What's the difference between clear cache & clear data?

K

Kulawend

New member
I tried clearing cache and data for "Gmail", however I was able to log in without re-signing in. So what's the difference, exactly?
 
Clearing your data (or "factory reset") is when you put your phone back to the state it was in before you turned it on for the first time

eg: Standard or no wallpaper, original settings for your homepages, all downloaded apps removed.


Clearing your cache removes all files (temporary or otherwise) from your phone's RAM, meaning your handset will run a bit faster because there's more buffer memory to put data in.


Google will already have your data stored in another file not in the cache so when you clear your phone's cache, you can still log in.
 
Try changing some settings on the Facebook app and clearing the data - you should see those settings revert to default.

Settings like your username/password will probably be stored elsewhere. For example Google uses a central storage for your login details as they're used by the Calendar, Contacts/People, and GMail apps.

What is it you want to reset?
 
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