Are you fed up with your slow browser speed? When you open a browser to visit a site for the very first time, it saves the info from that website in temporary files in its cache section. So the next time you visit the same website, it loads from the cache copy instead of downloading it from the Internet. While the process seems to speed up the process of browsing, it comes with its disadvantages. So sometimes, it makes sense to clear your browser cache.
Performing a hard refresh is a term that is often associated with cache clearing. It is a process of removing all the data stored in the cache. Anyway, this post goes for the main benefits of clearing your browser cache. Let’s have a look.
Better Speed & Performance
If you spend the majority of your time online or visit sites for a longer time frame, your cache may be of considerable size. This, in turn, may negatively affect the speed and performance of your system (irrespective of the browser you use). When you surf online (on a low hard drive capacity), you will find speed issues.
When you clear the cache of your browser, you free up decent space, which ultimately improves the speed. While this may not bring a significant difference, you will still see a slight improvement than before.
Viewing Recently Viewed Pages
After you hard refresh your cache, every time you revisit a site, your browser checks the cache to see if anything has changed or been updated on the website. But when you don’t refresh it, the browser may load the older version. Regularly clearing your cache will command your browser to load the site to its newest version, offering you updated info and pages.
Security
If you work on a public computer or a system that is used by others too, then clearing your cache is a dire need. This is to prevent other people from accessing the info you’ve and protects your privacy. If you do not hard refresh the cache, anyone who uses the computer can access the sites and information. Sometimes, the cache also keeps a record of your private sessions/data stored on some websites. This could give the other user access to your privacy. Also, the temporary files in the cache are a sweet spot for malware, adware, and infected files.
Browser Errors
Sometimes, your cache can bring about issues with your browser. For instance, a few websites may be too slow to load, would not open, show an error message, or hang all of a sudden. At other times, some sites do not respond. Well, you can fix all such errors by simply cleaning your cache before you close and reopen your browser.
These are the 5 main benefits of clearing your browser cache. Not only it offers you better speed and less risk of malware, but it also safeguards your privacy from the prying eyes and unwanted access. Make sure you hard refresh your cache regularly to enjoy surfing without worry.