Web content is cached by browsers (Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox) to reduce amount of data that is moved between the Internet and your device (desktop, laptop, notebook, tablet, smartphone, etc.). That is, copies of items from the pages you recently browsed are stored on your device. When you re-visit a page or visit a new page, the browser loads as much as it can from the cache on your device rather than from the Internet; this process is used even when you open a new browser tab or window.
Because devices cache web content, you will need to perform a hard refresh when we update pages on our Internet server. The method for performing a hard refresh can depend both on the browser and the operating system (Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows). You may be able to avoid performing a hard refresh by using a new tab in your browser's private browsing mode.
Performing a hard refresh as described in the present page is more risky in some cases than using a new tab in private browsing mode, because errors in the procedures described in the present page, or errors that you make in following these procedures, may lead to the deletion of more cached browser data than intended. The result may be that you cannot use your browsing history or that you may have to log back into websites that you were previously logged into.
Although we have attempted to ensure the correctness and reasonableness of the information and tools provided here, we remind you that you use this information entirely at your own risk.
Android systems:
Chrome: This is the default browser on most Android systems. The procedure for a hard refresh on Chrome is somewhat complicated, and you must be careful not to delete everything that the browser has cached. If you feel uncertain about performing the procedure described, we recommend that you opt for private browsing. Otherwise, tap on the ⋮ icon at the top right of the screen, scroll down and tap Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Clear browsing data; now proceed cautiously: you must uncheck the Browsing history and Cookies and site data items, leaving only the Cached images and files item checked. Then tap the Clear data button. Return to the page you were viewing (tap on the arrows at the top left of the screen) and refresh this page either by swiping down on the screen with a single finger, or by tapping ⋮ at the top right of the screen and then the ↻ icon.
Firefox: The procedure for a hard refresh for this browser is safe and simple: Tap the ⋮ icon at the top right of your screen) then long-press the ↻ icon. You should see the screen flicker as the browser app reloads the page from the server.
Apple mobile (iOS) systems:
Safari: We recommend using Safari private browsing, as it does not appear to be possible to perform a hard refresh for this browser on iOS. [One workaround proposed on the Internet is to turn off WiFi, refresh the page (this should fail), then turn WiFi back on and refresh the page again (this will refresh from the server).]
Firefox: The procedure for a hard refresh on Firefox is slightly complicated, and you must be careful not to delete everything that the browser has cached. If you feel uncertain about performing the procedure described, we recommend that you opt for private browsing. Otherwise, tap on the ≡ icon at the bottom right of the screen, then on the ⚙ icon. Scroll down and tap on Data management. You must perform the next step with some care: by tapping on each one, turn off all "switches" except that for Cache; that is, you must see color only on the Cache "switch" and all others must be greyed out. Then tap Clear Private Data. Now return to the browser tab and refresh the page either by tapping the ↻ icon or by swiping down on the screen with a single finger.
Apple desktops and laptops (macOS systems): The procedure for a hard refresh is simple and safe:
Safari: Select Reload Page From Origin from the Help item in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Chrome and Firefox: simply hold down the Command, Shift, and r keys simultaneously and then immediately release them. You should see a flicker on your screen as the page is refreshed from the server.
Windows systems: The procedure here is simple and safe: hold down the Ctrl, Shift, and r keys simultaneously and then immediately release them. You should see a flicker on your screen as the page is refreshed from the server. This works for the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers.
In this case, please: (i) try to find other instructions for your operating system and browser combination using an Internet search engine such as Google; and (ii) if you succeed in finding a method to perform a reload, please let us know how you did it so that we can post your procedure here for the benefit of other users.