What Happens When You Clear Data On Messaging App

Anybody who has ever encountered an app or software problem on Android may have been given the advice "clear app cache" or "articulate app data". These two solutions are often thought of as phenomenon cures for Android, simply what is the difference between these seemingly similar operations? Well, that is exactly what nosotros effort to explain in this article.

What is cache?

Earlier we go into the nitty-gritty of app cache, let's try to sympathize what 'cache' is. In the simplest of terms, the enshroud is a reserved storage space that stores temporary data. This data is primarily used to aid apps, browsers, and websites to load faster. Another fashion to call back it is to remember of cache every bit a tool to speed upwardly and offer a faster experience. Apart from offering a faster, smoother user feel, the cache besides helps yous reduce the amount of data that is processed and consumed.

Let me endeavour to help y'all understand this using an example.

After restarting your phone, accept you ever noticed how dull your camera app is to open at first, while each subsequent attempt is quicker? The increment in speed later the initial launch of an app is thanks to this buried information. Similarly, you might find that websites load faster on a second visit. This is considering your browser stores some data is because files such as images have been previously stored in the cache.

What does 'Clear app enshroud' mean?

Now that y'all sort of understand what 'cache' really means, it is likewise easier to understand the term 'clear app cache'. When you perform this footstep, what essentially happens is that all the temporary data pertaining to an app is manually deleted.

Now, there is oft no need to manually manage cached data on Android smartphones because Android is very capable of doing this on its own without you fifty-fifty noticing it. Notwithstanding, if an app starts to misbehave or stop working, then you may be required to take this step equally part of troubleshooting.

When you clear an app'southward buried data, you remove the temporary files placed at that place, and you'd be surprised how frequently this uncomplicated step works. You should also note, withal, that it doesn'tguarantee ameliorate performance, and the app may even exist temporarily slower the next time it's used.

What does 'articulate app data' or 'clear app storage' mean?

If you oasis't noticed all the same, 'articulate app cache' and 'clear app data' (articulate app storage on newer phones) are two distinct steps. What you should note, however, is that immigration app data is a more severe (for desire of a improve word) step. While the cache can be cleared with little risk to app settings, preferences and saved states, clearing the app data will delete/remove these entirely.

Clearing data essentially resets an app to its default state: it makes your app deed like when you lot first downloaded and installed it. For instance, say you make changes to the settings of your favorite fitness app. You modify the length of exercises and sound settings.

Immigration the cache volition non bear on these saved settings. Immigration stored data may, and likely will.

NextPit Cache 3 — Clearing app data is now known as 'clear storage'. Note that this footstep volition delete all your in-app preferences and settings. / © NextPit / © NextPit

When should they be applied?

At that place are a few circumstances in which you lot may wish to clear app or cached information.

Firstly, to save storage space. Some apps can shop several GBs of data that you no longer need (podcast apps are often guilty of this). In this case, you may wish to articulate their data.
The other and more common reason is to reset an app to a default land if it has become problematic, buggy or otherwise disruptive.

How to clear app data or cached data?

On Android 11 and higher up follow these steps to articulate app information or cached data.

Go to the Settings Menu
Click on Storage
Select Other Apps

This will open up a list of apps currently installed on your phone. Past default, information technology volition show you the apps with the most data used at the summit. On older Android versions, you likewise get the choice to sort the apps by size.

Select the app you want to clear the enshroud/information
You lot will no meet two options: 'Clear enshroud' and 'Clear storage'.
Depending on your intention, choose between either of these options
Once again, practice notation that 'clear app information' or 'clear app storage' is the more than drastic of the 2 options and should only exist used if yous have massive issues with an app or if you lot are really running low on storage infinite

Clear App Data — Steps to clear app cache, clear app data on Android xi / © NextPit

If you are on an older version of Android, yous accept the option to clear all cached files with a unmarried click. To do this, all you need to do is to go to Settings -> Storage -> Cached data and select 'Clear Cache'. This choice is no longer available on newer Android versions including Android 10 and 11.

However, this but works to clean 1 app. In social club to clean the cache of every app at the aforementioned fourth dimension, follow the steps

On Android 8 Oreo you may not be able to practise a organization-wide immigration of cache and data, depending on your manufacturer's skin. If you go to Settings > Storage > Free upward infinite > TemporaryFiles and find Cached information there.

AndroidPIT android marshmallow problems and solutions 2 — On older Android versions, going to Settings > Storage > Cached data gave you a ane-tap solution for removing cached data. / © NextPit

A word on "performance-boosting" apps

At that place are many apps that claim to "boost device performance" merely often this simply isn't true. In many cases, these apps merely provide a one-touch button for catastrophe processes and immigration the cache, both of which are largely unnecessary on today's Android platform.

You lot can, and should, do this manually if it is ever required, but don't get in a habit.

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So, cleaning your app when your phone is running slowly or the memory is full could seem like the best option in the short run, but information technology could have consequences in the long term, which is why you shouldn't exercise information technology besides oftentimes.

Final thoughts

At that place is no "better" or "worse" option when it comes to clearing the enshroud and clearing app data. Both processes accept their purpose.

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Your first stride towards fixing a problematic app should be clearing the enshroud, as this is the least intrusive method for quickly fixing apps. If that fails, or if yous wish to free upwardly a larger volume of storage space, then clear the information. Just remember that anything stored or saved in the app, including sound, video, or image files, will also be removed.

Has that cleared upward your concerns regarding app data and cached data? If not, tell u.s.a. in the comments.

This article was last updated in April 2021. Older comments have been preserved.