Alex Ruben
How To Clear Safari History, Cache, and Cookies on iPhone and iPad
Safari automatically keeps a record of your browsing history, cookies, and cache to make things faster when you visit familiar sites. But sometimes, maybe for privacy reasons, or just to troubleshoot weird website glitches, you wanna clear this stuff out. The steps are kinda straightforward, but hey, Apple likes to throw curveballs—so sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right.
Step 1: Access Safari Settings
First, you gotta dive into Settings. That’s where all the magic begins. Open the Settings app on your device. Scroll down till you find Safari — it’s listed with all your other app options.
Step 2: Clear Safari History and Website Data
This is the quickest way to wipe everything — history, cookies, cache. In Safari settings, scroll to the bottom and tap on Clear History and Website Data. You’ll get a pop-up asking which time frame you want to clear — options are Last Hour, Today, Today and Yesterday, or All Time. Pick what makes sense for you. If you want to be thorough, go for All Time.
On some setups, it can feel like it doesn’t do anything immediately, but if you hit Clear History, it usually works… eventually. Sometimes, you need to restart Safari or even your device for good measure. Not sure why it works, but on a few iPads, I needed to reboot after clearing to see the difference.
Step 3: Clear Cookies and Cache Only (Keep Your History)
If you just want to cut down on stored cookies and cache but keep your browsing history intact—this is your move. Head over to Advanced within Safari settings. It’s kinda buried, so don’t miss it. Tap on Website Data.
At the bottom, there’s Remove All Website Data. Tap it. If it’s greyed out, lucky you—no data to wipe. Otherwise, confirming with Remove Now should clear cookies and cache. Sometimes, I’ve seen this fail the first time, so if it doesn’t seem to work, try closing Safari completely and do it again.
Step 4: Delete Specific Websites from History
Hate wiping everything? Just want to toss certain sites out? Open Safari, tap the Bookmarks icon (that little open book at the bottom), then hit the History tab. Tap Edit. Now, you can pick specific entries and hit Remove. Might be handy if an individual site is causing issues, or you just want to tidy up.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
One weird thing — if Safari isn’t behaving after you clear data, try closing the app completely and reopening it. On iOS, swipe up to force close, then reopen Safari. Sometimes a restart is needed, especially if updates or background processes mess with the cache.
Also, clearing history logs you out of most sites, but autofill info stays. If sites are still acting weird, double-check if there are other blockers or settings, like Content Blockers or Privacy restrictions.
For a faster cleanup, the Shortcuts app can be set up to automate clearing Safari data, but that’s more of an advanced move.
Conclusion
Clearing Safari data isn’t exactly something you’ll do every day, but it’s super handy when things slow down or privacy’s the concern. Do it regularly if you’re on public Wi-Fi or share your device often. Sometimes, it takes a couple of tries, but with patience, it’s doable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I clear my history and cookies?
All your browsing history gets wiped, meaning you’re logged out of most websites, and cookies are gone. Autofill info, passwords, those usually stay unless you also clear Safari passwords separately. It’s like giving Safari a fresh start.
Can I recover deleted browsing history?
Once cleared, not really. No built-in way to undo it. So, back up important info if needed before jumping into cleanup. Apple doesn’t keep a copy unless you’ve got a backup, and even then, that’s a different story.
How often should I clear my Safari data?
Quite a personal call — if you deal with a lot of different networks, or notice Safari slowing down, then say, every couple of weeks is a good idea. Definitely before you give the phone to someone else, or if privacy is a concern. No harm in doing it regularly.
More info here: Clear the history, cache, and cookies from Safari on your iPhone or iPad. Also, check out how to clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac if you’re switching gears to desktop.
Summary
- Access Safari settings in the Settings app
- Clear history and website data for a full wipe
- Remove specific site data or individual history entries if needed
- Restart Safari or device if things act wonky
- Remember, clearing cookies logs you out but keeps autofill
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Just something that worked on multiple machines, so maybe it’ll help you, too.