Does holding down Ctrl/Shift while clicking refresh actually have an effect in modern browsers?

11

2

I have been pressing Ctrl or Shift while clicking refresh for so long out of habit that I am not even sure it has any effect in modern browsers.

In the past it was used to do a 'hard refresh' - i.e. not reloading anything from the cache.

Does this still apply? If so, is the effect it has still the same?

Dve

Posted 2011-05-03T14:23:52.287

Reputation: 213

You haven't been using CTRL? – random – 2011-05-03T14:26:54.157

hmm.. depends which version of which browser no? Updated my question anyway – Dve – 2011-05-03T14:30:03.533

Answers

19

It does still work and helps bypass the cache - here's a break down of the shortcuts for the common browsers:

Internet Explorer

  • Ctrl + F5
  • Ctrl + click refresh button

Google Chrome

  • Ctrl + F5
  • Ctrl + click refresh button

Safari

  • Version 4 or newer: Shift + click refresh button
  • Version 3 or older: + R

Firefox

  • Ctrl + Shift + R
  • Ctrl + F5 / + F5
  • Shift + click refresh button

Opera

  • Ctrl + F5
  • Shift + F5

Gaff

Posted 2011-05-03T14:23:52.287

Reputation: 16 863

1There's no Shift + R shortcut in the Opera, at least in the latest versions and I doubt about Shift + click refresh button either. – Malcolm – 2011-05-03T16:46:33.827

1Thanks @Malcolm - I'm not an Opera user so I couldn't confirm for sure. Please feel free to edit my answer if you know what the shortcut is on Opera. – Gaff – 2011-05-04T01:58:23.390

@Malcolm: Both Ctrl + F5 and Shift + F5 work for Opera since version 11.62 (see changelog, under Network for details).

– Amos M. Carpenter – 2014-02-13T03:11:01.233

@aaamos I left that comment long before the release of the version you mentioned. – Malcolm – 2014-02-13T18:51:40.027

3

Under Firefox 4, a normal refresh will generally reload basic content such as HTML as well as CSS and JavaScript. If you force a full refresh, the browser will reload all content, including images and all other objects, from the server.

bwDraco

Posted 2011-05-03T14:23:52.287

Reputation: 41 701