iPads slow down over time mostly because of cached data from apps. Photos.app keeps thumbnails. Safari keeps website data. Streaming apps cache videos for offline. After a few years, you can recover several GB just by clearing things you don't need.
iOS doesn't have one button to clear everything. Each type of cache lives in a different place. Here's where each one is.
Clear Safari cache
The most common one. Safari accumulates cookies, browsing data, and cached pages from every site you visit.
Go to Settings, scroll to Apps > Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data. Confirm. Safari wipes everything – history, cookies, cached pages, autofill data.
You'll be logged out of every website. Annoying but unavoidable. After clearing, Safari runs noticeably faster, especially on older iPads.
Clear only one site's cache
If you don't want to log out of everything, clear cache for specific sites only. In the same Safari settings, tap Advanced > Website Data.
You see a list of every site with stored data and the size. Swipe left on a site to delete just its data. Other sites and your login info elsewhere stays intact.
Offload unused apps
Apps cache their own data which adds up. Instead of deleting apps, offload them – this removes the app binary but keeps your data. Reinstalling brings everything back.
- Open Settings > General > iPad Storage
- Wait for the list to load
- Tap an app you don't use often
- Pick Offload App
- Confirm
The app stays as a dimmed icon on your Home Screen. Tapping it redownloads and restores. Best of both worlds.
Use auto-offload
iOS can offload apps automatically when storage runs low. Go to Settings > App Store. Toggle on Offload Unused Apps.
Now when storage gets tight, iOS automatically removes apps you haven't used in a while. Your data stays. The icon stays visible too with a small cloud arrow. Tap to redownload.
Delete downloaded media
Streaming apps like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube cache content for offline use. If you don't actually watch offline, this is wasted space.
Open each app and look for a Downloads or Offline section. Delete what you don't need. Netflix saves shows in My Downloads. Spotify shows downloads under playlists with a green arrow.
Cache size by common app type
| App type | Typical cache size |
|---|---|
| Streaming (Netflix, Spotify) | 1-5 GB |
| Social media (Instagram, TikTok) | 500 MB – 2 GB |
| Messaging (WhatsApp, Messages) | 1-3 GB if you have media |
| Browser (Safari, Chrome) | 200-800 MB |
| Games | 50 MB – 2 GB each |
WhatsApp and Messages are usually the biggest hidden hogs because of media history. Auto-saved photos and videos from chats add up to GB over time.
Clear WhatsApp media cache
Open WhatsApp. Tap Settings > Storage and Data > Manage Storage. You see chats sorted by size.
Tap any chat. You can select all media in that chat and delete it. The messages stay – only the media files get removed. Frees up gigs on heavy WhatsApp users.
Restart your iPad regularly
iOS clears some temporary caches automatically when you restart. If you haven't restarted in weeks, do it now.
Hold the top button and a volume button. Slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds. Hold the top button again to power back on. Quick and frees a surprising amount of memory.
The nuclear option – reset all settings
If your iPad is still slow after clearing caches, reset all settings. This doesn't delete data or apps – it resets system preferences only. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings.
You'll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi and re-set preferences. But underlying performance often improves dramatically. Worth the inconvenience if cache clearing alone didn't do the job.
What's eating most of your iPad storage? Check the storage page and tell me the top culprit. I'll suggest the best way to free it.