To clear Xbox cache on Xbox Series X, Series S, or an Xbox One console, hold the console’s Xbox button for about 10 seconds until it shuts down completely, unplug its power cable for at least 10 seconds, then reconnect it and turn it on. This power cycle clears temporary operating state without deleting your games or saves. Other cleanup options target Blu-ray data, suspended game sessions, or saved data, so choose those only when they match the problem.
The short version
- Start with power cycling: Shut down completely, unplug the console for at least 10 seconds, then reconnect it and turn it on.
- For a stuck game session: Save your progress, quit the game, and remove it from Quick Resume on Xbox Series X or Series S.
- For Blu-ray playback: Clear persistent storage on a disc-equipped console to remove Blu-ray-specific cached data.
- Protect your progress: Synchronize saves before deleting local copies, and reserve console resets for persistent problems.
| Method | When to choose it | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Power cycle with unplugging | General console troubleshooting | Temporary operating state and power supply |
| Two-minute unplugging | Rockstar’s cache procedure for Series X and Series S | System cache |
| Button-only power cycle | Shutting down and restarting from the console | Temporary operating state |
| Controller Power Center restart | A reboot from the controller | Running console state |
| Settings restart | A reboot through console menus | Running console state |
| Quick Resume session removal | A suspended game needs a fresh launch | One suspended session |
| Per-game Quick Resume disabling | Preventing future suspended sessions for a title | That game’s future Quick Resume behavior |
| Blu-ray persistent storage cleanup | Blu-ray trouble on a disc-equipped console | Blu-ray cached data |
| Reserved space cleanup | A game’s reserved content needs removal | Title-specific content, potentially including mods |
| One profile’s local-save refresh | Refreshing a synchronized game save | The selected local save copy |
| Game or app reinstallation | Installed content remains corrupted | The affected installation |
| Console reset retaining installations | Persistent operating-system corruption | System, accounts, and settings |
| Full factory reset | A destructive last resort | Accounts, saves, settings, and installed content |
Power cycle your Xbox
On Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, One S, or One X, press and hold the console’s Xbox button continuously for about 10 seconds. Wait until it has completely shut down, then unplug its power cable. Leave the cable disconnected for at least 10 seconds before reconnecting it, then press the console’s Xbox button to turn it on.
Microsoft describes this procedure as a complete reboot and power-supply reset. It also applies to digital-only models. Once the console starts, open the affected game or app again to check whether the problem remains.
For Xbox Series X and Series S, Rockstar specifies a two-minute unplugging procedure for clearing the system cache. Shut down the console, unplug its power cord, and leave it disconnected for two minutes. Reconnect the cord and turn the console on.
You can also perform a button-only power cycle on Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, One S, and One X. Hold the console’s Xbox button for 10 seconds, wait until shutdown finishes, then press it again. If the problem remains, complete the unplugging procedure before moving to a targeted cleanup.
Restart through the controller or Settings
For a quick reboot on Xbox Series X, Series S, or an Xbox One console, press and hold the controller’s Xbox button to open the Power Center. Select Restart console, then select Restart. This restarts the console but does not erase every persistent cache.
You can perform the same restart through Settings. Press the controller’s Xbox button, then open Profile & system > Settings > General > Power options and select Restart now. If the console is unresponsive, use its physical button to begin the power-cycle procedure.
Start a game fresh without Quick Resume
On Xbox Series X and Series S, removing a suspended Quick Resume session lets the next launch start fresh. Save your progress first, highlight the running game on Home, and press the controller’s Menu button. Select Quit to close it.
Next, press the controller’s Xbox button to open the guide, then open My games & apps > See all > Groups > Quick Resume. Highlight the game, press Menu, and select Remove from Quick Resume. Launch the game again to check whether a fresh session resolves the problem.
To prevent that title from using Quick Resume again, highlight its box art on Home and press Menu. Open Manage game and add-ons > Quick Resume settings, then select Disable Quick Resume.
Clear Blu-ray persistent storage
For Blu-ray-specific cleanup on a disc-equipped Xbox Series X, Xbox One, One S, or One X, press the controller’s Xbox button. Open Profile & system > Settings > Devices & connections > Blu-ray > Persistent storage. Select Clear persistent storage, then try playback again.
This removes Blu-ray-specific cached data, so it is not a general game or system cache clear. The procedure excludes Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X All-Digital, and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Use power cycling for general console troubleshooting on those models.
Refresh reserved space or a local save
Some Xbox Series X, Series S, and Xbox One games expose reserved space for title-specific content. Clearing it can remove downloaded mods, Creations, or other game content, so choose this option only when that is the cleanup you need. Bethesda documents it for Fallout 4.
Press the controller’s Xbox button, then open My games & apps > See all > Games. Highlight the title, press Menu, and select Manage game and add-ons > Saved data. Highlight Reserved space, press A, and select Clear reserved space.
A local-save refresh is a separate operation for saved-data trouble on Xbox Series X, Series S, and the Xbox One family. Before deleting a local copy, ensure the progress you want to retain has synchronized to the Xbox network. Unsynchronized progress can be lost.
For one profile’s save, open My games & apps, highlight the game, and press Menu. Open Manage game & add-ons > Saved data, select your profile, then select Delete from Console. Launch the game online to retrieve its synchronized save. Do not select Delete everywhere instead.
Reinstall an affected game or app
When one game or app remains affected after the relevant cleanup, reinstalling can replace corrupted installed content. On Xbox Series X, Series S, or an Xbox One console, press the controller’s Xbox button and open My games & apps > See all. Choose Games or Apps, highlight the item, press Menu, and select Uninstall.
To reinstall, use the item’s disc or Microsoft Store, or open My games & apps > See all > Full library. Installation access depends on ownership, disc access, or an applicable subscription. Use reinstallation to replace the affected installation rather than treating it as a command to erase all saved data.
Reset the console if simpler fixes fail
A console reset is broader than routine cache clearing and belongs after simpler troubleshooting. Synchronize your saves first, because unsynchronized data can be lost. Even when you retain installed games and apps, you will need to restore accounts and settings.
On Xbox Series X, Series S, or an Xbox One console, press the controller’s Xbox button. Open Profile & system > Settings > System > Console info, then select Reset console. On the Reset your console? screen, select Reset and keep my games & apps to retain installed content while resetting the operating system.
A full factory reset removes accounts, saves, settings, Home Xbox associations, and installed content, so reserve it for a last resort. Back up or synchronize anything you need before proceeding. Press Xbox, open Profile & system > Settings > System > Console info, and select Reset console. Select Reset and remove everything to perform the destructive reset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles use the Xbox 360 cache menu?
The legacy Clear System Cache menu belongs to Xbox 360, and Microsoft’s current Xbox One and Xbox Series instructions do not include it. Do not use the old storage-device button sequence for these newer consoles.
Does clearing the alternate MAC address clear Xbox cache?
Clearing an empty alternate MAC address does nothing except restart the console. Use the console’s restart control directly instead of treating the network setting as a separate cache-clearing method.
How do you clear the Xbox app cache on Android?
Open Android Settings > Apps > Xbox > Storage, then select Clear cache. Menu names vary by manufacturer and version; on Pixel, open Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Xbox > Storage & cache, then select Clear cache. This clears temporary phone-app data rather than console storage.
Can you clear Xbox Cloud Gaming reserved space separately?
Sign in at xbox.com/play, select your profile picture, and open Settings > Manage games. Select the title, then select Delete reserved space. If the title is missing, launch it through cloud gaming, exit, wait one to two minutes, then return to Manage games. This removes cloud-gaming reserved content, including mods, video, and logs, rather than clearing a physical console’s storage.