With the increasing dependency on online platforms, having a faster browsing speed is a requirement rather than a luxury. Slow internet speeds can lead to frustrating delays and decreased productivity. Apart from the connection speed, your browser also plays a crucial role in the loading speed of web pages. One way to optimize browser speed is to increase the cache size.
Caching involves storing frequently used data temporarily so that they can be retrieved quickly in future requests. The more cache size you have, the less time your browser spends downloading images, CSS files, and other elements of websites. Here are five simple steps you can take to maximize your cache size and rev up your browsing speed.
- Locate the cache settings on your browser
Most browsers have built-in cache settings that you can adjust. These settings determine the size of your cache, how long the data is stored, and how the cache is used. On some browsers, you can access the cache settings through the “Settings” menu, while for others, it’s accessible through the “Advanced” menu.
- Increase the cache size
Increasing your cache size means your browser can store more data. Depending on your browser, you can increase your cache size anywhere from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes. However, keep in mind that the larger your cache size, the more space it will take up on your hard drive.
- Increase the cache expiration time
By default, browsers store cached data for a limited duration, usually a few hours or days. However, you can increase the cache expiration time, and the browser will keep the data for a longer period. This reduces the need for your browser to download the same data repeatedly, resulting in faster loading speeds.
- Clear your cache
Eventually, your cache will get filled up, and it may slow down your browser performance. Clearing your cache periodically can boost your browsing speed. Most browsers will have an option to clear the cache in the settings menu. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac to clear your cache.
- Use an extension
If you’re not comfortable adjusting your cache settings manually, you can use a browser extension that automates the process. Many extensions like Cache Killer or Clear Cache Button will let you clear your cache with a single click. Some extensions can also automatically adjust the cache size based on your browsing habits.
By following these simple steps, you can maximize the cache size on your browser and optimize your browsing speed. With faster page load times, you can enjoy seamless browsing experiences, increased productivity and less waiting time. So, get your browser set up and start surfing at lightning speed!
A browser cache is a storage area for data that computers use to speed up the process of loading webpages. It saves downloaded web page resources, such as images, videos, CSS, Javascript, and so on. The next time you visit the page, those resources are already there. In short, the browser cache allows your browser to load the page more quickly.
If your cache fills up, your browser can bog down. A variety of problems may occur, such as pages loading more slowly or incompletely. To solve this problem, you can delete all the information in the cache. Doing that speeds up your computer, but now your loading speeds slow down. Alternatively, you can increase your browser cache size.
How to increase browser cache size
Follow the steps below to increase the browser cache size in several of the common browsers you may be using.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome doesn’t provide a way for you to easily change the size of the browser cache. Here’s the workaround for Chrome in Windows:
Right-click on the Google Chrome shortcut on your desktop and select Properties.
Click the Shortcut tab.
In the Target field, add –disk-cache-size=1073741824 (with the number representing the size of the cache you want in bytes. 1kilobyte = 1024 bytes) to the end of the path. Leave a space after the quotation marks at the end of the existing text before adding this information.
Click OK.
This trick should work for most Chromium-based browsers.
Firefox
The Mozilla Firefox browser does have a user interface to access the size of the cache and change it if necessary. Here’s how.
Open the Firefox browser.
Type about:config into the address bar.
Press Enter.
Accept the warnings.
Scroll down the alphabetical list to find (or search for) browser.cache.disk.smart_size.enabled.
Click on the toggle switch to change “Value” from True to False.
Restart Firefox.
Now look for browser.cache.disk.capacity.
Click the pencil at the end of the row and enter the maximum size you want before restarting Firefox again.
That’s it. It is that easy to increase browser cache size. You should also look into creating various browser profiles for safer browsing. If you want to improve your browser’s performance even further, check out these tweaks to speed up your browser in Windows 10.
Tracey Rosenberger spent 26 years teaching elementary students, using technology to enhance learning. Now she’s excited to share helpful technology with teachers and everyone else who sees tech as intimidating.
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