Updated April 2026 · Plain English · 17 browsers

    The ultimate guide to clearing your cache

    Sometimes your browser shows you an old version of a website. Clearing the cache fixes it. We've written easy steps for every major browser and phone — no tech-speak. Most people are done in under a minute.

    Stuck? Run full resetOr pick your browser

    The 1-click reset clears LemWatch's saved files, unregisters the Service Worker, and reloads. It won't log you out. The full reset opens a standalone recovery page — use it if the in-app reset hasn't worked.

    17 browsers covered
    Most done in 30s
    Won't log you out
    1-click reset
    On this page
    1. The fastest fix (hard refresh)2. Pick your browser3. Keyboard shortcut cheatsheet4. Still stuck? Decision tree5. Advanced: DNS, SW, dev tools6. FAQ

    Try this first — it works 90% of the time

    On the page that looks wrong, press these keys at the same time:

    Windows / Linux:Ctrl + Shift + R
    Mac:Cmd + Shift + R
    Phone:Use the steps below — pull-to-refresh does not bypass cache

    This is called a "hard refresh." It reloads the page and skips the saved files for that one page. If the problem is still there, follow the steps below for your browser.

    Pick your browser or device

    Find yours below and follow the numbered steps.

    Google Chrome

    ~30s

    Most people on Windows, Mac, or Linux

    1. 1Click the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
    2. 2Hover over 'Delete browsing data' (newer Chrome) or click 'More tools' → 'Clear browsing data'.
    3. 3At the top, switch to the 'Basic' tab.
    4. 4Set the time range to 'Last hour' (or 'All time' if the problem is older).
    5. 5Tick only 'Cached images and files'. Untick the rest to keep your history and stay logged in.
    6. 6Click 'Delete data' (or 'Clear data').
    7. 7Close the tab and reopen LemWatch.
    Tip: Even faster: just press the keyboard shortcut above. It does a 'hard refresh' that skips the cache for the page you're on.

    Safari (Mac)

    ~45s

    Mac users on the built-in browser

    1. 1Open Safari.
    2. 2In the top-left menu bar, click 'Safari' → 'Settings…'.
    3. 3Click the 'Advanced' tab.
    4. 4Tick the box 'Show features for web developers' at the bottom.
    5. 5Close the Settings window.
    6. 6In the top menu bar, click 'Develop' → 'Empty Caches'.
    7. 7Reload the page with Cmd + R.
    Tip: Once the Develop menu is on, you only need steps 6 and 7 next time. You can also use Cmd + Option + E to empty caches instantly.

    Mozilla Firefox

    ~30s

    People who chose Firefox on purpose

    1. 1Click the three lines (☰) in the top-right corner.
    2. 2Click 'Settings'.
    3. 3Click 'Privacy & Security' on the left.
    4. 4Scroll to 'Cookies and Site Data' and click 'Clear Data…'.
    5. 5Tick 'Cached Web Content' only. Leave 'Cookies and Site Data' unticked to stay signed in.
    6. 6Click 'Clear', then confirm with 'Clear Now'.
    Tip: The hard-refresh shortcut works here too — that's usually all you need.

    Microsoft Edge

    ~30s

    Windows users on the default browser

    1. 1Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner.
    2. 2Click 'Settings'.
    3. 3On the left, click 'Privacy, search, and services'.
    4. 4Under 'Delete browsing data', click 'Choose what to clear'.
    5. 5Set the time range to 'Last hour'.
    6. 6Tick only 'Cached images and files'.
    7. 7Click 'Clear now'.

    Brave

    ~30s

    Privacy-focused users

    1. 1Click the three lines (☰) in the top-right corner.
    2. 2Click 'Settings'.
    3. 3On the left, click 'Privacy and security' → 'Clear browsing data'.
    4. 4Set the time range to 'Last hour'.
    5. 5Tick only 'Cached images and files'.
    6. 6Click 'Clear data'.

    Arc Browser

    ~30s

    Mac and Windows users on Arc

    1. 1In the top menu bar, click 'Arc' → 'Settings…' (or press Cmd + ,).
    2. 2Click the 'Privacy' tab.
    3. 3Scroll to 'Clear browsing data' and click 'Choose what to clear'.
    4. 4Pick 'Last hour' from the time range.
    5. 5Tick only 'Cached images and files'.
    6. 6Click 'Clear data'.
    Tip: Arc is built on Chromium, so the keyboard shortcut for a hard refresh works perfectly.

    Vivaldi

    ~30s

    Power users who love customisation

    1. 1Click the Vivaldi logo (top-left) → 'Tools' → 'Delete Browsing Data…'.
    2. 2Set the time range to 'Last Hour'.
    3. 3Tick only 'Cache'.
    4. 4Click 'Delete'.

    Opera & Opera GX

    ~30s

    Opera and Opera GX users

    1. 1Click the Opera logo (top-left) and choose 'Settings' (or press Alt + P).
    2. 2On the left, click 'Privacy & security'.
    3. 3Click 'Clear browsing data'.
    4. 4Set the time range to 'Last hour'.
    5. 5Tick only 'Cached images and files'.
    6. 6Click 'Clear data'.

    DuckDuckGo (Desktop)

    ~25s

    Privacy-first browser users on Mac and Windows

    1. 1Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner.
    2. 2Click 'Settings' → 'Cookie Pop-Up Manager & Other Data'.
    3. 3Click 'Manage Browsing Data'.
    4. 4Click 'Clear All Data'.
    5. 5Confirm by clicking 'Clear Data'.
    Tip: DuckDuckGo's 'Fire Button' (the flame icon) wipes tabs and data for the current site instantly — perfect for a quick reset.

    Zen Browser

    ~30s

    Firefox-based minimalist browser fans

    1. 1Click the menu (≡) in the top-right.
    2. 2Click 'Settings' → 'Privacy & Security'.
    3. 3Scroll to 'Cookies and Site Data' and click 'Clear Data…'.
    4. 4Tick only 'Cached Web Content'.
    5. 5Click 'Clear'.
    Tip: Zen is a Firefox fork, so all Firefox shortcuts work the same way.

    Orion (Mac)

    ~25s

    WebKit-based browser with extension support

    1. 1In the top menu bar, click 'Orion' → 'Settings…'.
    2. 2Click the 'Privacy' tab.
    3. 3Click 'Clear Browsing Data…'.
    4. 4Tick only 'Cached Files and Images'.
    5. 5Click 'Clear'.

    Tor Browser

    ~10s

    People browsing the Tor network

    1. 1Click the broom icon ('New Identity') in the toolbar.
    2. 2Confirm to wipe all cookies, cache, and history for your current session.
    3. 3Tor will restart with a clean slate.
    Tip: Tor wipes its cache when you close it. 'New Identity' is the in-session reset.

    Yandex Browser

    ~35s

    Yandex users on Windows or Mac

    1. 1Click the three lines (≡) in the top-right.
    2. 2Click 'History' → 'Clear history'.
    3. 3Set the time range to 'Last hour'.
    4. 4Tick only 'Cached files'.
    5. 5Click 'Clear'.
    Bookmark this

    Shortcut cheatsheet

    Every keyboard shortcut you might need, in one place.

    ActionWindows / LinuxMac
    Hard refresh (skip cache for this page)Ctrl + Shift + RCmd + Shift + R
    Hard refresh — alternativeCtrl + F5Cmd + Option + R
    Open clear-data dialog (Chromium)Ctrl + Shift + DeleteCmd + Shift + Delete
    Open clear-data dialog (Firefox)Ctrl + Shift + DeleteCmd + Shift + Delete
    Open developer toolsF12Cmd + Option + I
    Open Network tab (for cache testing)Ctrl + Shift + I → NetworkCmd + Option + I → Network
    New private / incognito windowCtrl + Shift + NCmd + Shift + N
    Empty caches (Safari, Develop menu on)—Cmd + Option + E
    Still seeing the old version?

    Try these in order

    Most issues are fixed by step 1 or 2. Don't skip ahead.

    1. STEP 1

      Hard refresh the page

      Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) on the broken page.

    2. STEP 2

      Open in a Private / Incognito window

      If the page looks right in private mode, your normal browser still has old files saved. Clear the cache there.

    3. STEP 3

      Clear the cache from settings

      Use the steps above for your browser. Tick only 'Cached images and files' to stay logged in elsewhere.

    4. STEP 4

      Close the browser fully and reopen

      Don't just close the tab — quit the whole app, then open it again. On Mac use Cmd + Q. On Windows close every window.

    5. STEP 5

      Unregister the Service Worker

      Modern web apps can install a Service Worker that caches in the background. Use our 1-click reset at the top of this page, or open Dev Tools → Application → Service Workers → Unregister.

    6. STEP 6

      Restart your device

      Old fashioned but it fixes things. Network and DNS caches reset on reboot.

    7. STEP 7

      Email support

      If none of the above work, send us a quick note. Tell us your browser and what you're seeing — we'll fix it fast.

    For power users

    Advanced cache clearing

    When the basics aren't enough — DNS, Service Workers, and dev-tools tricks.

    Flush your DNS cache

    Use this if a site won't load at all, not for visual bugs.

    Windows (Command Prompt)

    ipconfig /flushdns

    Mac (Terminal)

    sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

    Linux (systemd)

    sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

    iPhone / Android

    Toggle Wi-Fi off and on, or enable Airplane Mode for 10 seconds.

    Dev Tools: nuke everything

    Chromium browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera).

    1. 1Right-click the page → 'Inspect' (or press F12).
    2. 2Click the 'Application' tab.
    3. 3On the left, click 'Storage'.
    4. 4Tick everything (cookies, cache, service workers, IndexedDB).
    5. 5Click 'Clear site data'.
    6. 6While Dev Tools is open, right-click the reload button → 'Empty Cache and Hard Reload'.
    Heads up: This will sign you out of the site and erase any unsaved offline data.

    What actually happens when you clear your cache?

    Your browser keeps three different "caches" for every site you visit:

    • •HTTP cache — saved images, scripts, and fonts. Cleared by "Cached images and files".
    • •Service Worker cache — used by web apps to load instantly. Survives a normal refresh. Use the 1-click reset to wipe it.
    • •DNS cache — your computer remembers which server a website lives on. Only matters if a site fails to load.

    When LemWatch ships an update, every file gets a new fingerprint (e.g. index-Bk64_M71.js). Most of the time you get the new version automatically. You only need to clear the cache when an old HTML file or an old Service Worker is hanging on.

    Common Questions

    Quick answers

    14 of the most-asked questions, answered in plain English.

    Was this guide helpful?

    We update this page every release. Your feedback shapes it.

    Still stuck?

    No worries. Send us a quick note and we'll walk you through it. Most people get a reply within an hour during business days.

    Email supportBrowse Help CenterSee what's new