What is clear cached data on android

How (and when) to clear app cache or data on Android

Every Android smartphone has an application manager that you can get to through the settings menu. It’s usually in the top-level somewhere, though it can vary a little by phone. But once you get to it, you’re at the heart of the matter. This area is where you can see every application that’s installed on your phone or tablet. And it’s a handy place to clean things up a bit should they go wonky.

The app cache (and how to clear it)

As you use applications, they start storing files to reference later. These files are stored in an app «cache.» For instance: When you’re using a web browser, it’ll save images you’ve seen so that they don’t have to be downloaded every single time the app needs them. This cache saves you time and data.

But maybe you want to clear an app’s cached data, either to regain some used space or to try to fix a misbehaving app. This method is how you can do it.

Open the Settings of your phone.

Tap the Storage heading to open its settings page.

• If your phone runs Android Oreo or earlier, you’ll want to open the App Manager settings page.

Source: Android Central

Find the application you want to clear the cache of and tap its listing.

Source: Android Central

Tap the Clear cache button.

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The next time you use the app, it will download everything it needs from the internet like it did the first time you used it. Clearing cached data does not clear other data like logins or saved games. This often fixes things, especially when an app pulls its content from a website that is always changing and adding more content. If you want to clear the storage completely, repeat these steps, and choose the Clear storage button in the final step. Warning: This will remove all of the app’s data, including usernames and passwords, game progress, etc.

Your phone might look different

All Android phones cache application data the same way, but some manufacturers offer separate tools to keep apps in check. We’re using the Pixel 4 in this guide, but your phone might be slightly different. Don’t worry, the basics are all the same, and this guide will work for your phone, too!

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Jerry Hildenbrand

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There’s nothing he can’t take apart, but many things he can’t reassemble. You’ll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

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Clear app cache or clear app data: how and when to use each

Anybody who has ever encountered an app or software problem on Android may have been given the advice “clear app cache” or “clear app data”. These two solutions are often thought of as miracle cures for Android, but what is the difference between these seemingly similar operations? Well, that is exactly what we try to explain in this article.

Jump to:

What is cache?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of app cache, let’s try to understand what ‘cache’ is. In the simplest of terms, the cache is a reserved storage space that stores temporary data. This data is primarily used to help apps, browsers, and websites to load faster. Another way to remember it is to think of cache as a tool to speed up and offer a faster experience. Apart from offering a faster, smoother user experience, the cache also helps you reduce the amount of data that is processed and consumed.

Let me try to help you understand this using an example.

After restarting your phone, have you ever noticed how slow your camera app is to open at first, while each subsequent attempt is quicker? The increase in speed after the initial launch of an app is thanks to this cached data. Similarly, you might find that websites load faster on a second visit. This is because your browser stores some data is because files such as images have been previously stored in the cache.

What does ‘Clear app cache’ mean?

Now that you sort of understand what ‘cache’ really means, it is also easier to understand the term ‘clear app cache’. When you perform this step, what essentially happens is that all the temporary data pertaining to an app is manually deleted.

Now, there is often no need to manually manage cached data on Android smartphones because Android is very capable of doing this on its own without you even noticing it. However, if an app starts to misbehave or stop working, then you may be required to take this step as part of troubleshooting.

When you clear an app’s cached data, you remove the temporary files placed there, and you’d be surprised how often this simple step works. You should also note, however, that it doesn’t guarantee better performance, and the app may even be temporarily slower the next time it’s used.

What does ‘clear app data’ or ‘clear app storage’ mean?

If you haven’t noticed yet, ‘clear app cache’ and ‘clear app data’ (clear app storage on newer phones) are two distinct steps. What you should note, however, is that clearing app data is a more severe (for want of a better word) step. While the cache can be cleared with little risk to app settings, preferences and saved states, clearing the app data will delete/remove these entirely.

Clearing data essentially resets an app to its default state: it makes your app act like when you first downloaded and installed it. For example, say you make changes to the settings of your favorite fitness app. You change the length of exercises and sound settings.

Clearing the cache will not affect these saved settings. Clearing stored data may, and likely will.

Clearing app data is now known as ‘clear storage’. Note that this step will delete all your in-app preferences and settings. / © NextPit / © NextPit

When should they be applied?

There are a few circumstances in which you may wish to clear app or cached data.

• Firstly, to save storage space. Some apps can store several GBs of data that you no longer need (podcast apps are often guilty of this). In this case, you may wish to clear their data.
• The other and more common reason is to reset an app to a default state if it has become problematic, buggy or otherwise disruptive.

How to clear app data or cached data?

On Android 11 and above follow these steps to clear app data or cached data.

• Go to the Settings Menu
• Click on Storage
• Select Other Apps

This will open a list of apps currently installed on your phone. By default, it will show you the apps with the most data used at the top. On older Android versions, you also get the option to sort the apps by size.

• Select the app you want to clear the cache/data
• You will no see two options: ‘Clear cache’ and ‘Clear storage’.
• Depending on your intention, choose between either of these options
• Once again, do note that ‘clear app data’ or ‘clear app storage’ is the more drastic of the two options and should only be used if you have massive issues with an app or if you are really running low on storage space

Steps to clear app cache, clear app data on Android 11 / © NextPit

If you are on an older version of Android, you have the option to clear all cached files with a single click. To do this, all you need to do is to go to Settings -> Storage -> Cached data and select ‘Clear Cache’. This option is no longer available on newer Android versions including Android 10 and 11.

However, this only works to clean one app. In order to clean the cache of every app at the same time, follow the steps

On Android 8 Oreo you may not be able to do a system-wide clearing of cache and data, depending on your manufacturer’s skin. If you go to Settings > Storage > Free up space > TemporaryFiles and find Cached data there.

On older Android versions, going to Settings > Storage > Cached data gave you a one-tap solution for removing cached data. / © NextPit

A word on «performance-boosting» apps

There are many apps that claim to «boost device performance» but often this just isn’t true. In many cases, these apps merely provide a one-touch button for ending processes and clearing the cache, both of which are largely unnecessary on today’s Android platform.

You can, and should, do this manually if it is ever required, but don’t make it a habit.

So, cleaning your app when your phone is running slowly or the memory is full could seem like the best option in the short run, but it could have consequences in the long term, which is why you shouldn’t do it too often.

Final thoughts

There is no “better” or “worse” option when it comes to clearing the cache and clearing app data. Both processes have their purpose.

Your first step towards fixing a problematic app should be clearing the cache, as this is the least intrusive method for quickly fixing apps. If that fails, or if you wish to free up a larger volume of storage space, then clear the data. Just remember that anything stored or saved in the app, including audio, video, or image files, will also be removed.

Has that cleared up your concerns regarding app data and cached data? If not, tell us in the comments.

This article was last updated in April 2021. Older comments have been preserved.

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Как очистить кеш приложений и данные приложений на Android?

Узнайте, как очистить кеш и данные приложений на Android

Очистить кеш — это сообщение, которое, вероятно, все мы встречали на своем телефоне, а если нет, мы, вероятно, увидим его со временем. Кроме того, он идет рука об руку с информацией об очистке данных приложения. Считается, что обе эти операции творит чудеса для Android, но знаете ли вы разницу между этими похожими сообщениями? Что такое кеш на самом деле? а что такое данные приложения? Позже в этой статье вы узнаете, в чем разница и как работать с этими сообщениями, когда вы видите их на экране Android.

Clearing the cache or application data is quite a simple task that requires a few simple steps. However, this means that you may lose all stored data, but there are also positive sides to these operations. Clearing the cache, for example, helps to speed up the loading of pages in the browser. Below we present the difference in what it really is and how these two frequently appearing messages differ from each other.

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1. What is Cache?

Before we delve into the topic of application cache, let’s try to understand what the cache itself really is. To make it easier to bring the subject closer, the cache is used to store temporary data and there is a specially reserved space for this. This data is generally responsible primarily for faster loading of all applications, additionally browsers and websites. Another way to remember this is to think of the cache as a tool to make it faster and faster. As an added bonus, in addition to offering a faster and smoother experience, the cache also helps reduce the amount of data processed and consumed.

You’ve probably noticed that when you restart your phone, initially the camera application or any other application opens quite slowly, and each subsequent attempt becomes faster? This is because the speed increases the first time you run the app is due to this cached data. Websites work on the same basis. This is because the browser stores some data including files such as images that were previously cached.

2. Clear app cache, what does it mean?

Now that you understand the concept of cache, now it will be easier for you to understand what the term clear application cache is also. In general, all activities here are done manually.

Although it is often the case that there is no need to manually manage cache data on Android smartphones, because Android is so designed that it is able to do it on its own, and not even pay attention to when the cleanup takes place. However, if you experience a problem with a non-working application or it starts to malfunction, then you can clear the application cache yourself.

Clearing application cache data gets rid of temporary files that have accumulated. However, keep in mind that getting rid of them does not guarantee better performance, and the application itself may even temporarily run slower the next time it is used.

3. Clear app data, what does it mean?

If you have not noticed the message clear application cache or clear application data, you will certainly see them in the near future. However, these two operations differ to a small extent. However, keep in mind that cleaning up application data is a more difficult process and a longer time. While the cache can be wiped with little risk to app settings, preferences, and saved states, wiping app data will erase/delete it entirely.

If you decide to wipe data in an application, you should know that this process basically resets the application to its default state, which makes the application work as it did when you first downloaded and installed it. To better illustrate this topic, let’s use an example. Suppose you are using a healthy eating application where you have your progress and recipes saved. Clearing the cache will not affect these saved settings. But the deletion of stored data can, and in all likelihood, will.

4. When to use data wipe?

You may want to clear an app or cached data in several situations:

First, to save a lot of storage space. Some applications, or at least the most popular ones, may store several GB of data that you no longer need. In that case, you may want to wipe their data.
Another reason why you may want to wipe data is that there is a problem with an application that has bugs or is bothering you in some way.

5. How to clear app data or cached data?

On Android 11 and above, follow these steps to clear app data or cached data.

Settings > Apps > Apps > Storage > Choose App > Storage > Now click Clear Data & Clear Data.

6. Applications that increase productivity

There are many apps available that promise to increase your device’s performance and speed. This is of course not true. In many cases, these apps simply provide one button to complete processes and clear cache, both of which are largely unnecessary on today’s Android platform.

However, we recommend that you manually wipe your data if ever required and this message appears. Try not to do this often.

In conclusion, cleaning the application when the phone is slow or the memory is full or even errors appear may seem to be the best option, but only in the short term.
We advise against doing it every now and then, because the consequences may appear in the future.

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