What cookies are and why you might want to clear them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. They make browsing faster and more convenient. But over time, your browser collects hundreds of them, and some track your activity across websites. Clearing cookies can free up storage space, improve privacy, and sometimes fix problems when a website stops working properly.
The catch: clearing cookies also logs you out of most websites and erases saved passwords unless you tell your browser to keep them. You'll need to log back in the next time you visit. If you want to keep some cookies — say, for sites you visit daily — most browsers let you delete cookies selectively instead of all at once.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are stored files that websites use to remember your login information and preferences, and clearing them logs you out of most sites.
- In Microsoft Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, check "Cookies and other site data", and click Clear now.
- In Google Chrome, open Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data, check "Cookies and other site data", and click Clear data.
- You can choose to clear cookies from the last hour, day, week, month, or all time — clearing all time removes every cookie your browser has stored.
- Most browsers let you set exceptions so cookies from specific websites are never deleted, useful for sites where you want to stay logged in.
Clearing cookies in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is the default browser on most Windows PCs. To clear cookies, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select Settings. On the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services.
Under the "Clear browsing data" section, click the Clear browsing data button. A window will pop up. Make sure the time range at the top is set to what you want — All time clears every cookie, while Last hour or Last day clears only recent ones. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can also check Cached images and files if you want to free up more space. Then click Clear now.
If you want to keep cookies from specific websites, stay in the Privacy settings and scroll down to Clear browsing data. Click Manage exceptions under that section. Type the website address and click Add. Cookies from those sites will never be deleted when you clear browsing data.
Clearing cookies in Google Chrome
Click the three-dot menu in the top right and select Settings. On the left sidebar, click Privacy and security, then Clear browsing data. A window opens with several tabs — make sure you're on the Basic tab (not Advanced).
At the top, choose your time range: All time removes every cookie, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 4 weeks let you be more selective. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can also check Cached images and files to clear temporary storage. Click Clear data.
To protect cookies from specific sites, go back to Settings, click Privacy and security, then Cookies and other site data. Under Sites that can always use cookies, click Add and type the website address. Those cookies will be kept even when you clear browsing data.
Clearing cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right and select Settings. Click Privacy & Security on the left. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data. A window appears with two checkboxes — make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked, then click Clear.
Firefox clears cookies from your entire browsing history by default. If you want to clear only recent cookies, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete instead. This opens the Clear Recent History window, where you can choose a time range at the top — Everything, Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 4 Hours, or Today. Check Cookies and click Clear Now.
To protect cookies from specific sites, go back to Privacy & Security and scroll to Cookies and Site Data. Click Manage Exceptions, type the website address, and click Allow. Those cookies will survive any future clearing.
What happens after you clear cookies
You'll be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site that required a login, you'll see the login page again. Websites that remember your preferences — like a news site that shows articles in a certain order — will reset to their defaults. Shopping carts will empty.
Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after clearing cookies, because they need to read preference files again. This is temporary and usually unnoticeable. If a website was behaving strangely — pages not loading, buttons not working, or login loops — clearing its cookies often fixes the problem.
Automating cookie clearing
If you want your browser to clear cookies automatically every time you close it, you can set that up. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. Then click Manage what gets cleared every time you close the browser and check Cookies and other site data.
In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. Toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.
Automating this is useful if you share your computer or want maximum privacy, but it means you'll need to log in again every session. Most people find it more convenient to clear cookies manually once a month or when a website stops working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No, not unless you specifically check the "Passwords" box during clearing. Cookies and passwords are stored separately. You can clear cookies while keeping passwords, or vice versa. If you do want to delete passwords, you'll need to go to your browser's password manager and remove them individually.
Can I clear cookies from just one website?
Yes. In Edge and Chrome, right-click on any website and select "Inspect" or open Developer Tools with F12, then go to the process tab and find Cookies. Select the site and delete. Easier: just go to that website, click the lock icon or info icon in the address bar, find Cookies, and delete from there. Firefox doesn't have a straightforward one-site method, so you'd need to use the time-range method and clear only very recent cookies.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache?
Cookies are small data files websites store to remember you. Cache is temporary copies of images, videos, and web pages your browser stores to load sites faster. Clearing cache frees up more storage space but doesn't log you out of websites. You can clear either one independently or both at the same time.
Do I need to restart my computer after clearing cookies?
No. The changes take effect when ready. You can keep browsing right away. Your browser may need a moment to refresh, but a restart is not necessary.
Will clearing cookies speed up my computer?
Slightly, but not dramatically. Cookies are tiny files — even thousands of them take up only a few megabytes. The main benefit is privacy and fixing website problems, not performance. If your computer is slow, the issue is usually RAM usage or disk space, not cookies.