Why You Should Clear Cache On iPad & How To Do It
Deleting Safari cache can help when a website doesn't work correctly and clearing data will free up extra space, but can make websites load slower.
Apple iPad is a tablet, but in many ways it works like a computer. This means that some of the same steps that help a computer keep running smoothly, may also help an iPad. In particular, the web browser, Safari, is such a frequently used app, that it might be more likely to experience trouble. Clear cache on iPad is a good way to get a fresh start when something goes wrong.
Apple advanced the usefulness of the iPad significantly when it made its Safari web browser behave like a desktop Mac browser. This means that most every website will behave the same on an iPad as it does on an iMac, MacBook or Mac Pro. Of course, part of the normal computer experience is using a mouse and physical keyboard. That can be done on an iPad now also, but Apple took care to offer most of the functionality of a mouse while using the touchscreen. Websites may have a different layout on an iPad, but this is a matter of the screen dimensions, not the browser. Apple does allow the user to change the zoom level, which can help if a particular website isn't presented well.
Deleting the Safari cache is a good idea in instances that a website appears to be out of date. It may also help when a website isn't performing correctly. A cache is made up of images, videos and other data that websites use to display the contents of a page. Clearing these stored files will free up extra space. It should be noted though that a frequently visited website will load more slowly if its cache is cleared. That is why it's important to think about whether to clear cache on iPad entirely or only for certain websites.
Clearing the Safari cache is easy to do using the Settings app. The controls are in the Safari section, which can be found by scrolling down or by searching Settings for Safari. To search Settings, open the app and swipe down on the left side until the search box appears. When the Safari options are open, scrolling all the way to the bottom reveals the Advanced option. This is where a particular website's data can be cleared, which is normally the best choice. In Advanced/Website Data, the storage used by each website is shown and the user can swipe left to reveal a Delete button.
If something is going wrong with multiple websites or the maximum amount of free space is needed, it will be easier to clear all website data. The entire cache can be cleared without going in to Advanced options. Instead, the button is in the outer Safari Settings page. Simply tap Clear History and Website Data and confirm to remove the cache. Note that this also clears website history, so make sure this more aggressive iPad clearing is needed before taking this step.
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