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, or which ads you have seen. They are not harmful by themselves, but clearing them can speed up your browser, free up storage space, or reset how a website behaves toward you.
When you clear cookies, you erase this stored data. The next time you visit a website, it will not remember you were there before. You may need to log in again to accounts, and shopping carts will empty. Some people clear cookies regularly for privacy reasons; others do it only when a website is not working correctly.
The steps differ slightly depending on which browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — but the process takes less than a minute in any of them.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing cookies removes stored data from websites and can free up storage space or fix a website that is not loading correctly.
- You will need to log back into most websites after clearing cookies, and shopping carts or saved preferences will be erased.
- The process is different in each browser, but all of them have a built-in tool to clear cookies without deleting other files.
- You can set your browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, so you do not have to do it manually each time.
- Clearing cookies does not remove viruses or malware — it only deletes stored website data.
How to clear cookies in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. Select Settings from the menu that appears.
On the left side of the Settings page, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up with several options. At the top, make sure the time range is set to what you want — All time will delete all cookies ever stored, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, or Last 7 days will delete only recent ones.
Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to delete your browsing history or cached images. Click the blue Clear data button. Chrome will delete the cookies when ready, and the window will close.
How to clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) in the top right corner. Click Settings, then select Privacy & Security from the left menu.
Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Click the Clear Data button. A window will appear with two checkboxes: Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked, then click Clear. Firefox will remove the cookies right away.
If you want to clear cookies from only the current session rather than all stored cookies, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete (or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac) to open the clearing tool directly.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS).
Click the Privacy tab. You will see a button labeled Manage Website Data. Click it to see a list of all websites that have stored cookies on your computer. You can select individual websites and click Remove to delete only their cookies, or click Remove All to clear everything at once.
If you want a faster method, click Safari in the menu bar, then click Clear History. A dropdown will ask you how far back to clear — select your preferred time range and make sure Cookies is checked in the options, then click Clear History.
How to clear cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu.
Click Privacy, search, and services on the left side. Under the section Clear browsing data, click the button that says Choose what to clear. A window will pop up with a time range dropdown at the top — select All time or your preferred range.
Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can leave other options unchecked. Click the Clear now button. Edge will delete the cookies when ready.
Set your browser to clear cookies automatically
If you want your browser to clear cookies every time you close it, you can turn on this setting so you do not have to do it manually. In Chrome, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then turn on the toggle next to Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome.
In Firefox, go to Settings, click Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check the box that says Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. In Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, then Settings, click the Privacy tab, and check Remove all website data when quitting Safari.
In Edge, go to Settings, click Privacy, search, and services, scroll to Clear browsing data, and turn on the toggle next to Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. Then click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser and check Cookies and other site data.
What happens after you clear cookies
Once you clear cookies, websites will no longer remember you. The next time you visit a site where you have an account, you will need to log in again. Shopping carts will be empty. Websites may also forget your language preference, font size, or other settings you had saved.
Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically check those boxes during the clearing process. It also does not remove viruses or malware — it only erases the data that websites have stored about you.
If a website is not working correctly — pages are not loading, buttons are not responding, or you are seeing old versions of pages — clearing cookies often fixes the problem. The website will rebuild its cookie file the next time you visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear cookies, you will need to log back in to websites, but your saved passwords will still be there — most browsers will offer to fill them in for you. If you want to delete passwords, you have to do that in a different section of your browser settings.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can click on the lock icon or site icon next to the web address in the address bar and look for an option to clear site data. In Safari, you can use the Manage Website Data button in Privacy settings to select individual websites and remove only their cookies.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is a list of websites you have visited. Cookies are data those websites stored on your computer. Clearing history removes the list; clearing cookies removes the stored data. You can do either one without doing the other.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
Not unless you want to. Cookies take up very little storage space, and clearing them is optional. Some people clear them for privacy reasons or when a website is not working. Others never clear them. If your computer is running slowly or storage is full, cookies are rarely the cause.
Will clearing cookies log me out of websites?
Yes. Cookies store login information, so clearing them will log you out of most websites. The next time you visit, you will need to enter your username and password again. Your account itself is not deleted — only the stored login data on your computer is removed.