Free up app storage

Free up Safari storage

Safari keeps website cache, Website Data, Downloads, and offline Reading List items on iPhone. Clearing history and website data removes local site files. It also signs you out of websites on this device. Bookmarks and iCloud Tabs stay if Safari is on in iCloud.

See how much space Safari is using

1. Open the iPhone Settings app.
2. Tap General > iPhone Storage.
3. Tap Safari.

Safari is an iPhone / iPad app. There is no Android Safari. Downloads often show under Files, not only under the Safari row.

Clear History and Website Data

1. Open the iPhone Settings app.
2. Scroll to Safari.
3. Tap Clear History and Website Data.
4. Confirm. Some iOS versions let you pick a time range first.

This clears history, cookies, and cached page files on this iPhone. You will sign in to sites again. It does not delete bookmarks.

Remove Advanced Website Data

1. Open iPhone Settings > Safari > Advanced.
2. Tap Website Data.
3. Review the list. Large sites sit at the top on many iOS versions.
4. Swipe to delete one site, or tap Remove All Website Data.

Use this when one site (a video player, web app, or mail) is huge and you still want to keep general history. Removing all website data is close to a full local reset of Safari site files.

Delete Downloads

1. In Safari, tap the downloads icon (or the tabs / more menu, then Downloads).
2. Swipe to delete files you do not need.
3. Open the Files app > Downloads (and On My iPhone) and delete leftover Safari files.
4. Empty Recently Deleted in Files if it is there.

Clear History and Website Data does not always remove files already saved to Downloads.

Offline Reading List

1. Open Safari and show the sidebar / bookmarks view.
2. Open Reading List.
3. Swipe to delete saved pages you downloaded for offline use.

Automatically saving Reading List articles offline can grow this list. Turn that off in iPhone Settings > Safari if you do not want pages stored ahead of time.

Offload Safari if the total stays high

iPhone does not give a separate Safari cache button beyond Website Data. If iPhone Storage still lists Safari as large, delete Downloads first, then offload unused apps around it, or reinstall only if you are comfortable signing in to sites again.

Reinstall the app if storage is still high

If you already cleaned media and Safari still looks huge, a fresh install can clear leftover cache and temp files that are hard to reach by hand.

1. Safari is a system app, so you usually cannot delete it. Move Downloads you still need out of Files first. iCloud Bookmarks and Tabs stay if Safari is on in iCloud. Clearing Website Data signs you out of sites on this iPhone.
2. Delete the app from your phone.
3. Restart your phone.
4. Install Safari again from the App Store or Google Play.
5. Sign in and restore from backup if the app offers it.

This often frees a lot of space. You may need to download some media again after restore.

What to do next

After Safari is lighter, check your photo library for duplicates and similar shots. That is what Dedupo is for.

More app guides: Free up app storage.