Clearing your Android cache can free up space and speed up your phone

If your Android phone feels slower than it used to, or an app keeps crashing, a quick cleanup may help. The fix is clearing the cache, a pile of small saved files that builds up in the background. Engadget walked through how to do it. It takes a few taps and does not delete your photos or personal files.

What a cache is

Every time you use an app or browse a website, your phone saves small bits of data such as images, scripts and page elements. That is the cache. It lets apps and sites load faster next time, because the phone does not have to download the same data again and again.

The catch is that these files keep piling up. Over time, that can make the phone feel sluggish. It can also leave you too short on space to install new apps.

When it helps

• Your phone is slower than it used to be.
• Apps take longer than usual to open.
• You want to free up some storage space.
• A specific app is crashing, freezing or acting oddly.

Clearing the cache will not fix every performance problem. Engadget calls it a safe, low-effort step that should make the phone a bit speedier. You may notice a quicker phone or browser, especially if the cache had grown large.

How to do it

For browser slowdowns, open Chrome and tap the three dots next to the address bar. Choose Delete browsing data, then pick a time range. The default is 15 minutes. Longer options run from 24 hours to all time. Under More options, check only Cached images and files.

Match the time range to the problem. Clearing the last 24 hours will not help with something that started two weeks ago. All time clears the whole browsing cache.

For one troublesome app, go to Settings > Apps and pick the app. Scroll down and tap Storage. You will see how much space its cache takes up, and you can clear it from there. This route is quicker when you already know which app is the problem.

What to expect

Apps and websites may load a little slower the first time afterward, because they have to rebuild their cache. Engadget says most people will not notice much difference.

If you worry about breaking something, built-in tools can do the work. Samsung offers Device Care, which can spot and clear unnecessary cached files. Google's Files app suggests junk files and unused cache to remove.