Periodically it’s a good idea to clear cookies, history, and other cached Web content that is saved to your Web browser.
This process is different for almost every major Web browser, so you might be wondering how to clear cache in Firefox if you’ve never done it before in that browser.
Fortunately, you can delete the cookies and site data that Firefox has saved to your computer so that you can resume browsing without that stored information affecting the way you view Web pages.
How to Clear Cookies and Site Data in Firefox
- Open Firefox.
- Click the three lines at the top-right.
- Choose Settings.
- Select the Privacy & Security tab.
- Click the Clear Data button.
- Check the box next to Cookies and Site data and the box next to Cached Web Content.
- Click the Clear button.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to clear cache in Firefox, including pictures of these steps.
When you use normal Web browsing modes your browser of choice is going to store a lot of information. This could be cookies that the site places when you sign in to an account, or it could be images or content that will help the site load faster n the future.
All of this data really adds up over time, and it can potentially cause issues with the way the content you view on your laptop or desktop is displayed.
Mozilla Firefox is one of the more privacy-focused Web browsers that you can get on your phone or computer, but they still create a cache and save history when you use the browser in normal browsing mode.
Luckily you have the ability to learn how to clear cache in Firefox using the steps that we will discuss below.
Related Article: If you have a lot of tabs open in the Firefox app on your iPhone, then check out our tutorial on how to close all of your Firefox iPhone tabs.
How to Clear Data in Mozilla Firefox in Windows 10 (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on a laptop computer using Windows 10 and the 103.0 version of the Firefox browser.
By clearing cache and cookies in Firefox, you are going to remove some data from the browser that will likely require you to sign in to most of your accounts again.
Step 1: Open the Firefox Web browser.
Step 2: Click the button with the three lines at the upper-right corner of the window.
When you hover over the button it will say Open application menu.
Step 3: Choose the Settings option from the dropdown menu.
Step 4; Select the Privacy & Security tab on the left side of the window.
Step 5; Scroll down to the Cookies and Site Data section of the menu, then click the Clear Data button.
It is to the right of a line of text that says “Your stored cookies, site data, and cache are currently using XXX MB of disk space.”
Step 6: Make sure that the boxes to the left of Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content are checked.
Note the warnings on the Clear data window that you may get signed out of websites when you clear this information, and that websites will need to reload images and data when you delete the stored content.
Step 7: Click the blue Clear button at the bottom-right corner of the window.
It may take a few seconds (or even a couple of minutes) to complete this action. The time will depend on the speed of your computer and the amount of data being deleted.
Now that you know how to clear cache in Firefox you will be able to do this periodically, or any time that you feel like you need to delete cookies or site data from your computer.
More Information About How to Delete Cached Data from the Firefox Desktop Browser
You will notice in the Cookies and Site data section of the menu that there are a few other options. These include:
- Clear Data
- Manage Data
- Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed
- Manage Exceptions
Then the section under that includes a bunch of options for managing logins and passwords, which you can configure based on whether or not you would Firefox to remember and autofill the credentials that you have entered for the sites you visit.
If you want to delete your browsing history in Firefox then you can find that option in a different section.
When you click the three horizontal lines at the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, you will need to select the History option instead of the Settings option.
You can then click the Clear Recent History button and select the parameters of the browsing history that you would like to erase. There is a time range drop down menu where you can choose the amount of time for which to delete stored histroy.
If you aren’t finding the options that you need in the locations that we specified above, then you might be using a different version of Firefox. You can view your Firefox version by clicking the three horizontal lines button at the top-right, choosing Help, then clicking the About Firefox button. the browser version is then displayed on that pop up window.
Note that you while the specific steps for how to clear cache in Firefox can vary between different versions of the application, it’s something that has been possible in every version of Firefox.
If you want to see data about the cache on your computer, then you can type about:cache into the address bar at the top of the window.
You can also try using a cache viewer Firefox extension to see specific data about cache files. Note that these are third-party applications that you will need to find and download.
If you also use the Firefox Web browser on your smartphone then you might be looking for a way to delete browsing data and clear history from your mobile device as well.
How to Clear Private Data and Browser Cache in the Firefox iPhone App
Data will cache automatically on the iPhone version of the Firefox browser, too, so you won’t be able to follow these same steps if you want to clear browsing data there as well.
You can instead use these steps to clear cached images and other site data from Firefox on your smartphone.
Step 1: Open the Firefox app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Touch the three lines at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Tap Settings.
Step 4: Scroll down and choose the Data management option.
Step 5: Touch the Clear Private Data button.
You can select settings on this menu for the type of data you wish to remove. These include:
- Browsing History
- Cache
- Cookies
- Offline Website data
- Tracking Protection
- Downloaded Files
Step 6: Tap OK to confirm that you know this will clear all of your private data and it cannot be undone.
Now that you know how to clear cache in Firefox on an iPhone, you will be able to use this as a troubleshooting step if you are experiencing issues with websites on your mobile device.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Empty Firefox Cache
After I tap Clear Private Data in the Firefox mobile app, what will happen?
When you navigate to the Data Management screen in the Firefox app on your iPhone or Android device, then you customize the options there and choose to clear your private data, all of that information will be deleted from the device.
This could include things like the Firefox cache, as well as offline web site data that is stored on the device.
Is there a comparable option in other Web browsers?
Yes, most other popular Web browsers that you use on your mobile device or computer will have a similar option where you tap Delete Browsing Data, or something like that.
For example, if you use Google Chrome on your laptop or desktop, you would click the three dots at the top-right corner of the window, choose More tools, then Clear browsing data.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.