How to Force Refresh Your Internet Browser: Chrome, Edge, More

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Hard refresh a webpage on Windows, Mac, Android, & iOS
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This wikiHow teaches you how to force a webpage to refresh so it displays the most up-to-date information. Forcing a refresh clears the page's data cache and reloads it from the website. You can do this in Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari desktop browsers with a simple keyboard shortcut. To force refresh a web page on a phone or tablet, you need to clear your browser data for all web pages. If that doesn’t work, you can try workarounds like viewing the page in an incognito tab or displaying the desktop version.

Common Shortcuts to Force Refresh a Webpage

  • Chrome: Shift + F5 (PC) or Command + Shift + R (Mac)
  • Edge: Ctrl + Shift + R (PC) or Command + Shift + R (Mac)
  • Safari: Command + Option + R (Mac)
  • Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + R (PC) or Command + Shift + R (Mac)
  • Phone or Tablet: Clear the cache or open an incognito tab
Section 1 of 2:

Windows & Mac

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  1. 1
    Chrome
    • Windows: Press Shift + F5 or hold down Ctrl + Shift + R . [1] You can also hold down Shift + ⟳ (Chrome’s Refresh button).
      • The Refresh button in Chrome is located to the left of the address bar.
      • If your keyboard has a Fn key, you may need to hold down Shift + Fn + F5 instead of Shift + F5 .
    • Mac: Hold down Command + Shift + R . You can also hold down Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button.
  2. 2
    Microsoft Edge[Endbold]
    • Windows: Hold down Ctrl + Shift + R . [2] Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + Fn + F5 (if your keyboard has an Fn key) may also work.
      • Alternatively, hold down Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button, which is located to the left of the address bar.
    • Mac: Hold down Command + Shift + R or press Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button.
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  3. 3
    Safari (Mac only)[Endbold] Press Command + Option + R or hold down Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button.
    • Safari’s Refresh button is located on the right side of the address bar.
  4. 4
    Firefox
    • Windows: Press Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + Shift + R . [3] Alternatively, hold down Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button.
      • In Firefox, the Refresh button is at the top left side of the browser window, between the Home button and the Forward arrow.
      • For keyboards with an Fn key, you may need to hold down Ctrl + Fn + F5 instead of Ctrl + F5 .
    • Mac: Hold down Command + Shift + R or press Shift while clicking the ⟳ Refresh button.
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Section 2 of 2:

Mobile Browsers

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  1. 1
    Chrome The mobile version of Chrome can be notoriously difficult to hard refresh. However, there are a few options you can try:
    • Clear the cache: This option should clear cached data for the time period you specify, including for the website you’re trying to refresh. [4] Some users report mixed results with this method, however.
      • In Chrome for Android, go to â‹® > Delete browsing data and select the time range for the data you want to delete (e.g., the last 15 minutes). Tap More options , select the types of data you want to delete, then tap Delete data . Try visiting the page again.
      • In Chrome for iPhone/iPad, go to ••• > Delete Browsing Dat a. In the popup, use the dropdown menu to select the timeframe for which you want to clear the cache. Tap Browsing Data and select the type of data you want to delete, then tap Confirm . Tap Delete Browsing Data .
    • View the page in an incognito tab: Some users claim this method will work even when clearing the cache doesn’t. Tap the â‹® or ••• icon (at the top of the screen on Android or at the bottom on iPhone/iPad), then select New Incognito Tab . Visit the page you want to refresh. [5]
    • View the desktop version of the page: Like using an incognito tab, this option will force the page to reload without drawing from the cache. Tap â‹® or ••• and select Request Desktop Site . You may need to scroll down to find this option.
  2. 2
    Firefox In the mobile version of Firefox, you can try clearing the cache to force a website to refresh. You can also try viewing the page in a private tab or looking at the desktop version of the site.
    • Clear the cache: You’ll have different options depending on whether you’re using Firefox for Android or Firefox for iPhone/iPad.
      • In Firefox for Android, tap â‹® at the top of the screen, then select Settings . Tap Delete browsing data . Select the types of data you want to delete (e.g., cookies, cached files), then tap Delete browsing data . [6]
      • In Firefox for iPhone/iPad, go to ••• > Settings and select Data Management under the PRIVACY header. Tap Website Data and select the page you’re trying to refresh, then tap Clear Items at the bottom of the screen. Tap OK to confirm.
        • If that’s not enough, you can return to the main Data Management menu and toggle on Cache under the Clear Private Data header. Tap Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen, then tap OK .
    • View the page in a private tab: This option will force the page to load fresh rather than from your cache.
      • In Firefox for Android, tap the numeric icon at the top right side of the screen, next to the address bar. This icon represents the number of tabs you currently have open. Tap the mask icon at the top of the screen, then select + Private to open a new private browsing tab. Visit the page you want to refresh. [7]
      • In Firefox for iPhone/iPad, tap the numeric icon at the bottom right side of the screen. Then, tap the Private tab at the bottom of the screen. Tap + to open a new private browsing tab, then visit the website you want to refresh.
    • View the desktop version of the page: Similar to using a private window, this option should force the page to load fresh.
      • In Firefox for Android, tap â‹® next to the address bar and toggle on the switch next to Desktop site . [8]
      • In Firefox for iPhone/iPad, tap ••• and then tap Request Desktop Site .
  3. 3
    Safari (iPhone/iPad only) In the Safari app, you can force refresh a page by deleting your cache in your device’s Settings app. To do so, go to Settings > Apps > Safari . Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data . Choose a timeframe for which data you want to delete, then tap Clear History . [9]
    • You can also try switching to the desktop version of the website to force it to refresh. Tap the menu icon at the top left corner of the page (it looks like a rectangle over two horizontal lines), then select ••• > Request Desktop Site .
    • Visiting the site in a private tab may also force it to load without the cache. Tap the tabs icon at the bottom of the screen (it looks like two overlapping squares), then tap the icon that looks like a bulleted list in the bottom center of the screen. Tap Private , then tap + to create a new private tab. Visit the page you want to refresh.
  4. 4
    Samsung Internet Browser (Android only) You can force refresh a website in the Samsung browser by clearing the cache. To do so, open the browser and tap ☰ > Settings > Personal browsing data > Delete personal browsing data . Select the types of data you want to delete, then tap Delete data . Try visiting the site again and see if a newer version loads.​​ [10]
    • If clearing the cache doesn’t work, you can try loading the desktop version of the site. Tap ☰ > Desktop site .
    • You can also try viewing the site in a private tab to force it to refresh. Tap the tabs icon at the bottom of the screen, which looks like a pair of overlapping rectangles with a number inside. Select Turn on Secret mode > Start . Visit the website you want to refresh.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I refresh on YouTube?
    Community Answer
    Go to the top left corner and click on the YouTube sign and it should take you to the main page that you started on. You can also refresh the page you are on by using the refresh sign found on your browser. It is usually found in the top left or right corner.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 7
  • Question
    How do I make Facebook reload? I have Safari on Mac.
    PorkeyPihg
    Community Answer
    In the URL bar there is a circular arrow. Click that and you will force the page to reload. Alternatively you can press Command + R.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3
  • Question
    How do I refresh a page on my iPhone?
    Community Answer
    You can simply hit the refresh button in the top left corner (assuming you are using Safari). It looks like a circle with an arrow inside it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Warnings

      • Force-refreshing some pages, such as account creation pages, will cause them to forget information you've already entered.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/157179?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop#zippy=,address-bar-shortcuts,webpage-shortcuts
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/keyboard-shortcuts-in-microsoft-edge-50d3edab-30d9-c7e4-21ce-37fe2713cfad
      3. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts-perform-firefox-tasks-quickly#w_navigation
      4. ↑ https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050?hl=en
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en
      6. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-browsing-history-firefox-android
      7. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-firefox-android
      8. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-change-desktop-view-firefox-android
      9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/105082
      1. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/using-the-samsung-internet-app/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open your browser.
      2. Go to the page you want to refresh.
      3. Press and hold Ctrl (PC) or Shift (Mac).
      4. Click the curved arrow on the address bar.

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