A new email was sent to us via The Droid Guy Mailbag. The message reads, “What is the difference between Clear Cache and Clear Data?”
The two are often used to solve various bugs troubling Android phone users. However, most people tend to interchange these two probably due to a slight confusion between the two terms.
Clear Cache and Clear Data Difference
Usually when apps display erratic behavior, the first thing that must be done is to clear its cache. This is a more effective way to fix various bugs and is safer than forcing close an app. This can easily be accessed using the following steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Proceed to Applications.
- Select Manage Applications.
- Tap the All tab.
- Choose the name of the app that has been going rogue.
- From there, you will see the Clear Cache button.
Clear Cache clears out the temporary files of an app that are possibly causing its erratic behavior. It is very safe to do since it retains your app settings.
If clearing the cache fails to solve the problem that you are encountering in an application, the next thing that you have to consider is to clear the data of your app. Accessing the Clear Data button involves steps similar to finding the Clear Cache button.
Although clearing the data is more effective than simply clearing the cache, it has a huge trade off. Doing this will set your app to its default settings or to its original state like when you first installed it. Its effect is similar to uninstalling and reinstalling the app cleanly. So, make sure that you do the earlier solution before proceeding to clear your app data.
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