Every time you open your internet browser, your Android device collects data on your browsing habits. Whether it’s cookies, cache, or browsing history, all that data eventually piles up and could cause lower end phones to lag, impacting performance. Most of us use Chrome to access the internet and surf the web on our Android tablets and phones and, though the mobile version of Google Chrome is optimized for mobile performance, the core engine is largely the same — meaning that Chrome for Android OS is wonderfully bloated as a browser.

So how do you combat lag all while evading privacy concerns? Well, before we explain how to clear your cache, how about a crash course on what exactly Chrome is collecting when you log onto the information superhighway. Chrome — like all browsers — uses browsing history, cookies and caches to speed up your browsing experience, to a point. Though, you should know, that in Chrome, these three things – browsing history, caches and cookies – are all different groups. With Chrome, you’re given the options of deleting all of them or you can even erase them from a particular website. So, Google Chrome gives you various options with how you wish to control your cookies, browsing history and caches.

What Are Cookies?

No, it doesn’t come with chocolate chips, sadly. Cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by the websites you’ve visited, known as ‘first-party cookies’. They hold data about a client or website which can be used to give the user a web page that is tailored to them. Cookies can also carry information from one site to another, the types of cookies which do this are called ‘third-party cookies’.

What Is Cached Data?

Cached data is a type of data storage. It’s a collection of web pages which include text, media and images. This data is stored on your phone so that the next time you open the web page, it loads faster. However, cached data uses memory on your phone and can cause it to lag.

What Is Browsing Data?

Every time you click something or watch a video, this is stored in your internet browsing history. It’s essentially a log of everything you’ve clicked on while online.

How to Clear Cache and Cookies

By clearing Chrome’s cache and cookies means that the website settings will be deleted. You may notice that some sites will function a little slower than normal, this is simply because the images have to be reloaded.

On your Android device, open up Chrome.

Once in Chrome, click on the browser toolbar and tap ‘More’. The browser toolbar will have three vertical dots, that is ‘More’. Then, click on ‘History’ and tap on ‘Clear browsing data.’

It’ll take you to another option where you’re going to see ‘Clear browsing data.’ You’ll want to select the checkboxes for ‘Cookies and site data’ and ‘Cached images and files.’

You will use the menu at the top of the page to select how much data you’d like deleted. You can even choose to select everything and deleted literally all of the cached data and cookies.

Once you selected the amount of data, click on ‘Clear browsing data.’

Voila! All your Chrome cached data and cookies will be erased. Congrats!

How to Clear Browsing History

By deleting your browsing history, you are deleting all activity that you’ve done online. Once it’s deleted, you will not be able to retract your internet browsing history. To delete your browsing history is very similar to deleting your cached data and cookies. What you’re going to do, is open up Google Chrome. Once in Google Chrome, you’re going to click on the browser toolbar and tap ‘More’. The browser toolbar will have three vertical dots, that is ‘More’. Then, under ‘Advanced’, you’re going to click on ‘Privacy’. Once in privacy, you’ll see ‘Clear browsing data’, you’re going to click on that. At the top of the page, tap the drop-down tab which you’ll see under ‘Clear data from the’. Now, you’re going to select a time period in which you’d like the data to be released. For example, you can choose to delete your browsing history from the past 24 hours or the past month. You also have the option to delete your entire browsing history, right from the beginning of time. Select the time period which you’d like to delete. Once that’s done, you’ll click on ‘Clear data’. Then, your data will be deleted and cleared permanently from your phone.

Now that you know how to delete your Chrome’s cached data, cookies and browsing history, go ahead and give it a try! You’ll notice your phone will feel much much faster. Have fun!