Technologies
Merry Christmas, Clear Your Cache
Why you should clear your iPhone cache and exactly how to do it in Chrome, Safari and Firefox.

An iPhone is the kind of gift that keeps on giving, letting you browse through page after page of information online. Whether you’re looking for holiday deals, movie recommendations or just the latest corporate shenanigans, your iPhone is there to help. But even behemoths like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max can get bogged down if you’re not keeping them optimized. One of the simplest pieces of upkeep is clearing your iPhone cache every month.
You probably got gifts for your friends and family, maybe even a gift for yourself. But this Christmas, give your iPhone the gift of a clear cache.
Whether you’re browsing in Chrome, Safari or elsewhere on your iPhone, your cache builds up digital clutter over time. Clearing your cache gives your browser a new start, which can speed up your browsing whether you’re using iOS 15 or iOS 16. (And if you’re trying to get your phone to run faster, try managing your iPhone’s storage.)
Think of your browser cache like a digital refrigerator. It helps you store leftovers like website data so those pages can load faster the next time you visit them. The problem, though, is that those leftovers eventually go bad, in the sense they no longer match the data the sites actually need to load. That’s the equivalent of your fridge being full of stale or outright moldy food. At that point, pages will actually load slower and formatting might look wrong.
That’s why clearing your cache can help: It gives sites a fresh start in your browser and frees up some space in your storage. Note that clearing your cache will sign you out of sites you’re currently logged into. Still, it’s generally worth that mild inconvenience every month or so to keep things moving quickly.
Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your cache on your iPhone based on the browser you use.
How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari
Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account. As a result all your devices’ caches will be cleared, and you’ll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here’s what to do.
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select Safari from the list of apps.
3. Go to Advanced > Website Data.
4. Scroll down and select Remove All Website Data.
5. Choose Remove Now in the pop-up box.
Then you’re set!
Read more: Best iPhone for 2022
How to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome
Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. The overall process for clearing your Chrome cache requires a few more steps, and you’ll need to do things through the Chrome browser itself. Here’s how.
1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options.
3. Scroll across the top and select Settings.
4. Select Privacy and Security in the next menu.
5. Then select Clear Browsing Data to open up one last menu.
6. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last Hour to All Time).
7. Make sure that Cookies, Site Data is selected, along with Cached Images and Files. Finally, hit Clear Browsing Data at the bottom of the screen.
Read more: This iPhone Setting Stops Ads From Following You Across the Web
How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox
If you’re a Firefox devotee, don’t worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.
1. Click the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options.
2. Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.
3. Select Data Management in the Privacy section.
4. You can select Website Data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.
Read more: Experiencing Slow Wi-Fi? It Could Be Caused by Internet Throttling. Here’s How to Tell
What happens when you clear the cache?
Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up slowing things down if it becomes too bulky or out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. However, clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again.
How often do I need to clear my cache?
Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That’s generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.
For more, check out how to download iOS 16 today, the best new iOS 16 features and some hidden iOS 16 features. You can also take a look at how each new iPhone 14 model compares to the others.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 17
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
I breezed through today’s Mini Crossword. There’s a little something for everyone. Birders will appreciate 3-Down while musicians will immediately know the answer to 6-Down. Read on for an assist with today’s Mini Crossword. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Workout facilities
Answer: GYMS
5A clue: Pipe dream? Just the opposite!
Answer: LEAK
6A clue: In good spirits
Answer: JOLLY
7A clue: Up to the task
Answer: ABLE
8A clue: Headache-inducing situation
Answer: MESS
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Boston newspaper
Answer: GLOBE
2D clue: TALKS LIKE THIS
Answer: YELLS
3D clue: Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g.
Answer: MALES
4D clue: Drone’s zone
Answer: SKY
6D clue: Rock out
Answer: JAM
Technologies
WeTransfer Backtracks on AI File Training After Backlash: What You Need to Know
The company has updated the changes to its policies after some users objected to new terms.

WeTransfer, the service that allows users to send large files to others, is explaining itself to clients and updating its terms of service after a backlash related to training AI models.
The company published a blog post, «WeTransfer Terms of Service — What’s Really Changing,» that details more updates the company made to its policies, after users noticed that recent changes seemed to suggest WeTransfer was training AI models on the files users are transferring.
In the blog post, the company says: «First things first. Your content is always your content.»
The post goes on to say, «We don’t use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer.» WeTransfer explains that its use of AI would be to improve content moderation and enhance its ability to prevent the distribution of harmful content across its platform.
The company adds that those AI tools aren’t being used and haven’t been built yet. «To avoid confusion,» it says, «we’ve removed this reference.»
A representative for WeTransfer did not immediately return an email seeking further comment.
The backlash over the terms prompted users such as political correspondent Ava Santina to write on X, «Time to stop using WeTransfer who from 8th August have decided they’ll own anything you transfer to power AI.»
What this means for users
Anxieties are high about what information users share or store in services such as social media accounts is accessed by companies to train AI models. WeTransfer may be used for highly sensitive file transfers, raising fears that private information might be accessed by AI. According to the company, this isn’t the case.
To further explain, the company said in its post:
- «YES — Your content is always your content. In fact, section 6.2 of our Terms of Service clearly states that you ‘own and retain all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Content’.»
- «YES — You’re granting us permission to ensure we can run and improve the WeTransfer service properly.»
- «YES — Our terms are compliant with applicable privacy laws, including the GDPR.»
- «NO — We are not using your content to train AI models.»
- «NO — We do not sell your content to third parties.»
When the Terms of Service change
While eagle-eyed experts understood the potential implications of what WeTransfer’s new terms could mean for people using the service, it’s unlikely that most people would be able to spot such changes.
«Expecting users to fully understand Terms of Service is unrealistic. These documents are often too complex to navigate,» says Haibing Lu, associate professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.
Lu told CNET that companies would do well to clearly highlight any changes they make to AI-related terms and explain them clearly to give people a real choice. «That’s what true transparency looks like,» Lu says. «Companies are increasingly risking backlash when they update Terms of Service to include AI, especially when users’ data is involved.»
Companies including Adobe, Slack and Zoom have had similar issues with terms changes related to AI, but it’s not just AI that’s the problem, Lu says — rather, it’s the lack of transparent communication.
In the case of WeTransfer, Lu says the company’s response, including revising the terms and blogging about them, «was a smart move and helped rebuild trust. It showed they were listening and willing to act fast.»
WeTransfer could include more understandable language in its terms, or communicate the changes better or sooner, Lu says, adding: «Transparency shouldn’t start after a backlash.»
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