How to Perform a Hard Refresh in Chrome Browser on Different Operating Systems

A hard refresh is a way to clear the browser cache for a specific page, forcing it to load the most recent version from the server. This can be useful when changes have been made to a website, but the browser is still displaying the old version. Below are the steps to perform a hard refresh in the Chrome browser on various operating systems.

For Windows Users

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Hard Refresh (Only):

   • Press Ctrl + F5.
   • Or, press Ctrl + Shift + R.

2. Clear Cache and Perform a Hard Refresh:

   • Open Chrome.
   • Press F12 to open Developer Tools.
   • With Developer Tools open, right-click the Refresh button next to the address bar.
   • Select Empty Cache and Hard Reload.

Using the Menu

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the browser.
3. Navigate to More tools > Clear browsing data.
4. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
5. Click Clear data.

For macOS Users

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Hard Refresh (Only):

   • Press Command + Shift + R.
   • Or, press Command + Option + E and then Command + R.

2. Clear Cache and Perform a Hard Refresh:

   • Open Chrome.
   • Press Command + Option + I to open Developer Tools.
   • Right-click the Refresh button next to the address bar.
   • Select Empty Cache and Hard Reload.

Using the Menu

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the browser.
3. Navigate to More tools > Clear browsing data.
4. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
5. Click Clear data.

For Linux Users

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Hard Refresh (Only):

   • Press Ctrl + F5.
   • Or, press Ctrl + Shift + R.

2. Clear Cache and Perform a Hard Refresh:

   • Open Chrome.
   • Press F12 to open Developer Tools.
   • With Developer Tools open, right-click the Refresh button next to the address bar.
   • Select Empty Cache and Hard Reload.

Using the Menu

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the browser.
3. Navigate to More tools > Clear browsing data.
4. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
5. Click Clear data.

For Mobile Devices (Android and iOS)

Android

1. Open Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the browser.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Privacy and security.
5. Tap Clear browsing data.
6. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and site data.
7. Tap Clear data.

iOS

1. Open Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the bottom-right corner of the browser.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Privacy.
5. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
6. Select Cookies, Site Data and Cached Images and Files.
7. Tap Clear Browsing Data.

Conclusion

Performing a hard refresh ensures that you are viewing the most up-to-date version of a webpage. Whether you are using Windows, macOS, Linux, or a mobile device, the above methods will help you effectively clear the cache and force a reload of the page. This is especially useful for developers and users who frequently update web content and need to bypass cached data.