Cache and Data Are Not the Same Thing
Cache is temporary working files the app can recreate: images already shown, pages already loaded. Clearing it costs a little reloading time and nothing else. App data is the substance: sign in state, settings and local content. Clearing data is a small factory reset for that app and should be a deliberate last resort, never a casual tidy up.
Experienced users recognise most of this section from their own habits, which is exactly the point: none of it requires talent, special equipment or spending. It requires only that the basics are done in the right order, at the right moment, with a little patience. Readers who build these steps into their normal routine stop thinking about them within a fortnight, and that is when the real progress begins.
ICPV Book key points on this step:
- Cache is temporary and rebuildable
- Data holds sign in and settings
- Clear cache freely when needed
- Clear data only as a last resort
- Expect to sign in again after data clearing
