How to Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge (And Why You Should)

If you encounter persistent performance or site loading issues in Microsoft Edge, or if the browser refuses to open altogether, it could be something to do with an obsolete or corrupt web cache.

This tutorial will explain why you might want to delete the cache in Microsoft’s multi-platform web browser and how to do that on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Why You Should Clear the Cache in Microsoft Edge

Ever wonder why Microsoft Edge opens web pages faster when you revisit them as opposed to loading them for the first time? That’s because it caches web content like images, site indexes, and other forms of data to the local storage on your desktop or mobile.

Pretty much every other browser out there—like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari—does that to speed things up, so Edge isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

Web browsers manage cached data automatically. For example, if there’s a change on the server side, it replaces the cache with fresh data. Rarely, however, that just doesn’t happen, which means you end up viewing outdated web content or run into problems while accessing or interacting with websites.

Sometimes, an outdated or corrupt cache can stop the browser itself from opening. That’s why clearing the web cache is always a good idea during browser troubleshooting. Edge is no exception.

Cached site data aside, browsers store additional files called “cookies.” These tiny bits of data help the browser remember your site preferences—like the stuff you add to a shopping cart—and login session info. You can also delete them while clearing the Edge cache but at the inconvenience of signing into websites all over.

How to Clear the Microsoft Edge Cache in Windows

In Windows 10 and 11, you can clear the Microsoft Edge cache directly from the web browser. To do that:

1. Open the Edge menu (select the icon with three dots on the top right corner of the browser window) and select Settings.

2. Select Privacy, Search, and Services on the left sidebar.

3. Scroll down to the Clear browsing data section and select the Choose What to Clear button.

4. Open the drop-down menu under Time range and select All time.
5. Enable the check boxes next to Cache images and files and Cookies and site data. Also, select any other types of data to delete—e.g., browsing history, download history, site permissions, etc.

6. Select Clear Now.

Tip: Use the Ctrl + Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut to instantly access the “Clear browser data” pop-up.

If you have trouble opening Microsoft Edge on your Windows PC, it’s possible to clear cached files via File Explorer. To do that:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Copy and paste the following path into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter:

%localappdata%MicrosoftEdgeUser DataDefaultCacheCache_Data

3. Press Ctrl + A and delete all the contents inside the Cache_Data folder.

To delete cookies in Microsoft Edge through File Explorer:

1. Copy and paste the following path into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter:

%localappdata%MicrosoftEdgeUser DataDefaultNetwork

2. Delete the file labeled Cookies.

Clear the Microsoft Edge Browser Cache on macOS

If you use Microsoft Edge on your Mac, you can clear its cache and cookies by working through the following steps.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Select Microsoft Edge > Clear Browsing Data on the menu bar.

3. Open the pull-down menu under Time range and select All time.
4. Check the boxes next to Cache images and files and Cookies and site data.

5. Select Clear Now.

If you have trouble opening Microsoft Edge on your Mac, you can clear the contents of the cache folder via Finder.

1. Control-click the Finder icon on the Dock and select Go to Folder.

2. Copy and paste the following path and press Return.

~/Library/Caches/Microsoft Edge/Default/Cache/Cache_Data

3. Delete all the contents inside the Cache_Data folder.

To delete Microsoft Edge cookies through Finder:

1. Copy and paste the following path into the File Explorer address bar and press Return:

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default

2. Delete the file labeled Cookies.

Clear the Microsoft Edge Cache on Android

In the mobile version of Microsoft Edge for Android, clear the cache and cookies through the browser’s Settings pane.

1. Open the Edge menu (tap the icon with three dots at the bottom of the screen) and select Settings.

2. Tap Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
3. Set the Time range to All time.
4. Check the boxes next to Cached images and files and Cookies and site data.

5. Tap Clear data.

Suppose you can’t open Microsoft Edge. In that case, clear the browser’s cache through the Android Settings app.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps.

2. Tap Microsoft Edge.
3. Tap Storage and cache > Clear cache.

Clear the Microsoft Edge Cache on Your iPhone

Like on Android, you can clear the Microsoft Edge cache on its app for iPhone through the browser’s settings pane.

1. Open the Edge menu (tap the three-dot icon at the bottom of the screen) and select Settings.

2. Go to Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
3. Set Time range to All time.
4. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.

5. Tap Clear now.

Unlike on Android, however, there’s no way to clear the Microsoft Edge cache if you have trouble opening the browser. Hence, your only option, in that case, is to remove and reinstall the app.

1. Open the Settings app and tap General.
2. Tap iPhone Storage.

3. Tap Edge.
4. Tap Delete App.

5. Download Edge via the App Store.

Always Clear the Cache When You Exit Edge

There’s no reason to clear the Microsoft Edge cache unless you’re looking to fix a specific problem with the browser. Otherwise, you’ll only end up slowing down the browser. Cookies are another matter since they do tend to track you online. But again, clearing cookies repeatedly can be detrimental to your browsing experience.

If privacy is a concern, you can browse anonymously in Edge’s InPrivate browsing windows to stop the browser from keeping a record of your browsing data.

Alternatively, you can customize and configure your browser to automatically delete the cache and cookies each time you exit it. On Windows and macOS, copy and paste the following path into an Edge address bar and press Enter:

edge://settings/clearBrowsingDataOnClose

Then, decide which forms of browsing data to delete—like the cache, cookies, and browsing history—when you exit the browser each time.

If you use the Android version of Edge, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data, and turn on the switch next to Clear browsing data upon exit. Sadly, you can’t configure Microsoft Edge for iOS to auto-delete your browsing data.