Has your Galaxy S9 or S9+ slowed down all of a sudden? Do you have to deal with audio malfunctions or freezing and crashing apps?
In these situations, the cache data that’s stored on your phone might be causing problems. Removing this data is one of the easiest ways to fix minor malfunctions. Best of all, it doesn’t affect the performance of your applications in any way.
Let’s look at what a cache is, why your phone needs it, and how you can clear it out in a few simple steps.
What’s a Cache?
Your cellphone stores information in a few different ways. The data stored in the cache is not essential to the way your phone functions. Instead, this information speeds up some of the repeating processes on your phone.
For example, the cache of your web browser stores some information about previously visited websites. When you go back to one of those websites, the browser retrieves the information from the cache if it’s available. This means it’s not necessary to download the same things over and over again – you can reload the page to make the browser download new data instead of pulling it from the cache. In the case of app caches, your cache ensures you don’t redownload the data the next time that you use the app.
When you empty your cache, you don’t lose data. After all, your phone can simply download it again. But the upside of clearing out your cache is that you free up space on your phone, and you might be able to repair certain software issues.
How to Clear Your Chrome Cache
Open Your Chrome App
At the Top of the Screen, Select More – This is the three dots icon.
Select More Tools
Tap on Clear Browsing Data
Set the Time Range to “All time”
Check the “Cached images and files” Box
Select “Clear data”
This method can speed up your internet browsing, and it also solves problems like Chrome becoming unresponsive. Clearing the cache in other browsers is a similar process.
Emptying the App Cache of a Specific App
You can delete cached data for each app individually, or you can delete all app cache data at once.
If you suspect a specific app is causing your software glitch, do the following:
Open Settings on Your Phone – Select the cogs icon from the app screen.
Choose Apps
Tap on the Downward Arrow in the Upper Right Corner to List All Apps
Select the App That’s Causing You Problems
If you want to clear the cache of a system app, you might need to open the Menu option in the top-right corner, and then select Show System Apps.
Once the Right App Is Selected, Tap on “Storage”
Select CLEAR CACHE
Emptying Your App Cache – All Apps
If you’re not sure about the source of the problem, clear the cache of every app on your phone, following these steps:
Go into Settings
Select Device Maintenance
Tap on Storage
Select CLEAN NOW
A Final Thought
Caches save time and make your phone more efficient. Once you empty your caches, your apps might need a bit more time to open. If you’ve emptied your browser cache, your favorite websites might need a few extra seconds to load. But considering the way it can improve your phone’s performance, emptying the cache is worth this small inconvenience.
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