You have probably wondered why your computer or mac is becoming slower, especially after using them to browse for the first time on the internet. Well, the cause of your worries may not be far from cache.
Caches are features in your web browsers that store temporary information on the local directory.
Caches only help your computer have faster access to websites and improve your browsing speed.
When your computer stores caches from too many websites, the resultant effect is slower apps and software. For that reason, you need to be clearing cache now and then to keep the speed at a constant high.
Here’s a collection of five significant benefits of clearing cache you need to know.
1. Boosting Speed and Performance
The last thing you would wish for your computer is low speed. When you are set for browsing or navigating apps and software, you always want a seamless and smooth process.
However fast your RAM is, after a considerably long time browsing and surfing through the internet, you build up a sizeable cache.
The cache takes up a significant portion of RAM, and memory on your computer eventually drops the speed of your computer or mac’s general performance.
You should learn how to clear cache and do it regularly if you want to experience faster operations every time you browse and surf. You never have to experience delays anymore.
2. Maintains Privacy of Your Browsing and Security
One other thing cache does is make it easy to pass information about what you were doing on the internet to the next user who accesses your computer browser.
Once you browse and fail to clear cache, you leave a lot of browsing history for the next user. If you were handling private and confidential matters, things get out of control when they fall into the wrong hands.
Caches can also store private information that some websites ask for, such as passwords and other personal detail. You could be at risk of exposing this information to hackers and thieves who can drain your accounts dry.
With all these threats, you have no reason to leave a public computer before clearing the cache.
3. Clearing Cache Helps to Fix Browsing Errors
When websites take too long to load, it is one thing you hate but can, at times, remain patient until they eventually load.
But some challenges come with caches that patience alone won’t help you solve. These challenges include:
- Websites failing to open
- Websites returning an error message when you try to open
- Websites hanging at a certain point
- Websites refuse to respond as they should normally respond
While most people try fixing these kinds of problems by closing and reopening their browsers, they tend to forget one important thin-clearing cache.
The easiest means of solving these problems is by clearing the cache before you close and reopen your browser for a better experience.
4. You Get New and Updated Version of Pages when Browsing
Every time you load a website, it always loads and displays the most recent and updated version of the page without cache. However, this doesn’t happen when the cache is available because it will always load the last page you visited.
This is why page developers will always encourage you to clear the cache to see the changes the developers have made on the website. When you clear cache, you signal the browser to fetch the most recent version of the webpage.
5. Extends the Life of Your Computer
Do you wonder what happens if you fail to clear caches completely? Well, your computer will get slower, and your RAM gets used up so fast. There is also a chance that you will attract viruses into your computer with caches.
With RAM getting used up and the computer progressively getting slower, and with the threat of viruses, it is only a matter of time before the computer completely crashes.
To save your computer from breaking down completely, do some routine check and clear cache regularly to save your computer from crashing.
What Are the Common Types of Caches?
There are several types of caches you will meet when browsing. The most common ones include:
Browser Cache
This is the most common type of cache and the one you have mostly encountered with your computer. A browser cache includes cookies and tracking devices that store information on your browsing to release it later when you start browsing again.
Browser caches are responsible for selecting the items you have searched for or bought earlier over the internet on every other website you open.
Browser caches are beneficial when you revisit the same site; you will not have to login again as before.
User Cache
These caches come from the apps and software you use on your personal computer or mac. It doesn’t matter whether they are apps and software that were pre-installed or are third party apps. The effect is the same.
Your computer applications are responsible for a lot of cache files, which cumulatively occupy a lot of space on your computer. When you clear app caches, you save a lot of space that was initially lost.
System Cache
This cache contains data from the system services built on your computer’s operating system that run your computer.
Your Important Information is Safe Even after Clearing Cache
Unlike what most people fear, clearing cache doesn’t necessarily do away with your important information. When you clear the cache, you create more space from the memory and RAM that the cache files had eaten up.
But the process starts all over again after your latest caching. That is why you should make it a routine to clear cache.
Have you understood how to clear cache on your computer? You could also learn a lot more tech tips by reading other posts on this website.