How to clear your Instagram cache and free up space on your phone

Redeem now

You can clear your Instagram cache by deleting the app on an iPhone, or through the Settings menu on an Android.
Clearing your Instagram cache can reduce how much space the app takes up on your phone.

Any app that shows images likely has a cache. The cache stores data about the pictures so they can load faster in the future.

So as you might expect, Instagram's cache can grow incredibly large over time. And if your phone is running low on space, this can make Instagram a data hog.

Luckily, you can clear Instagram's cache on both iPhone and Android. Here's how.

How to clear Instagram's cache on an iPhone

The only way to clear the Instagram cache on an iPhone is to delete and reinstall the app.

1. Find the Instagram app icon on your Home screen or in the App Library.

2. Tap and hold your finger on the Instagram icon until a menu appears, or all the apps start to jiggle.

3. Tap Remove App, or the minus sign at the top-left corner of the icon.

Remove the app from your iPhone. William Antonelli/Insider

4. Confirm that you want to delete the app.

You can then reinstall Instagram for free from the App Store and log back into your account.

How to clear Instagram's cache on an Android

On an Android phone, you don't need to delete the Instagram app, or even log out of your account. The Settings app has a built-in way to clear the cache.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Storage.

Open the Storage menu. William Antonelli/Insider

2. Select Other Apps, and then find Instagram in the list of apps and tap it.

Your apps will be sorted by how much space they take up. William Antonelli/Insider

3. Tap the Clear Cache option.

You should see the Clear Cache button gray out, and the Cache section underneath Space Used drop to 0 B.

Clear Instagram's cache data. William Antonelli/Insider William Antonelli Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at wantonelli@businessinsider.com. Read more Read less

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvHqK5mrJ9isK2xwKtkoqajqa6ovsCmZJyZk52y