How to Clear Firefox Cache on Mac (Stay Signed In)

In short: Firefox holds on to cached copies of pages, images, and scripts to load sites faster. When that cache goes stale, pages break or look outdated. Here's how to clear only the cached web content on your Mac while staying signed in to every site.

Firefox keeps a local copy of the images, scripts, and page files it downloads so it can reload sites faster the next time you visit. Most of the time that cache is helpful. But when a cached copy goes stale, you see the old version of a page, a layout looks broken, or a site simply won't load correctly. Clearing the cache forces Firefox to fetch fresh copies.

The good news: you can clear the Firefox cache on Mac without logging out of anything. Cached web content and your login sessions are stored separately. If you clear only the cache and leave cookies alone, you stay signed in to your email, bank, and every other account.

Clear only the Firefox cache (stay signed in)

This is the method to use when you want fresh pages but not a fresh start. It targets cached web content and nothing else.

1. Open Firefox and click the menu button (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
2. Choose Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down to the Cookies and Site Data section.
4. Click Clear Data.
5. In the dialog, uncheck "Cookies and site data" and leave "Cached Web Content" checked.
6. Click Clear, then confirm.

Because you left "Cookies and site data" unchecked, your sessions stay intact. Firefox rebuilds the cache automatically as you browse, so pages may load a touch slower on the first visit and then speed right back up.

The keyboard shortcut for a fast cache clear

If you want to skip the menus, Firefox has a dedicated panel for this. Press Command-Shift-Delete to open the Clear Recent History window.

1. Set the Time range to clear to Everything (or a shorter window if you only need recent pages refreshed).
2. Expand the list and check Cache only.
3. Make sure Cookies and Active Logins are unchecked so you stay signed in.
4. Click Clear Now.

This is the quickest way to clear the Firefox cache on Mac when a single site is misbehaving and you don't want to touch anything else.

Clearing the cache for one website only

Sometimes just one site is broken. You don't need to wipe the whole cache for that. Firefox lets you reload a page and bypass its cached copy in one step: hold Shift and click the reload button, or press Command-Shift-R. This forces a fresh download of that page without disturbing anything else.

If a specific site keeps acting up, you can also clear its data individually. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data, click Manage Data, search for the site by name, select it, and choose Remove Selected. Note that this one removes cookies too, so you'll be signed out of that particular site.

Why clearing the cache helps

A stale cache is one of the most common reasons a website looks wrong. After clearing it, you'll often find that:

• Pages that were half-loaded or misaligned render correctly.
• Updated content and images appear instead of old versions.
• Login and checkout flows that stalled start working again.

Clearing the cache also frees up a little disk space, though Firefox caps the cache size, so the recovered space is usually modest. If you're chasing a bigger cleanup, browser caches are just one small slice of the junk that builds up across your Mac.

Cleaning up the rest of your Mac, safely

Firefox's cache is one folder among many. Over time, other browsers, apps, and the system pile up their own caches, logs, and leftover files. If you'd like to tidy those up too, do it the safe way: preview before you remove anything, clean only user-level junk by default, and make sure removals go to the Trash so they're reversible. A cleaner that permanently deletes files on your behalf gives you no way back if it clears something you needed. Sending files to the Trash means a stray deletion is a quick right-click-and-restore away.

One more thing worth checking: a disk cleaner has no reason to phone home. If you want to confirm an app isn't quietly sending data anywhere, a firewall like Little Snitch will show you exactly what it tries to connect to.

If you want a tool that follows those principles, CoreSweep is our top free pick: it's free forever, previews everything first, sends removals to the Trash, and ships with zero telemetry (optional one-time Pro is $49, no subscription). For a lighter, budget-friendly runner-up, SkoonMac is also free, with an optional one-time Pro at just $19.

Whether you clear the Firefox cache by hand or use a cleaner for the rest, the rule is the same: look before you delete, keep it reversible, and you stay in control.

Frequently asked questions

Does clearing the Firefox cache log me out of my accounts?

No. Firefox stores cached web content separately from cookies and login sessions. If you clear only the cache and leave "Cookies and site data" unchecked, you stay signed in to your email, bank, and every other account. The cache simply rebuilds as you browse.

What is the keyboard shortcut to clear the Firefox cache on Mac?

Press Command-Shift-Delete to open the Clear Recent History window. Set the time range to Everything, expand the list and check Cache only, and make sure Cookies and Active Logins stay unchecked so you remain signed in. Then click Clear Now.

How do I clear the cache for just one website in Firefox?

Hold Shift and click reload, or press Command-Shift-R, to force a fresh download of only that page without touching anything else. If a site keeps misbehaving, you can also go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data and remove that site, but note this also clears its cookies and signs you out of it.

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