How to Clear the Cache for Apps on an iPad

If you store cache files, your iPad runs faster and you can access some of the app’s files offline. Better still, it saves cellular data because your iPad doesn’t always have to fetch data from the server. However, the cache files use up your internal storage space, causing you to run out of space regularly. 

This article explains how to clear cache on iPad apps.

How to Clear the Cache on iPad Apps

Unless you manually clear your apps’ cache, it remains on your device. If you have overzealous apps, they might populate your internal storage space with cache files and, in turn, make your device slow and sluggish. 

Sometimes, the stored cache gets corrupted, affecting an app’s normal functioning to the point of crashing. Other times, the cached data becomes outdated, causing the app to display old information. 

As a result, clearing your iPad apps cache app regularly is crucial. After all, if you open the app after clearing its temporary files, your iPad will cache its data again.

Clearing Cache on iPad Browsing Apps

Your iPad web browsers might be among the apps that store a lot of the cache on your iPad. For every website you visit, your iPad stores its cookies and cache. 

Here’s how you clear cache on your Safari browser:

1. Open your “Settings app” on your iPad home screen and choose “General.”
   
2. Select “Storage” to display your apps’ storage information. Scroll down and select “Safari.”
   
3. On Safari’s settings page, tap “Advanced” and select “Clear history and website data.” This displays a list of all the sites that have stored temporary files on your iPad.
   
4. To delete an individual cache file, hover over it and “Swipe to the left.” Tap the red “Delete button” to the right.
5. To delete all the browser cache files in one go, tap “Remove all website data.” Clearing cache on your Safari iPad app removes data for other synced devices. 

For Google Chrome browser, use these steps:

1. Launch your Chrome browser and select the “Ellipses menu” in the top right corner.
   
2. Tap “History” and choose “Clear browsing data.” Check if you’ve selected “Cookies, site data,” and “Cached images and files.” 
   
3. Choose “All time” at the top to clear all cache files from the last time you cleared, or select your desired time range.
   
4. Tap “Clear browsing data” to delete all the cache files. 
   

Clearing Cache for Individual iPad App

Clearing cache using this method gives you two options: to offload the app or to delete it. Offloading removes an app from your iPad but retains your stored data and documents. When you reinstall the app, you get a clean slate with your data without cache files. 

Conversely, the delete option deletes the app and all the associated information. If you reinstall the app, you won’t recover your data.

To clear cache using this method, do the following: 

1. Launch your “Settings” app from your iPad home screen.
   
2. Select “General” on the left sidebar. This opens the General page on the main screen.
   
3. Tap “Storage.” It might take a few minutes for the storage page to load if your device is out of space. When the storage page loads, you’ll see a breakdown of how your apps have used storage space, with the apps occupying the largest space appearing at the top. You’ll also get app recommendations at the top.
   
4. Tap one of the apps to see its storage status. Beneath the app’s thumbnail, you’ll find two options “Offload app” and “Delete app.” 
   
5. If it’s an app you no longer use, tap “Delete app.” On the other hand, if it’s an app you regularly use and occupies too much space, tap “Offload app.” Remember to reinstall it afterward to restore your data. 
   
   

The downside of using this method is that some apps, like the Photos app, don’t have the option to offload or delete to clear cache. You must go to the app and manually delete the files you no longer use. 

Clearing iPad Apps Cache Using the Home Button

You might find using the home button appropriate if you don’t want to go through the tedious process of uninstalling and reinstalling your apps to clear cache.

1. Go to your iPad home screen and tap the app you want to clear cache.
   
2. When the app opens, hold the “Power button” in the bottom right corner of your iPad until you see “Slide to power off.”
   
3. Let go of the power button and press the “Home button” to the left of your iPad until the app restarts. This clears the app’s cache. 

If you’re using a device without a home button, use these steps to clear cache:

1. Open your “Settings app” and choose “General” on the left sidebar.
   
2. Select “Accessibility” and enable the toggle for “AssistiveTouch” on the Accessibility window. A white-grey circle appears on the home screen and now acts as the home button.
   
3. Return to the “Settings” home page and select “General.” Scroll down and select “Shut down.” 
   
4. Long press the “AssistiveTouch” icon (the home button) until your iPad screen blackens and flashes white. 
5. Tap “Slide to power off.” Your iPad reboots, and the cache gets cleared. 
   

Clearing Cache for Third-Party Apps on iPad

Unlike iPad’s preinstalled apps, most third-party apps have cache option on their storage settings. To clear cache for these apps, do the following:

1. Open any third-party app on your iPad, such as Snapchat or WhatsApp.
   
2. Locate the “Settings” gear or button within the app. 
   
3. Scroll the Settings menu and locate “Storage and data” or “Storage and cache.” The terms slightly differ from app to app. 
   
4. Select “Manage storage” and select “Clear cache.”

Clearing Cache on iPad Using Third-Party Tools

You might have noticed there’s no way to clear cache on iPad all at once. This might be inconvenient if your device is out of space and you don’t have the time to go through each app to clear cache. Luckily, you can use third-party tools on your Mac or Windows to clear your iPad app cache at once. 

Examples of third-party cache cleaning tools include iFreeUp and PanFone iOS Eraser. iFreeUp is appropriate for iPad users who run Windows PC. PanFone iOS eraser, on the other hand, supports Mac and Windows. These third-party tools work similarly.

Here’s how you clear cache on your iPad using the PanFone iOS Eraser app:

1. Launch your Windows or Mac browser and download the desired third-party tool. 
   
2. After downloading, run and install the app on your computer. Open the app when you finish. 
3. Use a USB cable to connect your iPad to your PC. 
4. Select the “Free up space” icon in the top left corner of the sidebar. Select “Quick scan” on the main screen. 
5. The scan takes a few minutes, after which it displays the space used by junk files. 
6. Navigate to the bottom right of the screen and select “Clean.” Give the app some time to clear the cache files. Repeat the process to ensure you’ve removed all the junk files. 

Free-Up Your iPad

If you use your iPad every day, it’s inevitable that you’ll accumulate cache files which, if they remain uncleared, will cause your device to lag and run out of space. Though cache files are useful to your device, deleting them with any of the above methods will benefit your device’s performance. 

How often do you clear cache on your iPad? Do you wish iPad had a way of clearing cache without uninstalling apps? Let us know in the comments section below.