Should I Clear Cached Images and Files When Closing My Browser?

Enhanced Privacy & Security
Clearing cached images and files helps prevent sensitive data (like login tokens and session cookies) from being stored locally - especially important on shared or public devices.

Fresh Login Sessions
Federated login systems (e.g., Azure AD B2C, Microsoft Entra ID) work best when old session data is cleared. This avoids issues with stale tokens or redirects.

Impact on Cookies and Sessions

Clearing cached images and files does not remove cookies or session data unless explicitly selected. This means:

• You can retain login preferences, autofill data, and session continuity.
• Only static assets (like images, stylesheets, and scripts) are cleared.
• You’ll still need to log in again if session cookies expire or are manually cleared.

How to Automatically Clear Cached Images and Files on Browser Close

Google Chrome

1. Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data.
2. Toggle "Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows".
3. Chrome clears cached images and files along with cookies — use Site Settings to retain cookies for trusted domains.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security.
2. Under Cookies and Site Data, check "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed".
3. Firefox clears cached images and files — use Manage Exceptions to retain cookies for trusted sites.

Microsoft Edge

1. Go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services.
2. Under Clear browsing data, click "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser".
3. Enable only "Cached images and files" — leave cookies unchecked to retain login sessions and preferences.

Safari (macOS)

Safari does not support automatic cache clearing on close, but you can manually clear it:

1. Go to Safari → Settings → Privacy.
2. Click Manage Website Data → Remove All.
3. Or enable Develop menu via Settings → Advanced, then use Develop → Empty Caches.