reading through the options to see what's what. It looks impressive. But and why does it have the same icon as X (formally Twitter) ?

Click Onyx's 'Cleaning' tab, then go through each sub tab and where it says "Delete the cache [of].." go through and delete any cache you want, though you may not actually want or need to do many, especially if you're not running low on space?

X has always been the Onyx icon - Elon Musk has obviously stolen it!.

 

[Rod]

I usually advise people just use the "Maintenance" script then go through it to see what it does. Untick anything you are unsure of but I can say I have run the whole Maintenance script many times over many years with no issues. Be careful with such items as; "Mailboxes in Mail", Volume Positions, .DS_Store. I have never used those and would be inclined to look them up first.
You can get individual explanations of all the Cleaning actions by clicking the "i" button at the right hand end.

Like all "cleaning" apps and OnyX is a good one, care needs to be taken to ensure you know what you are about to do before you do it. "When in doubt, don't." is my motto.

 

[OliviaClaire]

I've been advised to clear my cache by a site on which I've had a bit of trouble; not seeing a page I was looking for.

So how do I do it ? Should I ? And what are the unintended consequences ?

Clearing your cache can often help resolve issues like not seeing updated pages or experiencing errors on websites. Here's a straightforward breakdown:

How to Clear Your Cache​

1. For Safari:
   • Open Safari, click on Safari in the top menu, then choose Settings (or Preferences).
   • Go to the Privacy tab and select Manage Website Data.
   • Click Remove All or search for the specific site causing trouble and delete its data.
2. For Chrome:
   • Open Chrome, click the three dots in the top-right corner, and go to Settings.
   • Select Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.
   • Choose "Cached images and files," set a time range (e.g., last 24 hours or all time), and click Clear data.
3. For Other Browsers:
   • Most have a similar path under settings or privacy options.

Should You Clear It?​

Yes, it’s generally safe and recommended if you're facing problems like outdated or incomplete pages. Cache stores temporary data to speed up browsing, but sometimes it retains old or corrupt files.

Unintended Consequences​

• Slower load times: The first visit to websites may take slightly longer since the browser will re-download fresh data.
• Logging out: Some cached data includes session cookies, so you might be logged out of websites.
• Lost preferences: Sites where you’ve customized settings might require reconfiguration.

Clearing cache occasionally is good for maintaining your browser's performance, but there's no need to do it too frequently unless you’re troubleshooting an issue.

Give it a upvote, if this was helpful.

 

[davowolf]

Thank you 'OC' - very clear and helpful.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

ChatGPT to the rescue.

 

[Jimmysb]

Give it a upvote, if this was helpful.

What is an upvote.

 

[MacInWin]

What is an upvote.

A Like. Click the thumbs up icon lower right corner of the appropriate post.

 

[OliviaClaire]

People understand easily in pointers, its not about gpt. @Raz0rEdge
Upvote is like give a like @Jimmysb

 

[Jimmysb]

A Like. Click the thumbs up icon lower right corner of the appropriate post.

People understand easily in pointers, its not about gpt. @Raz0rEdge
Upvote is like give a like @Jimmysb

Can't understand why you didn't just say "please like my post"

 

[Raz0rEdge]

People understand easily in pointers, its not about gpt. @Raz0rEdge
Upvote is like give a like @Jimmysb

Yes, but you do realize that with my ill-formed post, the OP had their issue resolved in the 3rd post.

 

[Pasquanel]

I usually advise people just use the "Maintenance" script then go through it to see what it does. Untick anything you are unsure of but I can say I have run the whole Maintenance script many times over many years with no issues. Be careful with such items as; "Mailboxes in Mail", Volume Positions, .DS_Store. I have never used those and would be inclined to look them up first.
You can get individual explanations of all the Cleaning actions by clicking the "i" button at the right hand end.

Like all "cleaning" apps and OnyX is a good one, care needs to be taken to ensure you know what you are about to do before you do it. "When in doubt, don't." is my motto.

I have used Onyx since I switched to Mac 20121 and have had zero issues. I used to have problems once in a while with Applemail and would set Onyx to rebuild the existing index and then after several times to delete the existing index with no problems at all.