How do I view Facebook cache on Android?

Ever wondered what information Facebook is keeping about you? Well, it’s pretty easy to discover – but you might not like what you find (dun dun duuun!).

Facebook stores a lot of information about you, including previous images, adverts you’ve clicked on, conversations, documents shared on Messenger, and much more. It’s not alone in doing this, mind. Google, for example, keeps pretty close tabs on you.

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So Nick Whigham, a reporter for the New Zealand Herald, decided to find out just how much Facebook knew about him. He was surprised to find out it had collected a huge amount data, some of which he didn’t even know existed.

“It included scanned copies of lease forms from a previous rental property I must've sent to my buddies over Messenger, my current tenant ledger report, an old monthly billing statement for my home broadband, screenshots of banking transfers and seemingly endless web pages of all the banal conversations I have ever had on the platform,” he wrote.

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“It's an odd feeling to think that, in some ways, Facebook knows you better than you know yourself.”

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The site also stores facial recognition data, names and numbers from your contact list, where you’ve been on the Internet, and much more.

You can find out the cache of data Facebook has on you pretty easily. All you need to do is click the small “down” triangle in the top-right corner of any Facebook page. From here, click Settings, then go to the General tab and click “Download a copy of your Facebook data” at the bottom. After up to an hour or so, you'll get an email telling you your data is ready to download.

Facebook has argued previously that it does this – openly, mind, not in secret – to keep the platform free. Some might be comfortable with that, some not.

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“We work with third-party companies who help us provide and improve our Services or who use advertising or related products, which makes it possible to operate our companies and provide free services to people around the world,” Facebook notes in their data policy.

Whether you're willing to hand over the keys to your life to Mark Zuckerberg in order to keep it free, well, that's up to you.

Most users have moved from traditional text messages to instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and Signal to stay in touch with friends and family. Feature-rich apps like Messenger collects cache, which is a bunch of small files, to load your frequently visited chats quickly. But when Messenger collects a corrupt cache, you start facing issues like Messenger chat heads not working, the app not sending videos, etc. You must clear the Facebook Messenger cache on iPhone and Android.

Overamount of cache leads to glitches and errors in any app. Messenger is no exception here. You can always try uninstalling the app, but Messenger will use the saved cache to load everything swiftly. And you are back to square one with Messenger issues.

Table of Contents

• Facebook Messenger Cache Explained
• Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on Android
• Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on iPhone
• What Happens When You Clear Messenger Cache
• Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on the Web
• Learn About Facebook Messenger Cache

Facebook Messenger Cache Explained

Like every other mobile app, Facebook Messenger collects cache in the background to improve app performance. Since the app stores small files on your phone, it doesn’t need to load everything from scratch. Thanks to the collected cache, you shall notice faster access to your frequently used chats. Sometimes, things go out of hand, and Messenger collects corrupt cache on your mobile.

Clearing cache also helps you free up space on your Android or iPhone without uninstalling relevant apps. It’s one of the effective ways to clear space on your phone.

Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on Android

You can clear the Messenger cache from the app info menu. Follow the steps below.

1. Long-tap on the Messenger app icon and open the app info menu.

2. Select Storage & cache.

3. Tap Clear cache from the following menu.

You can access the same from the Settings menu too.

1. Swipe up from the Android home screen to open the app drawer menu.

2. Find the Settings app with a familiar gear icon.

3. Select Apps and tap See all apps.

4. Find Messenger from the following menu and open a familiar app info menu to clear the cache.

Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on iPhone

Unlike Android, you can’t check the Messenger app cache on your iPhone. You can offload an app to free up storage used by Messenger. You can also reinstall the app and start from scratch. Let us show you how to check collected Messenger data on your iPhone.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.

2. Scroll to General.

3. Select iPhone Storage.

4. Check a detailed storage breakdown from the following menu.

5. Scroll to Messenger.

6. Check app size as well as Documents & Data space on iPhone.

You have two options to choose from – Offload and Delete.

Offload Messenger – The option will free up storage used by the app, but keep its documents and data. When you reinstall the app, it will reinstate the app data.

Delete App – It will delete the app and all related data from your iPhone. The action can’t be undone.

7. Tap Delete App and confirm your decision.

8. Open the App Store on your iPhone. Search for Messenger and install the app on your iPhone again.

What Happens When You Clear Messenger Cache

Clearing the Facebook Messenger cache doesn’t affect your personal data. The option only deletes the Messenger local files from your phone. Once you reinstall or open the app, Messenger loads everything from the company servers. Your messages, photos, and shared videos remain intact. The Messenger may ask you to log in again. Make sure to keep your Facebook credentials handy when using Messenger again.

Now that you have cleared the Messenger cache, the app can’t find local files on your phone. When you open Messenger, you may notice slow loading times and higher data usage.

Clear Facebook Messenger Cache on the Web

If you frequently use Messenger on the web, you can easily clear the Messenger cache in your preferred browser. Unlike mobile apps, you can’t selectively check and delete Messenger cache. The option will clear all the cache collected by the browser on the desktop. You should launch Facebook Messenger in private mode to stop the behavior.

Learn About Facebook Messenger Cache

There are several reasons to clear the Messenger cache on your phone. Power users can go through the steps above and free up space. It also helps you troubleshoot Messenger misbehaves on the go.

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