Google Will No Longer Let You Browse Cached Web Pages (but You Still Can)
There was a time when you were looking at Google search results and could click the “Cached” button to view an archived version of the page. Unfortunately, Google has decided to remove this feature . The stated reason is that the feature was created to allow users to see content during times when sites are often offline, and that basic Internet functionality has improved to the point where it is no longer necessary. Whatever the reason, this means another useful feature has found its way into Google’s graveyard .
While Google may claim that this feature is no longer relevant, that is not the case. Posts are constantly deleted, link rot is very real, and entire sites are regularly removed from existence. Every time you want to access a post that has been deleted due to corporate or political censorship, you now have one less tool to see what was deleted. published. Google cache was also one of the most reliable ways to access pages that took a long time to load or closed frequently, which still happens to small blogs or government-run sites in many regions of the world.
Whenever a web page wasn’t working properly, you could easily access Google’s cache directly from the search results, but that button has now been removed – if not the functionality itself. Because at the time of writing this article, there are still a few simple workarounds that allow you to access Google’s cached web pages.
Use the Google search modifier to load cached pages.
The easiest way is to use the cache operator: when using Google search. Here’s an example:
in cache: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-access-the-hidden-symbols-on-your-iphones-keyboa-1847212952
Replace the URL in the search above with a link to the webpage you are trying to visit. Google will load a cached version of this page instead of the active version.
Create a bookmarklet to load cached Google pages.
A simple bookmarklet can also help you download a cached version of any web page you visit. This bookmarklet was created by Mac application developer Michael Tsai . In your browser, add a new bookmark and name it Google Cached (or whatever name you like). In the bookmark URL field, paste this code snippet:
You can now open any web page and click on this bookmarklet to download Google’s cached version of it.
Use the Wayback Machine to Access Cached Web Pages
If all else fails, you can use The Internet Archive’s excellent Wayback Machine to open cached web pages. On the Wayback Machine, you can paste a link to any web page to download a cached version—you’ll likely even be able to view the same page at multiple points in time to see how it has changed or been updated.
Create a personal cache of important web pages.
There are times when you actually need to revisit a web page, such as when you want to be able to easily return to important information. In such cases, it is best to create your own archive of the web page. Every web browser allows you to save web pages for offline viewing if you press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. You can also use Chrome extensions to easily archive any webpage you like .