Alex Ruben
How To Clear Cache and Cookies on Facebook for Better Performance
If Facebook is acting sluggish, glitchy, or just plain weird, clearing the cache and cookies can often be the quick fix. Sometimes, old cached data or corrupted cookies mess things up, and a fresh start helps. This guide walks through the process on desktops, Android, and iPhone — because, of course, each platform keeps its junk somewhere different. Clearing your browser or app data like this isn’t a cure-all, but it’s usually good for smoothing out annoying issues and keeping your Facebook running nice and fast.
How to Fix Facebook Cache and Cookies Bloat Across Devices
Method 1: Clear Facebook Cache & Cookies on Desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
Doing this on your desktop can solve a lot of weird loading or login problems. Browsers store a ton of cached images and cookies that might be outdated or just plain broken, causing weird glitches or slow load times. Clearing these out tells your browser to fetch fresh info, which usually helps straighten out the mess.
- Open your favorite browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge — whatever).
- Go to www.facebook.com.
- If you aren’t logged in, do so now.
- Head to the menu (three dots or lines in the upper right).
- Select Settings.
- Find the section called Privacy and security or similar.
- Click on Clear browsing data or Clear data. On Chrome, you might see “Clear browsing data” under Privacy and security.
- Make sure Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data are checked. (Sometimes, it’s good to pick “All time” for the time range.)
- Hit Clear data.
Expect your browser to do its thing — do not be surprised if it takes a few seconds or a minute. On some setups, this can get laggy, but generally, it’s straightforward. Afterward, refresh Facebook and see if it’s faster or less glitchy.
Method 2: Remove Facebook Cookies in Chrome (or other browsers)
This one focuses solely on cookies. Cookies tend to store session info, login states, preferences, and all that jazz. Sometimes, these cookies get corrupted and cause weird login loops or display issues. Clearing just Facebook cookies can fix that without wiping all your browsing data.
- While on facebook.com, click the padlock icon (next to the URL bar in Chrome) or the “Not Secure” warning.
- Select Cookies.
- Look for Facebook-related cookies. They’re usually named like “facebook.com” or similar.
- Click on those, then hit Remove or Delete.
- Close the cookies dialog and refresh Facebook — it might log you out initially but usually logs back in clean, or at least loads better.
This method is great if Facebook just won’t stay logged in or shows strange errors after a recent login or app update. On some machines, you might need to do this per site or clear cookies through browser settings—so check your specific browser docs if needed.
Method 3: Clear Facebook app cache on Android
Android can be picky about cache buildup, especially if you use Facebook a lot or last updated the app ages ago. Clearing the cache helps the app fetch fresh data and can stop those “Facebook is not responding” errors.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps or Application Manager.
- Scroll down and tap on Facebook.
- Tap on Storage (sometimes called Storage & Cache).
- Hit Clear Cache.
- Optionally, if issues persist, you can tap Clear Data (but beware — this logs you out and resets app preferences).
This isn’t a full reinstall, but it’s often enough to clear weirdness. Expect to have to log back in after clearing data.
Method 4: Clear Facebook cookies on iPhone (via browser or app cache)
Because iPhone Facebook app doesn’t expose cookie management like desktop browsers, clearing cookies effectively involves either resetting the app or managing Safari’s data if you’re using Facebook in-browser. For the app, the main move is to clear cache and data via reinstalling or resetting settings.
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap the Menu icon at the bottom right.
- Scroll down and pick Settings & Privacy.
- Tap on Settings.
- In the Preferences section, find Browser or Media and Contacts (depends on app version).
- Tap on Cookies and Cache.
- Hit Clear and confirm.
If that option isn’t there, you might need to go into iPhone’s Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. That clears Safari’s cookies and cache, which can affect Facebook in-browser version but not the app itself.
Why Regular Cache & Cookies Cleaning Counts
Over time, cached images, scripts, and cookies add up, especially if Facebook updates frequently or you use the platform constantly. This buildup can cause slow loading, errors, or weird glitches. Show it some love periodically, and the app or website should stay snappy and less glitch-prone. Plus, it might prevent some login or display issues that crop up randomly.
Extra Tips & Troubleshooting
- Once you clear cache or cookies, restart the app or refresh the page to see improvements.
- Keep your Facebook app and your browser up to date — updates often fix bugs that cause these issues.
- If problems stick around, try reinstalling the Facebook app or resetting your browser settings. Sometimes, the old cache is just stubborn.
Wrap-up
This isn’t rocket science, but it can fix a lot of Facebook annoyances. Clearing cache and cookies isn’t sexy, but it’s often the needed nudge to keep things smooth. Depending on your device and setup, you might need to do it more or less often. Usually, a quick clean-up does the trick. Fingers crossed this helps someone catch a break with Facebook performance.
Summary
- Clear browser cache and cookies on your desktop if Facebook loads slowly or glitches out.
- Remove cookies specifically for Facebook via browser settings if login problems or strange errors occur.
- Use Android’s app settings to clear Facebook cache — often remedies app freeze-ups or crashes.
- On iPhone, clear Safari data or reinstall the app if cookies or cache seem suspect.
- Remember to refresh or restart after clearing data for best results.