Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
Google recently released Android 16 to Pixel devices and select OEMs, bringing performance improvements, new Material You changes, and more upgrades. If you want to try this update but are hesitant because you've noticed your Android phone or tablet already feels too sluggish, clearing app and browser caches can give it a fresh boost and free up some storage space.
Over time, cached data can accumulate, become corrupted, or simply get outdated, which may slow down your device. Restarting your phone often helps, but a targeted cache-clear is a quick way to boost responsiveness without upgrading hardware.
Also: I changed 12 settings on my Android phone to give it an instant battery boost
In this guide, I'll show you how to clear cached data on Android. If you're an Apple user, here's how to clear the cache on an iPhone.
How to clear cached data from Android apps
What you'll need: Any Android device. The exact steps may vary slightly by manufacturer, but the general process remains the same.
1. See all the apps installed on your Android device Open Settings, go to Storage, and tap Apps. If you don't see a dedicated Apps entry, use the search area in Settings to quickly find it. Also: Your Android phone just got a major feature upgrade for free - including these Pixel models Also in the Storage menu, some Android devices now include a "Free up space" suggestion via the Google Files app. To use this, open Files, tap the three-line menu in the top-left, and select Clean. Review each suggestion (e.g. unused apps, large files, duplicates) and follow the steps to delete any files you no longer need. Show more
Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
2. Clear cache for individual apps Tap an app you've installed (avoid system services), then select "Storage and cache," and tap "Clear cache." Don't tap "Clear storage" unless you want to reset the app completely. Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings to instantly improve the user experience Show more
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