How to Clear TikTok Cache and Optimize Your Device Performance

September 26, 2025 By Johan Curtis No Comments 6 minutes

TikTok is one of the most used apps today. What starts with barely half-a-minute videos takes up so much of our time scrolling through the app that we don’t even notice. Closing the app just to open it again and see if it has refreshed and come up with new content, we are all sailing in the same boat. However, have you noticed your device’s performance being impacted negatively as of late? This is where this guide comes in for your help. Learn what a TikTok cache is, how you can clear TikTok cache on iPhone, Android, Mac, or in a browser, and free up some space in your phone and return it to optimized performance again!

NOTE: Are you an avid TikTok user? Using TikTok 24/7 has its own perks. However, it doesn’t take long before you get bored watching the same content and regional creators. To explore a wide range of content from other parts of the world, a premium VPN like FastestVPN makes it easier to access your favorite creators’ content from a different corner of the world! 

A cache helps your application load faster by saving photos, videos, and load speed from your previous visit to TikTok. However, if it’s not cleared for a while, your device will start to lag and perform tasks more slowly than usual. This guide will help you clear your app cache in just a few clicks!

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Clearing TikTok cache is necessary to ensure smooth device and app performance over a longer period. Here’s how you can change your content preferences to a wider content consumption with a premium VPN:

• Visit FastestVPN > Sign Up
• Download and install the app
• Open the app > choose a server 
• Open TikTok and browse online without any worries

What Is Cache On TikTok?

The TikTok cache is a temporary storage that comprises data like video previews, profile pictures, and saved settings to ensure the app runs faster and smoothly the next time you open it. Over time, however, this cache storage adds up and occupies a large amount of your device’s storage, which makes your device and apps lag and work slowly. 

A good practice, if you are a regular TikTok user, is to keep clearing the app cache every once a while, usually every week or ten days. This ensures that your device runs smoothly for a longer period. 

How to Clear TikTok Cache

To clear your TikTok cache, follow these steps:

1. Open the TikTok app and go to your Profile at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap the Menu ☰ icon in the top corner and choose “Settings and privacy.”
3. Select “Free up space.” Then, to remove cached data, tap “Clear” beside Cache and confirm.
4. To remove downloaded resources (such as effect packs, filters, or other in-app assets), tap “Clear” next to Downloads.

If you want to remove drafts, tap “Manage” next to Drafts, tap “Select,” choose the drafts you don’t need, and tap “Delete.”

This method works for Android phones. 

Alternative way: Delete the app and reinstall it

The best way to clear cache TikTok, especially on an iPhone, is by uninstalling the app from your phone and installing it a few minutes later. 

Clearing TikTok Cache on iPhone

Alternatively, you can follow the lengthy procedure that follows:

1. Launch the TikTok app on your iPhone from the Home Screen or App Library.
2. Once the app opens, go to your profile by tapping the Profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
3. On your profile page, tap the menu/drop-down arrow in the top-right corner to open more options.
4. In the menu, tap the Settings (gear) icon in the upper-right to access TikTok’s settings and privacy options.
5. Scroll until you find the “Free up space” option and tap on it.
6. Under the “Free up space” section, locate “Cache” and tap “Clear” next to it.
7. When a confirmation prompt appears, tap “Clear” again to confirm and remove the cached data.
8. If you want to recover even more storage, you can also clear other items on this screen, such as Downloads (like effect packs and in-app resources) or other temporary files you no longer need.

What happens when you clear your cache on TikTok?

When you clear the cache on TikTok, all those temporary files are deleted. With a few taps of the screen, you can free up a lot of storage space by clearing the cache. This can also fix bugs in the system or within the app. The downside is that clearing the cache will initially slow down TikTok, as the app will have to rebuild those cache files. Contrary to what you may have heard, clearing the cache on TikTok will not delete any saved videos or personalized settings. Clearing the cache is entirely safe.

How to Clear TikTok cache on the Web

If you are using TikTok through the browser, then open your browser and access clear browsing data from the menu panel on your browser, and reset the preferences for TikTok. 

You can also do so once you select the cache and cookies option from the two dots icon right before the URL on the browser, and clear the cookies. 

Why must you clear your TikTok App cache?

It’s not a matter of why; you must be concerned about the TikTok Clear Cache process. But it’s a matter of when you must clear it yourself. Below are some of the benefits of clearing the app cache on TikTok:

Free up storage space

The one thing you can be assured of when deleting cache on TikTok is that your device storage will be cleared up. It won’t be a lot; however, you will see visible changes in the performance of your device. 

Fix performance issues

Once you delete TikTok cache, you free up storage, and as a result, you will get better device performance. Follow this procedure every few weeks. 

Resolve display problems

If you are experiencing a tough time with the touch on your screen or any display-related problem, clearing the app cache will ultimately aid in that. 

Improve app speed

The most important factor in clearing an app’s cache is to improve the app’s speed. In TikTok’s case, you get a similar output. 

The Final Say

This blog captures everything on how to clear the cache in TikTok. Whether you own an Android device or an iPhone, the procedure to delete cache data from the app varies, but it’s very simple. If you are tired of seeing the same old content and the usual two creators from your country or region again and again, and want to expand your content preferences on your favorite social scrolling app, that is TikTok, connecting to a premium VPN like FastestVPN lets you reach a global forum by connecting to a number of servers to access content directly from your preferred destination, hassle-free!