How to Clear Browsing Data in Chrome for iPhone or iPod Touch

Clear Google Chrome's cache on iOS

What to Know

  • In the Chrome app, tap the ellipses (...) and select History > Clear Browsing Data.
  • Tap Browsing History to place a check mark next to it. Repeat with other categories of data to delete.
  • Tap Clear Browsing History and tap it again to confirm the removal. Tap Done.

This article explains how to clear browsing data in Chrome for iPhone or iPod Touch. The information applies to the Chrome app for iOS 14, iOS 13, iOS 12, and iOS 11. The information also applies to iPads with iPadOS 14 or iPadOS 13.

How to Delete Chrome Data on iOS Devices

The Google Chrome app for iOS devices automatically saves your browsing history, passwords, cookies, cached images, and autofill data. While this information can be useful for future browsing sessions, it presents security risks and takes up space. Because of this, you should know how to clean Chrome's storage on iOS devices. To manage your browsing history and other cached data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Chrome app on the iOS device.

  2. Tap the ellipses (...).

  3. Tap History in the pop-up menu.

  4. Tap Clear Browsing Data.

    The More, History, and Clear Browsing Data commands
  5. Select the items you want to delete from Chrome by tapping the items individually to place a check mark next to them. In addition to Browsing History, you may want to select Cookies, Site Data, Cached Images and Files, or one of the other options.

  6. Tap Clear Browsing Data, then tap it again in the confirmation screen to remove the data from the device and the cloud.

    The Time Range and Clear Browsing Data commands
  7. Tap Done at the top of the screen when the confirmation pop-up goes away to return to Chrome.

Clearing Chrome's browsing data does not delete bookmarks or sign you out of your Google account.

Understanding Chrome's Browsing Data Options

The types of data that Chrome automatically saves include:

  • Browsing history: Chrome maintains a record of every website you visited since the last time you cleared the history. Access these previously viewed sites from the Chrome History screen in the main menu.
  • Cookies: Cookies are files placed on the device when you visit certain sites. Each cookie is used to tell a web server when you return to its page. Cookies remember specific website settings and sensitive information such as login credentials.
  • Cached images and files: Chrome for iPhone and iPod Touch uses its cache to store images, content, and URLs of recently visited web pages. The browser uses the cache to render these pages faster on subsequent visits by loading the assets locally from the device rather than from the web server.
  • Saved passwords: When you enter a password on a website, Chrome usually asks if you want it to remember the password. If you choose Yes, the password is stored on the device or in the cloud, similar to a password manager.
  • Autofill data: Chrome stores information you enter into web forms such as your name, address, and payment information. This data is used by the browser's Autofill feature to populate similar fields during subsequent sessions.

If you're worried about conserving mobile data, learn to manage your data usage in Chrome for iOS.

Was this page helpful?