Your smart TV has a section of its storage reserved for what’s known as the cache, a space that holds information on your frequently used apps, thumbnails, and more. It’s pretty useful, but over time, the cache can build up and cause your smart TV to slow down—which is why it’s useful to clear your smart TV cache from time to time.

What Is a Smart TV Cache?

Cache is temporary data that your smart TV holds. It’s used by your TV to improve performance, especially during initial loading when you power it up and open your frequently used apps.

The way it works is that it stores frequently used content, so the next time you access it, everything loads faster without having to start from scratch. For example, the Netflix app can cache the most frequently accessed items so that it doesn’t need to fetch them over the internet (which can take a few seconds) before rendering.

Cache isn’t unique to smart TVs. It’s standard across other electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, and desktops.

Why You Should Clear Your Smart TV Cache

Over time, as you use your device, it builds up the cache. While this helps improve performance on your smart TV, it can also be the source of problems, which is why it’s worth clearing out occasionally.

1. Improves Speed and Responsiveness

When you use your TV, cached data from apps and system processes builds up. This cache can become bloated or corrupted, leading to lag or freezing, which are common issues with smart TVs. This is especially noticeable when launching apps, powering on, navigating menus, or switching between apps.

While sluggish performance is one of the signs you’re due for a smart TV upgrade, you shouldn’t rush to do so. Simple actions, such as clearing your smart TV’s cache, can significantly enhance its speed and responsiveness.

By clearing the cache, you’re giving your TV a clean slate, allowing it to process tasks more efficiently. This simple act can speed up everything from scrolling through apps to initial loading after powering up.

If you’re looking for ways to improve the performance of your smart TV, deleting the cache is a simple yet effective solution. However, it isn’t the only way; you can also adjust certain settings to boost your smart TV’s performance.

2. Frees Up Storage Space

If your smart TV lacks sufficient internal storage, cache buildup is your biggest enemy. While helpful, cached data can quickly accumulate and consume a significant portion of your storage space. If your TV starts alerting you about low storage or you can’t install new apps or the latest software update, accumulated cache might be to blame.

Clearing the cache reclaims that space, freeing up your storage for software updates, new apps, and even downloaded content. You can also delete unused apps to reclaim storage space. However, the upside of deleting the cache is that it doesn’t affect essential data.

Your app, app preferences, and settings will stay intact, and your login sessions across apps will remain. That’s why deleting the cache is also a great way to free up space on your phone.

3. Fixes Bugs

Cache data can also cause software-related issues. If your smart TV apps are crashing unexpectedly, freezing mid-stream, or refusing to load, the cache might be the culprit. Cache data can become outdated or corrupted over time, especially after updating apps or running for a long stretch without a reboot. This then leads to unexpected behavior.

Deleting the cache removes this problematic data, giving apps a fresh start and often instantly resolving bugs and glitches.

How to Clear Cache on Your Smart TV

Now that you know the why, how do you clear the cache on a smart TV?

1. Select the Settings (Cog) icon in the top-right corner of your TV’s home screen, and then click All settings to open your TV’s Settings app.
2. Navigate to System > Storage.
3. Next, select Internal shared storage. You’ll see a breakdown of your storage use.
4. Select Cached data and click OK to delete.

Your smart TV may take a few seconds to delete the data, but once done, you’ll see the amount of storage used by cached data drop significantly. You can also clear cache per app by going to Settings > Apps > See all apps, selecting an app, and choosing Clear cache.

Clearing your smart TV’s cache may seem like a minor maintenance task, but it’s essential. From speeding up your system and freeing storage to fixing buggy apps, it’s a simple way to keep your TV running smoothly. If you haven’t done it for a while, now’s the perfect time to give your smart TV a refresh.