Problem with safari's cache in ios 5

I found the solution to ALL iOS 5.x devices, go to Settings > Safari > and disable "Private Browsing"

Note that Safari will go back to iOS 4.x blue, and more importantly, will fix the cookie and history issues we've been expierencing!!!

I recomend backing up with iTunes or preferably iCloud, so when you need to Restore, or Update, you'll get your settings back.

I wish that was the case for me but on my iPad 1 (with iOS 5.x) I have never has private browsing enabled and the issue persists. Perhaps the technique works for later model iPads, here's hoping. I am keeping my fingers crossed for an eventual patch, in the mean time, I never use the back button now.

Sorry but that does not work. If you load a web page where the author has changed the content (js, css or even images) Safari still caches it until it feel's differently regardless of the Private Browser setting.

I have had some success with shutting down Safari for some content, but things like changed css generally don't get picked up doing this.

Note this is with iPhone 4 and iPad 2 running 5.01

Thanks. I did the same. The problen has dissappeared, for now at least!

I'm also having this problem, I can't believe there's still no fix!

I am wondering if they finally fixed this bug?

I just upgraded my iPad 2 to 5.1 and did not even surf yet.

Wish me luck.

I've upgraded my iPad 1 to iOS 5.1 and the signs are promising that this has been resolved; but time will tell.

I bought the new iPad 3 yesterday to test my new web application and experienced the same bug. After playing around with the safari settings and clearing the cache multiple times without any effect, I think the problem could have something to do with the iCloud BackUp Service. Perhaps it prevents Safari to rewrite the browser cache...? A little trick helped me to get around this issue:

1) Close all running web apps / safari.

2) Clear cache and history

3) Set the date manually to one month in the future.

4) Switch of iCloud backup.

5) Start Safari and reload your page and close it afterwards.

6) Reset the date to correct date.

7) Switch on iCloud backup again.

After this everything works - in my case with iPad 3 and the latest version of iOS. I uploaded some changes to my server and Safari seems to do the caching now correctly. I don't have the time to figure out which of the steps above did the job. But the problem seems to remain solved. Perhaps this might be useful to some other people here.

Even ipad 3 is failing, that is scary. Step 2 provides a temporary solution. Would appreciate hearing if the issue returns.

Since the upgrade to 5.1 I haven't had the problem anymore. Doesn't mean it's solved - time will tell - but before the upgrade I had the problem on a daily basis, numerous times. Fact is (I found) you could actually 'feel' by the reaction time that it was taking it out of old cache without even comparing to the latest version, while at this moment I feel it actually thinks for just a fraction of a second and then decides to reload the page.

For me - and as for now - 5.1 has fixed it... for me. It's been working well ever since I installed (I believe a week ago or so?).

That's encouraging news. I've also upgraded to 5.1 but have been out of Wifi range and haven't had a chance to try it yet, so at least now I have a reason to be hopeful!

Thanks for the feedback!

After the upgrade done on Mar, 10th, I have not faced this problem anymore.

Hope the bug is solved.

Upgrading to 5.1 solved my problem.

I can confirm that its still not fully fixed in iOS 5.1. Here is my scenario:

Update some javascript code on the server and then reaccess the bookmark for a webapp bookmarked on the home screen on an iPhone 4. The device will still use the javascript that was cached from an earlier time. Same with CSS file updates. iOS 5.1 still decides when it wants to refresh cashed content.

Add to that iOS 5.1 now has a bigger problem. It throws away HTML5 local storage randomly.

See this post

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3824039

Yep it's still there at 5.1.1... Admittedly, around 5.1 things got better. Safari itself now seems to be very tolerant of JS and CSS changes. I can update a JavaScript source file on the server, and the next time I refresh the web page in Safari, the updated code is immediately loaded. The same can't be said for links that are added to the Home Screen. They seem to "lock-in" to the HTML and JS that was present at the time the link was created. There still seems to be no way to get these links to refresh. Even deleting and re-creating them doesn't work... I'd like to suggest to our users to add our website as a link to their home screen for better functionality, but this bug stifles that option. If they added our site as a home screen link, they would never receive any site updates...