Have you ever wondered why the Instagram app takes up so much storage space on your phone? Or noticed it slow down and lag at times, struggling to load new posts and Stories? As one of the most popular social platforms out there with over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has to cache a ton of data to keep up with demands for quick load times and seamless scrolling. But just what is cached data, how can you clear it to reclaim storage, and what should you know about maintaining cache levels in the future?
Whether your goal is to fix sluggish performance issues or simply free up more room for photos and videos on your iPhone, this guide will walk through exactly how to wipe the Instagram cache completely. With step-by-step instructions, visual examples, storage insights, troubleshooting tips, and a breakdown for iPhone vs. Android, you’ll be a cache clearing pro by the end!
Let‘s Start With the Basics: What Is the Instagram Cache?
Simply put, the Instagram cache is temporary storage space used by the Instagram app to store data that will help the app perform better over time. This data gets saved right on your iPhone rather than requiring fresh downloads each time you launch Instagram or refresh your feed.
Some examples of common cached Instagram data include:
- Your recent search history
- Stories, posts and profiles you’ve recently viewed
- Temporary image/video files from those viewed items
- Login credentials and permissions
- Pieces of info to help quickly load menus and navigation
This enables incredibly fast load times, seamless scrolling effects, instant access to your messages and notifications, and more. But over time, especially for those browsing Instagram every single day, that cache storage space gets very bloated with excess temporary content that just sits there hogging resources.
Here are a few impressive stats on just how much digital space Instagram now takes up:
- Instagram‘s iPhone app size ranges from 100 – 200 MB on average depending on version and device
- The cached data can grow to roughly 300 MB up to multiple GB in extreme cases
- Over 30% of an average iPhone‘s storage capacity goes solely to apps and their cached files
Ready to take back control and see just how much potential free space is being wasted by Instagram‘s cached junk? Let‘s get right into the step-by-step process for wiping that cache completely clean!
A Step-By-Step Instagram Cache Clearing Guide for iPhones
Unfortunately iPhones don‘t have a quick and easy "Clear Cache" button for Instagram buried in app settings like Android. Instead clearing the Instagram cache fully requires navigating to iPhone Storage settings and completely deleting then reinstalling the app.
This may sound tedious, but following the 6 simple steps below will wipe your Instagram‘s cache in under 5 minutes:
Step 1: Access iPhone Settings
First, you need access to your iPhone‘s Settings. There are a few quick ways to get here:
Open your iPhone‘s home screen and swipe right to reveal the Search function. Type "Settings" and tap the Settings app icon when it appears.
Or, swipe down from the top right of your home screen to bring up Spotlight Search. Again type "Settings" and select the Settings app.
If you have the Settings app on your home screen, simply tap it directly to launch.
Either method drops you right at the main Settings page ready for navigation.
According to mobile analytics provider DataReportal, over 85% of global iPhone owners use the built-in Settings app daily. So you‘re likely already very familiar with how to access it!
Step 2: Find the Instagram Cache Delete Location
Next you need to choose Storage settings to see details on precisely how much space Instagram is eating up.
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Here is how to get there:
- Scroll down to tap General at the top of the 4th group of setting options.
- Then at the very bottom of the General settings list look for and tap iPhone Storage.
As shown above, General and then iPhone Storage is the exact path to follow here.
Once you tap iPhone Storage, your phone will take 10-60 seconds to scan all apps and files as it calculates totals. A progress bar will display during this process.
According to Apple‘s own Support guidance, the iPhone Storage option provides the most comprehensive and granular look at exactly how much space is being consumed by every single app and file type.
This is crucial info to have before wiping!
Step 3: Fully Uninstall the Instagram App
Next up: saying goodbye to Instagram temporarily by completely uninstalling it.
The steps here are:
- In the iPhone Storage screen, scroll down to the Apps list and tap Instagram.
- In Instagram‘s storage details, tap Delete App to fully remove it.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
As shown above, the Delete App button only appears within an individual app‘s storage details. And yes this means saying goodbye to Instagram temporarily before you can reinstall a 100% fresh, 100% empty cached version!
Step 4: Fresh Reinstall of Instagram
What good is an Instagram cache wipe if you don‘t have Instagram itself? Reinstallation time!
Follow these simple steps to get Instagram back quickly:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Enter "instagram" into the Search box.
- Tap Get to re-download the app when it appears.
- Tap Open once the install finishes to launch it right away.
And voila! At this point Instagram will be at a fresh, blank-slate state completely devoid of all old cached junk you wanted to wipe out.
Step 5: Check Storage to Confirm Cache Clearing
So how much storage did that actually free up? Let‘s check!
- Go back to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Compare the before and after app storage numbers:
| App | Storage Before Deleting | Storage After Reinstall | Space Freed Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 573.6 MB | 132.7 MB | 440.9 MB |
As you can see in the table example above, reinstalling a clean version of Instagram freed up well over 400 MB of previous cache bloat! For those with 1GB+ of built up Instagram cache, your new free space could be in multiple GB newly available for photos and videos instead.
Step 6: Regular Maintenance is Key!
Clearing the Instagram cache helped hugely, but doing it just once won‘t stop future cache buildup in its tracks. Stay diligent with these maintenance tips for lasting benefits:
Frequently clear search history: This wipes associated looked-up data from the cache regularly. Do this every 1-2 weeks.
Delete old media: Offload videos or photos you don‘t need quick access to, as the Camera Roll connects directly to apps filling their cache.
Force close the app fully: Always swipe up fully to close Instagram so it can‘t quietly cache content in the background when not in use.
Check cache levels monthly: Revisit the Instagram Storage details to monitor cache size creep month over month.
Clear cache again when needed: If Instagram‘s storage climbs over 250-300MB with cache, do a full uninstall & reinstall again.
Sticking to these simple cache maintenance steps will ensure Instagram keeps running super speedy and eats up way less iPhone storage over time!
Troubleshooting Instagram Cache Problems
While the process seems straightforward, occasionally issues can come up. If you encounter problems clearing the cache, here is how to troubleshoot:
App Won‘t Reinstall
If the Instagram app won‘t download again after deletion, first make sure WiFi/cellular connections are working properly. Then try these steps:
- Force restart your iPhone by holding the Side + Volume Down buttons for 8+ seconds.
- After restarting, verify connections work in Safari before retrying the reinstall.
- If errors continue, remove Instagram from your App Store purchase history via iTunes then reinstall.
Storage Space Didn‘t Free Up
Don‘t panic if little or no extra space becomes actually available. There are a few possible reasons for this:
- Instagram‘s cache was very small before wiping so little was there to clear out.
- Large files like videos can remain in Camera Roll even if deleted from apps.
- iCloud Photo backup needs to be enabled to shift images out of main storage automatically.
Try uninstalling 1-2 other infrequently used apps if you still need to reclaim a lot more iPhone space after addressing files directly taking it up. This may free up a couple extra helpful GB.
How Does iPhone Cache-Clearing Compare to Android?
Believe it or not, Instagram cache management is far simpler for Android users. Rather than requiring full app deletion from storage settings, Androids allow clearing the cache directly from within Instagram via app-specific menus. Let‘s compare:
Android Instagram Cache Management
- Tap profile icon > Settings > Storage > Clear Cache
iPhone Instagram Cache Management
- Delete and reinstall the app fully
As evidenced above, Android allows clearing the cache instantly with just a button press in the app. But iPhone requires jumping into iOS Settings, which means a complete reinstall rather than just wiping data alone.
Hopefully one day iPhones offer the same shortcuts as Android for streamlining Instagram cache removal! But for now doing it through Settings is the only option for iOS users.
Let‘s Recap – You‘re Now an Instagram Cache Expert!
Getting through this guide required digesting a lot of information about Instagram caching, iPhone storage, settings navigation, and reinstallation steps. Now you know:
- What the Cache Actually Is: Temporary storage space for viewed content history, speedy load data and more.
- The Benefits of Clearing It: More available storage space and much smoother Instagram performance.
- How to Wipe Cache on iPhones: By fully deleting then reinstalling Instagram via iPhone Storage settings only.
- Ongoing Maintenance Is Crucial: Continue monitoring cache size and wiping history/reinstalling to prevent future buildup.
Understanding the inner workings of service disruptions empowers you to handle them skillfully rather than seeing them as personal inconveniences. With this Instagram cache intel under your belt, go enjoy those lightning fast feeds and lag-less Story scrolling once again!
