How to Remove Browser Cache on Linux

What Causes This?

Browsers on Linux store cached images, scripts, and site data to make pages load faster. Over time, that cache can grow large, become outdated, or get corrupted, which may cause websites to load incorrectly or use unnecessary disk space. This is especially common if you browse heavily, use multiple tabs often, or rarely clear temporary browser data.

Common Symptoms

• Websites load with broken formatting or missing images
• Pages show old content even after refresh
• Your browser feels slow or sluggish
• Linux storage space is lower than expected
• Certain sites fail to load properly until reloaded

How to Fix It Manually

1. Clear cache in Google Chrome or Chromium

   1. Open Chrome or Chromium.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open Clear browsing data.
   3. Set Time range to All time if you want to remove everything.
   4. Check Cached images and files.
   5. Optionally leave Cookies and other site data unchecked if you only want to remove cache.
   6. Click Clear data.

2. Clear cache in Mozilla Firefox

   1. Open Firefox.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open the recent history window.
   3. Set Time range to clear to Everything.
   4. Click Details if needed.
   5. Select Cache.
   6. Click Clear Now.

3. Clear cache in Microsoft Edge on Linux

   1. Open Edge.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
   3. Choose All time from the time range menu.
   4. Check Cached images and files.
   5. Click Clear now.

4. Delete browser cache files manually from your home folder If the browser will not open or you want to free space directly, you can remove cache folders yourself.

   1. Open your Terminal.
   2. For Chrome, run:

      rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome/*

   3. For Chromium, run:

      rm -rf ~/.cache/chromium/*

   4. For Firefox, run:

      rm -rf ~/.cache/mozilla/firefox/*

   5. Reopen your browser after deleting the files.

5. Use your Linux file manager to check cache size

   1. Open Files or your preferred file manager.
   2. Press Ctrl+H to show hidden folders.
   3. Go to your Home folder, then open .cache.
   4. Look for folders such as google-chrome, chromium, or mozilla.
   5. Delete only the browser cache folders if you need to recover space.

6. Restart the browser and test the problem site

   1. Close all browser windows completely.
   2. Reopen the browser.
   3. Visit the site that was having issues.
   4. If needed, press Ctrl+F5 to force a full refresh.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

If you do not want to dig through browser settings or hidden cache folders, Kudu can detect unnecessary browser cache and clean it up automatically. It is a quick way to recover storage space and fix browsing issues caused by stale temporary files without doing each step by hand.

Download Kudu Free →