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How to Clear YouTube Cache on Any Device

6 min read
2 months ago

YouTube has become a vital app and website in many people’s daily routines — whether for entertainment, education, or news. However, like any other app, YouTube stores temporary data to enhance user experience, leading to slow performance and glitches over time. This temporary data is known as cache. It helps the application load content faster, but when it piles up, it can create problems. Clearing your YouTube cache regularly can fix loading errors, solve playback issues, and restore app performance across your devices.

TLDR: The YouTube cache can build up over time and cause issues like slow loading, playback problems, or unwanted recommendations. Clearing it can improve performance whether you’re using a phone, tablet, laptop, or smart TV. On mobile devices like Android and iOS, this often involves going through settings or reinstalling the app. On web browsers and smart TVs, clearing cache may involve browser settings or device-specific cache-clearing procedures.

What Is the YouTube Cache?

The cache is a collection of temporary files stored by your browser or YouTube app to reduce load time and improve user experience. These files may include video thumbnails, search history, partially loaded videos, and user preferences.

While the cache helps optimize app performance, over time it can become bloated or corrupted. This can lead to issues such as errors loading videos, incorrect video recommendations, and application lag.

Why Should You Clear Your YouTube Cache?

Here are a few important reasons to clear the YouTube cache regularly:

  • Improve performance: A large amount of cached data can slow down app responsiveness.
  • Fix bugs and glitches: Corrupted cache files can cause playback errors, failed load attempts, and even crashes.
  • Free up storage space: Cache files can occupy a significant amount of space, especially on mobile devices.
  • Reset content suggestions: Deleting search and watch history can help reset video recommendations.

How to Clear YouTube Cache on Android Devices

If you’re using the YouTube app on an Android phone or tablet, clearing the cache is straightforward:

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
  2. Go to Apps or Applications.
  3. Scroll down and tap on YouTube.
  4. Select Storage.
  5. Tap on Clear Cache.

Alternatively, tapping Clear Data will remove all app data including sign-in information, so use that option only if needed.

How to Clear YouTube Cache on iOS Devices (iPhone and iPad)

Unlike Android, iOS doesn’t allow users to clear the cache of individual apps manually. However, there are two methods you can use:

1. Offload the App

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
  2. Find YouTube in the list and tap it.
  3. Tap Offload App to delete the app but keep its documents and data.
  4. Then tap Reinstall App.

This helps remove temporary cache data while keeping personal data intact.

2. Delete and Reinstall the App

If offloading doesn’t clear the issue:

  1. Press and hold the YouTube app icon on the home screen.
  2. Select Remove App > Delete App.
  3. Go to the App Store and reinstall YouTube.

This process ensures all cached files are removed from the device.

How to Clear YouTube Cache on Web Browsers

If you’re accessing YouTube from a browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari, the cache is stored within the browser’s own storage system. Here’s how to remove YouTube-related cache files in most browsers:

On Google Chrome

  1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
  2. Select More Tools > Clear Browsing Data.
  3. Set the Time range to All time.
  4. Check Cached images and files.
  5. Click Clear data.

On Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the corner.
  2. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
  3. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data….
  4. Select Cached Web Content and click Clear.

On Microsoft Edge

  1. Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
  2. Select Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
  4. Select Cached images and files and click Clear Now.

This process clears cache for all websites, not just YouTube. For YouTube-specific data, you can use browser developer tools to delete only data associated with youtube.com.

How to Clear YouTube Cache on Smart TVs

Smart TVs also accumulate YouTube app cache, especially if you’re streaming frequently. The process can vary slightly depending on brand and model, but here’s a general guideline:

On Android/Google TVs

  1. Go to Settings on your TV.
  2. Select Apps or Applications.
  3. Choose YouTube from the list.
  4. Go to Storage or Memory.
  5. Select Clear Cache.

Other Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, etc.)

Steps may vary, but usually clearing app cache involves either:

  • Using a system maintenance or device care option under settings.
  • Reinstalling the YouTube app from the TV’s app store.

Be sure to consult the user manual if these steps don’t match your interface.

How Often Should You Clear the Cache?

There’s no universal schedule, but here are a few good practices:

  • Monthly: For heavy YouTube users, clearing the cache once a month can prevent performance issues.
  • When problems occur: If you notice unusual behavior, such as buffering or incorrect recommendations, clearing the cache can be a quick fix.
  • When switching accounts: Clearing data ensures no overlap between user profiles and content preferences.

What’s the Difference Between Cache and Watch History?

It’s important to distinguish between cache and watch history:

  • Cache: Temporary files that help speed up loading times and support app functionality.
  • Watch History: A log maintained by your YouTube account that records every video watched while signed in.

Clearing cache will not delete your viewing history unless you explicitly clear both. To manage or clear your watch history:

  1. Go to YouTube History.
  2. Click Manage All History.
  3. Choose to delete activity by date or completely.

The Bottom Line

Clearing your YouTube cache can solve a range of issues, from video playback problems to app sluggishness. While each device has unique steps, the end goal is the same — reset temporary data to improve YouTube functionality. Be proactive by managing your cache regularly instead of waiting for problems to escalate. Not only will this maintain smoother playback, but it will also extend the