How to Clear Chrome's DNS Cache (and Your System's Too)
Clear Chrome's built-in host cache from the net-internals page, flush socket pools, and reset your Windows or macOS resolver to fix stale DNS entries.
Chrome keeps its own DNS cache, separate from your operating system, so a site can keep resolving to a dead server even after you flush the system resolver. Open chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache, then flush connections at chrome://net-internals/#sockets. If it still won’t load, also run ipconfig /flushdns in Windows. Note that Chrome’s normal “Delete browsing data” does not touch this host cache, the two are entirely separate, and the chrome://net-internals page is desktop-only, so clearing Chrome’s DNS cache on Android takes a different route.
Clear Chrome’s internal DNS cache
Chrome caches hostname-to-IP lookups in memory. When a site’s IP changes or you edit your hosts file, that entry can keep pointing at the old address.
- Type
chrome://net-internals/#dnsin the address bar and press Enter. - Click Clear host cache.
- Open
chrome://net-internals/#socketsand click Flush socket pools to drop stale connections.
Neither button shows a confirmation. Restarting Chrome clears the in-memory cache too, but only if the process actually quits — with “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” on, it may not.
Flush the DNS cache your system keeps
When its own cache misses, Chrome typically falls back to the OS resolver, so a stale entry there can leak through even after you clear Chrome’s. Flush it too.
| System | Command | Where to run |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ipconfig /flushdns | Command Prompt or PowerShell |
| macOS | sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder | Terminal |
On Windows, you’ll see “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.” Then reopen Chrome.
When flushing DNS is the right fix
Use it when one site fails but others work: a page stuck after a hosting move, a domain you just repointed, or a hosts edit that won’t take. If nothing loads, DNS isn’t the cause.
What clearing DNS won’t fix
A flushed cache won’t touch cookies, logins, or a slow browser. If pages load but you’re stuck signed in or seeing old content, try clearing cookies and site data in Chrome. If every site drags, that’s not DNS — start with why Chrome feels slow.
With Secure DNS on in Chrome’s Privacy and security settings, lookups go to your DoH provider, not the OS resolver, so the host cache is the one that matters.
Common questions
Does clearing browsing data flush Chrome’s DNS cache?
No. Chrome’s host cache is separate from cookies, history, and cached files, so the “Delete browsing data” dialog leaves it untouched. You clear it specifically at chrome://net-internals/#dns with the Clear host cache button.
How do I clear Chrome’s DNS cache on Android?
The chrome://net-internals/#dns page is desktop-only and does not work in Chrome for Android. To clear stale lookups on a phone, clear Chrome’s app cache in Android’s app settings, or briefly toggle airplane mode on and off to reset the system resolver.
Why does a site still load the old IP after I flush DNS?
Caching happens in more than one place. Your home router or modem keeps its own DNS cache, and the domain’s records carry a time-to-live that resolvers honor, so a recent change can take a while to propagate. Restarting the router and waiting out the record’s time-to-live usually resolves it.
Do I need to restart Chrome after clearing the host cache?
No. Clicking Clear host cache takes effect immediately, with no confirmation message. Restarting Chrome also empties the in-memory cache, but only if the process fully quits, which it may not if “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” is enabled.