This article will guide you on how to hard refresh your browser and clear your cache. You may have noticed that when you return to a website you visited before, it loads faster than when you first visited. This is because your browser starts copying the website on your computer. Although this makes loading pages faster, it can mean that changes made to the website aren't always visible until you perform a hard refresh. This guide will provide you with simple, actionable steps to do this on various browsers.
NOTE: The commands for performing a hard refresh vary depending on the browser and the operating system you're using.
Quick Walkthrough
Understanding the Need for a Hard Refresh
When you visit a website, your browser stores a copy of the site locally to speed up loading times in the future. However, this can sometimes prevent you from seeing updates or changes made to the site. In such cases, you need to perform a hard refresh to clear the cache and download the new content. Here are the steps to do this on various browsers:
Steps to Perform a Hard Refresh on Various Browsers
The commands for performing a hard refresh vary depending on the browser and the operating system you're using. Here are the steps for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer:
- Chrome on Windows: Hold down Ctrl and click the reload button, or hold down Ctrl and press F5.
- Chrome on Mac: Hold down Shift and click the reload button, or hold down Command, Shift, and click the R key.
- Firefox on Windows: Hold down Ctrl, Shift, and the R key, or hold down Ctrl and press F5.
- Firefox on Mac: Hold down Command, Shift, and the R key, or hold down Shift and press the reload button.
- Safari: Hold down the Option and Command key, then press the E key.
-
Internet Explorer: Hold down the Ctrl key, press the F5, or hold down the Ctrl key, click the refresh button.