How do I clear cache on iPhone?

For Safari: Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data (or Advanced → Website Data). For apps: Settings → General → iPhone Storage, then Offload App or Delete App, or clear data inside the app. iPhone has no single Clear All Cache button for every app.

Does clearing Safari cache free photo storage?

No. Clearing history and website data removes Safari data only. It does not delete photos, videos, or Recently Deleted items. If Photos is large in iPhone Storage, clean the library and clear Recently Deleted.

Will clearing cache free a lot of iPhone storage?

Sometimes a little—especially Safari website data or one heavy app. If Photos, videos, or Messages dominate storage, cache clears alone will not fix a full phone. Check Settings → General → iPhone Storage to see what is large.

Does Pikondo clear Safari cache or app caches?

No. Pikondo helps you review and delete screenshots, duplicates, and blurry shots on the device. It does not clear Safari cache, manage iOS Storage settings, offload apps, or reclaim app caches.

Photo cleanup guide

How to clear cache on iPhone (Safari, apps, and when photos still fill storage)

Clear cache on iPhone: clear Safari history and website data, manage app storage, and know when cache tips help vs when Photos still fills the phone.

By Pikondo team · Updated September 18, 2026

Pikondo review screen where marked photos can be checked before deletion

Searching how to clear cache on iPhone usually means Safari history, website data, or space taken by apps—not your photo library. This guide covers Apple’s real steps for Safari and app storage, when clearing cache helps, and when Photos still fills the phone. Pikondo helps review and delete photo clutter (screenshots, duplicates, blurry shots) on device. It does not clear Safari cache, manage iOS Storage settings, offload apps, or reclaim app caches.

Cache is not the same as Photos storage

Clearing Safari or app cache removes temporary browser and app data. It does not delete screenshots, duplicates, or videos in Photos. If iPhone Storage shows Photos as the large item, cache tips alone will not fix a storage warning.

Use this guide for Safari website data and app storage. Use photo cleanup when the library is what fills the device—see /blog/free-up-iphone-storage.

Clear Safari history and website data

Open Settings, then tap Safari.
Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
Confirm Clear History and Data. This removes history, cookies, and website data for Safari.
Optional finer control: Safari → Advanced → Website Data. Remove data for one site, or tap Remove All Website Data.

What clearing Safari cache does and does not do

Clearing history and website data can free a modest amount of space and fix stuck login or page-load issues. You will be signed out of many sites in Safari.

It does not empty Photos, Recently Deleted, iCloud Photos, Messages, or files in other apps. It also does not free iCloud storage—see /blog/free-up-icloud-storage for that.

Manage app storage (no single Clear Cache button)

iPhone does not offer one Clear All Cache button for every app. Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage. Tap an app to see Documents & Data size.

Options depend on the app. You can Offload App (keeps documents and data; removes the app binary) or Delete App (removes the app and its local data). Some apps only shrink after you clear data inside the app itself.

For step-by-step offload, see /blog/offload-unused-apps-iphone.

When cache tips help / when Photos still fill storage

Cache and website-data clears help when Safari feels slow, you need a clean browser state, or a few apps show large Documents & Data you no longer need.

They do not help much when Photos dominates iPhone Storage. Screenshots, duplicates, and blurry shots often take more space than Safari data. Delete clutter you do not need, then empty or wait out Recently Deleted so space frees for real.

How Pikondo fits (and where it stops)

Pikondo is an on-device photo cleaner. Swipe to keep or mark screenshots, duplicates, and blurry shots, review the marked list, then confirm. Confirmed deletions follow the same Recently Deleted rules as the Photos app.

Pikondo does not clear Safari cache, manage iOS Storage settings, offload apps, or reclaim app caches. Use Settings and Safari for cache. Use Pikondo when photo clutter is what fills the phone.

Related guides

For storage and cleanup next to clearing cache, see freeing iPhone storage at /blog/free-up-iphone-storage, freeing iCloud storage at /blog/free-up-icloud-storage, offloading unused apps at /blog/offload-unused-apps-iphone, deleting photos at /blog/how-to-delete-photos-iphone, deleting duplicates at /blog/delete-duplicate-photos-iphone, clearing screenshots at /blog/delete-iphone-screenshots, removing blurry shots at /blog/delete-blurry-photos-iphone, emptying Recently Deleted at /blog/empty-recently-deleted-photos-iphone, compressing or sharing smaller copies at /blog/compress-photos-iphone, organizing keepers at /blog/organize-photos-iphone, transferring photos to a PC at /blog/transfer-photos-iphone-to-pc, hiding photos (privacy, not storage) at /blog/hide-photos-iphone, and recovering from Recently Deleted at /blog/recover-deleted-photos-iphone.

The key point

To clear cache on iPhone, use Safari → Clear History and Website Data (or Advanced → Website Data), and manage large apps in iPhone Storage. That is not the same as freeing Photos storage. Pikondo helps with photo clutter review only—it does not clear Safari cache or reclaim app caches.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clear cache on iPhone?: For Safari: Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data (or Advanced → Website Data). For apps: Settings → General → iPhone Storage, then Offload App or Delete App, or clear data inside the app. iPhone has no single Clear All Cache button for every app.
Does clearing Safari cache free photo storage?: No. Clearing history and website data removes Safari data only. It does not delete photos, videos, or Recently Deleted items. If Photos is large in iPhone Storage, clean the library and clear Recently Deleted.
Will clearing cache free a lot of iPhone storage?: Sometimes a little—especially Safari website data or one heavy app. If Photos, videos, or Messages dominate storage, cache clears alone will not fix a full phone. Check Settings → General → iPhone Storage to see what is large.
Does Pikondo clear Safari cache or app caches?: No. Pikondo helps you review and delete screenshots, duplicates, and blurry shots on the device. It does not clear Safari cache, manage iOS Storage settings, offload apps, or reclaim app caches.