How does clearing the cache help in troubleshooting software issues?

Clearing the cache helps in troubleshooting software issues primarily by removing corrupted temporary data that can affect performance. When applications run, they often store temporary files in the cache to speed up processes. However, if there are issues with this temporary data—such as corruption or inconsistencies—these can lead to unexpected behavior or performance degradation in the application. By clearing the cache, you effectively reset the stored temporary data, allowing the application to rebuild its cache with fresh, functional data. This can resolve glitches, speed up performance, and lead to a smoother user experience.

While improving the overall speed of the device and updating applications are potential benefits of various maintenance tasks, they are not direct results of clearing the cache itself. Additionally, allowing for a full system restore is a more extensive procedure that involves reverting all system settings and data to a previous state, which is not achieved through cache clearing.