Clear the Cache on a MAC

The cache is a section of your computer's memory where your temporary internet files are stored. Saving internet files is your computer's way of speeding up the process of opening web pages. (This way the computer shows the pages as already stored in memory, rather than go out the Web and get it again). It is important to clear your cache so that you can see the most recent version of a web page. For example, if your instructor sent you an email stating that the link to an exam was now available and you don't see the link, you need to clear your cache. After you clear the cache you will see the new page with the link for the exam.

  1. Open Safari and click on the "Safari" pull-down menu at the top. Select "Empty Cache..."
    Image of the Safari menu.
  2. A dialog box will open and ask you "Are you sure you want to empty the cache?" Click the "Empty" button.
    Image of the Empty Cache dialog box.
  3. Notice: You can also select "Reset Safari" from the same pull-down menu to clear your cache. This will also erase all of your saved passwords and other valuable information stored in the browser based on your input from this and previous times you worked with Web pages using this browser.
  4. Also notice, there is no setting to automatically clear the cache in Safari, so you should periodically clear the cache manually, as needed.