Clear cookies through your browser settings
The fastest way to clear cookies on a Samsung tablet is to go into your browser's settings and delete them directly. The exact steps depend on which browser you use — Samsung Internet, Chrome, or Firefox are the most common — but all three follow the same basic path: open the browser, find the menu, locate storage or privacy settings, and select the option to clear browsing data.
Cookies are small files that websites store on your tablet to remember your login information, preferences, and browsing history. Clearing them regularly can speed up your tablet, free up storage space, and remove tracking data from sites you've visited. You can clear all cookies at once or set your browser to delete them automatically every time you close it.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Internet, Chrome, and Firefox all let you clear cookies through their settings menus in under one minute.
- You can choose to clear cookies from all time or just the last hour, day, or week depending on your browser.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so save any work before you start.
- You can set your browser to delete cookies automatically every time you close it, so you don't have to do it manually.
- Clearing cookies does not delete your saved passwords unless you specifically choose to clear those too.
Clear cookies in Samsung Internet
Samsung Internet is the default browser on most Samsung tablets. Open the app and tap the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) in the bottom right corner of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Privacy. You will see an option called Delete browsing data. Tap it. A window will appear with checkboxes for different types of data — make sure Cookies and site data is checked. You can also check Cached images and files if you want to free up more storage. At the top of the window, tap the dropdown menu that says All time if you want to choose a shorter time range (like the last day or week). Then tap Delete. The cookies will be gone in a few seconds.
Clear cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Tap Settings. Then tap Privacy and security.
Tap Clear browsing data. A window will pop up with several checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu — the default is All time, but you can change it to Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 4 weeks if you only want to clear recent cookies. Once you have made your choices, tap Clear data. Chrome will delete the cookies right away.
Clear cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and tap the three-line menu icon in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings. Then tap Privacy.
Scroll down to the section called Data Collection and tap Clear private data. A list will appear with options like Browsing history, Cookies, and Cache. Make sure Cookies is checked. Then tap Clear private data at the bottom. Firefox will delete the cookies when ready.
Set your browser to delete cookies automatically
If you want to avoid clearing cookies by hand every time, you can tell your browser to delete them automatically when you close the app. In Samsung Internet, go to Settings > Privacy and turn on Delete browsing data on exit. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security, turn on Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy, scroll to Cookies, and select Delete cookies and site data when Firefox closes.
Once you turn on this setting, your browser will wipe all cookies the moment you close it. This means you will have to log back into websites the next time you open your browser, but your tablet will stay cleaner and you will not have to remember to clear them yourself.
What happens when you clear cookies
When you clear cookies, you will be logged out of most websites. If you were in the middle of shopping, writing an email, or filling out a form, that work may be lost — so save anything important before you clear cookies. Websites will no longer remember your preferences, like your preferred language or whether you had items in a shopping cart.
Clearing cookies does not delete your saved passwords, unless you specifically check the box for passwords when you clear browsing data. It also does not delete your browsing history, bookmarks, or autofill information unless you check those boxes too. You have full control over what gets deleted and what stays.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is clearing cookies and then wondering why you are logged out of everything. This is normal — just log back in. Another mistake is clearing cookies but forgetting to uncheck Passwords if you did not mean to delete those. Always look at what boxes are checked before you tap the delete button.
Some people clear cookies and then when ready notice their tablet is not running faster. Cookies take up very little space, so clearing them alone will not speed up a slow tablet. If your tablet is sluggish, you may need to clear the cache (which stores images and files from websites) or restart the device. Clearing cookies is mainly useful for privacy and removing tracking data, not for performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No, unless you specifically check the box for passwords when you clear browsing data. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you only check Cookies and site data, your passwords will stay on your tablet.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Most browsers do not have an straightforward way to delete cookies from a single website. Your best option is to clear all cookies, then log back into the sites you use most often. Some browsers let you block cookies from specific sites going forward, but clearing one site's cookies at a time is not a standard feature.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing the cache?
Cookies are small text files that store login information and preferences. The cache stores images, videos, and other files from websites so pages load faster next time. Clearing the cache frees up more storage space, but clearing cookies is better for privacy. You can clear both at the same time if you want.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
No, but many people clear them monthly or quarterly for privacy reasons. If you do not clear cookies, websites will continue to track your activity and remember your information. Clearing them regularly limits how much data websites can collect about you.
Why am I still logged into websites after clearing cookies?
Some websites use tokens or other methods to keep you logged in, separate from cookies. If you are still logged in after clearing cookies, try logging out manually from the website, then clearing cookies again. You can also try clearing your cache and browsing history at the same time.