How to Clear the Console in R

When working with R, keeping your console clean and organized is essential for efficient data analysis and programming. A cluttered console can make it challenging to track outputs, debug errors, or even run new commands effectively. Fortunately, clearing the R console is a straightforward process. In this article, we will explore different methods to clear the R console interactively, ensuring you can maintain a tidy workspace.

One distinction runs through every method below: clearing the console removes displayed output. It does not delete the variables, functions, or other state in your R session — except for the last method, a third-party package that reaches into the workspace, which is why it comes with an explicit caution.

Clear the console in RStudio with a keyboard shortcut

In RStudio, the quickest way to clear the console is the keyboard shortcut: press Ctrl + L on Windows, or Command + Option + L on macOS, and the console display is cleared instantly.

Shortcuts depend on the environment, so treat this as the RStudio answer rather than a universal one: a different R console, a different platform, or a customized key binding may use another shortcut or none at all. If the shortcut does nothing in your console, use one of the command-based methods below instead.

Try cat("\014") only in consoles that support form feed

The classic R command for clearing the console sends a form-feed character:

cat("\014")

In consoles that interpret the form feed as a clear instruction — RStudio’s console among them — the displayed output disappears. Not every console honors it: in some implementations, such as a plain system console, the same command may only move the cursor or print a symbol, and the output stays. R has no built-in function that natively clears every console, which is why the remaining methods exist.

Scroll prior output out of view with blank lines

A different approach does not clear anything at all: it pushes the previous output up and out of view by printing many blank lines — 50 is usually enough. Wrapped in a small function, it becomes a reusable command:

clear_con <- function() cat(rep("\n", 50))
clear_con()

Call clear_con() whenever you want a clean-looking console. Be clear about what it does: the earlier output is scrolled away, not erased — scroll back and it is still there, and nothing about the session changes. That is also its advantage: it works in practically any console, because it relies only on printing newlines.

Use an operating-system command only when the R console supports it

Some R consoles let you clear the display by sending the operating system a command that clears its screen. On Windows, that command is:

shell("cls")

On Linux or macOS, it is:

shell("clear")

Whether this works depends entirely on the console implementation and the environment it runs in — several R consoles and IDE setups do not pass the command through in a way that clears the R console display, so treat it as an option that works in some setups, not a guarantee.

Use the mise package cautiously

There is a third-party package named mise connected with this task. Unlike the methods above, it is not limited to the console display: the package also acts on workspace objects, so objects you created — variables, and depending on how it is used, functions — can be removed. That is a materially stronger effect than clearing output, and it is the reason for caution: read the documentation of the version you install before calling it, and do not run it in a session whose objects you still need.

Installation and loading are two separate commands:

install.packages("mise")

library(mise)
mise()

Before using it on real work, try it in a disposable session and confirm exactly what the installed version removes by default and which arguments it accepts; do not assume argument names or defaults from examples written for another version.

Whichever method you choose, remember the distinction from the start of this article: the shortcut, the form feed, the blank lines, and the shell command all affect only what the console shows. Only the package method touches the session itself — and none of these methods resets an R session.