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how to clear youtube cache on iphone

To clear the YouTube “cache” on an iPhone, you have to use a few iOS workarounds, because there’s no single Clear Cache button like on Android.

Key thing to know

On iPhone, you clear YouTube cache mainly by:

  • Offloading the app (semi-reset, keeps your data).
  • Deleting and reinstalling the app (full reset, clears all stored data and cache).

Apple doesn’t expose app cache controls directly in Settings the way Android does, so these are the standard “2024–2026” methods tech guides and forums recommend.

Method 1: Offload YouTube (lighter reset)

This is good if YouTube is a bit laggy, but you don’t want to lose your app data and settings.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  1. Go to General → iPhone Storage.
  1. Scroll down and tap YouTube.
  1. Tap Offload App and confirm.
  1. When it finishes, tap Reinstall App (or tap the YouTube icon on your home screen to trigger reinstall).

What this does:

  • Frees up the app’s temporary data and some cached files.
  • Keeps your documents, data, and login info so you don’t have to fully set up again.

This is often recommended as the best balance between space recovery and convenience.

Method 2: Delete and reinstall (full cache clear)

Use this if YouTube is really buggy, keeps crashing, or you want a full reset.

  1. Find the YouTube app on your home screen.
  1. Press and hold the icon until the menu appears.
  1. Tap Remove App → Delete App , then confirm.
  1. Open the App Store and search for YouTube.
  1. Download and install it again, then sign back in.

What this does:

  • Removes the app and its documents & data, including cached files.
  • Gives you a “fresh install,” which can fix lag, glitches, and storage bloat.

Optional extras that sometimes help

These don’t directly clear the YouTube app cache, but they can smooth things out:

  • Restart your iPhone
    • Hold the power button (and volume button on Face ID models), slide to power off, then turn it back on.
* This can clear some temporary system-level clutter and fix minor lag.
  • Clear Safari history and website data (for YouTube in browser, not the app)
    • Go to Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data.
* Helps if you use YouTube mainly in Safari and it feels slow or glitchy.

Why people are talking about this now

In recent “how to clear YouTube cache on iPhone” articles and forum threads from 2024–2026, users complain that the app feels heavier, takes more space, and stutters more than older versions. Since iOS still doesn’t let you directly “Clear cache” per app, the offload/delete approach has become the standard advice in tech blogs and community discussions.

Quick recap (TL;DR)

  • For a lighter fix, go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage → YouTube → Offload App → Reinstall App.
  • For a full reset and maximum cache clear, delete YouTube and reinstall it from the App Store.
  • Restarting your iPhone and, if you use the browser version, clearing Safari’s history can also help with performance.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.