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August 2, 2016
Want to Browse Faster? Stop Clearing Your Browser Cache
Do you regularly erase your browsing data, run temporary-file cleaning tool? You’re probably clearing your browser cache, and it’s slowing down your browsing.
The cache contains local copies of bits of websites. Your browser loads these bits from your hard drive when you visit a website that requires them, speeding things up and saving download bandwidth.
The cache is erased as part of the “erase private browsing data” tool included in all web browsers. Because the cache is an archive of files from websites you’ve visited, someone with access to your computer could examine the cache and see some websites you’ve been visiting. It’s not as comprehensive a browsing history as your browser’s actual History feature, but it can be used in a similar way. For example, if someone finds the How-To Geek logo image in your cache, they know you’ve visited How-To Geek. If you’ve visited sensitive websites you don’t want other people knowing about, clearing your cache will wipe away those tracks.
Of course, only people with access to your computer can snoop in this way.
The cache also takes up hard disk space. A tool like Wise Cleaner can remove quite a bit of data by erasing browser caches. However, the cache will be rebuilt over time afterwards. Browsers limit the amount of data they store in the cache, so your browser will automatically purge old data and keep the cache size under control. It won’t just balloon in size until you clear it, so you really don’t have to worry about clearing the cache yourself.
You can erase your browser history, cookies, download history, and other data without clearing your browser’s cache. Just uncheck the cache-clearing option when clearing your browsing data. Sure, this will leave some private data behind, but the cache is very useful. If you’re not worried about people with access to your computer seeing where you’ve been, there’s no reason to remove it.
You can also have your browser remove the data for only a small period of time, like the past hour. This will wipe away the tracks of an hour of browsing without clearing your entire cache.
Browser caches are good. Browsers create them for a reason, and it’s not just to build a history of your browsing or waste space. If you regularly clear your cache, you’re just slowing down your own browsing experience.
The cache contains local copies of bits of websites. Your browser loads these bits from your hard drive when you visit a website that requires them, speeding things up and saving download bandwidth.
The cache is erased as part of the “erase private browsing data” tool included in all web browsers. Because the cache is an archive of files from websites you’ve visited, someone with access to your computer could examine the cache and see some websites you’ve been visiting. It’s not as comprehensive a browsing history as your browser’s actual History feature, but it can be used in a similar way. For example, if someone finds the How-To Geek logo image in your cache, they know you’ve visited How-To Geek. If you’ve visited sensitive websites you don’t want other people knowing about, clearing your cache will wipe away those tracks.
Of course, only people with access to your computer can snoop in this way.
The cache also takes up hard disk space. A tool like Wise Cleaner can remove quite a bit of data by erasing browser caches. However, the cache will be rebuilt over time afterwards. Browsers limit the amount of data they store in the cache, so your browser will automatically purge old data and keep the cache size under control. It won’t just balloon in size until you clear it, so you really don’t have to worry about clearing the cache yourself.
You can erase your browser history, cookies, download history, and other data without clearing your browser’s cache. Just uncheck the cache-clearing option when clearing your browsing data. Sure, this will leave some private data behind, but the cache is very useful. If you’re not worried about people with access to your computer seeing where you’ve been, there’s no reason to remove it.
You can also have your browser remove the data for only a small period of time, like the past hour. This will wipe away the tracks of an hour of browsing without clearing your entire cache.
Browser caches are good. Browsers create them for a reason, and it’s not just to build a history of your browsing or waste space. If you regularly clear your cache, you’re just slowing down your own browsing experience.